Traveling with camera

[Scotttyd]

I was curious as to if any of you travel with your camera in a seperate hard case from your normal carry on?

I was looking at the seahorse cases:
Seahorse SE-540F Protective Case - Seahorse Cases - Optical Ocean Sales Underwater Photo - 800-359-1295!

and was curious as to if the airlines would let me count this as my "personal item" in addition to my regular carry on. Do any of you have a second camera case, and if so, do you ever catch slack from the airlines? Mostly I would be looking at flying with continental (to Bonaire) and also use it locally on the boats here in NC (hence why I want a hard case for the camera).

 

[Allison Finch]

I use the Seahorse rolling carry-on for my camera stuff. You are fairly safe carrying it on, although it WILL exceed the weight limits most airlines set. In Brisbane, Australia, they will try to really nail you for overweight.

I like the Seahorse much better than the Pelican 1510. It is bigger in all dimensions, but will still fit in the pipe templates used to measure carry-on size

Most of my stuff fits fine

 

[highdesert]

Allison -

If this is your carry-on, where do your computer, reg set, and mask go?

 

[Mariozi]

I dispatch ALL my diving equipment AND my uwhousing/strobes/ports etc... in 2 Pelican cases.
On board I only take my camera/lenses/computer in a backpack, and even then all the accessory hardware is also dispatched. Locked Pelicans with insured material, never had any trouble.

 

[ryssyr]

i use the pelican, but carry a backpack for the regs, computer, laptop, mask etc.

 

[mjh]

Are we the only people who the airlines seem to insist put our carry-ons on the scale? For years no one gave them a second look but now most want to weigh them and cap you at 15-17lbs. Like others I have gone to wearing a camera vest. I use a backpack style camera bag in part due to weight and trying not to draw attention to my +30lbs bag.

 

[StreetDoctor]

lol I had ALL my diving gear in my carry-on when I just went to San Diego in September. The key is to use a "normal" looking bag. I weighed it at home and it weighed 74lbs. I was sure to put it over someone else's head :laughing:

 

[mofongo_max]

My girlfriend and I each travel with our camera gear in a soft-sided padded backpack. Nothing too extravagant.

Much like this:

 

[marcaumarc]

I use the Kata OC-84 and that fits in the carry on of normal sized planes (the trolly slides out when you stow it). It is pretty strong and also not too heavy.

 

[AndyT]

I carry all of my camera gear in a carry on. I use a Lowpro Vertex 300 (backpack type). It weights around 17 Kg, including my laptop. On my last trip I just couldn't dodge having it weighed, I explained that it was expensive and fragile photography equipment. They allowed it as carry on but wanted to charge me excess baggage as my checked in stuff was at the limit. Lots of fast talking and begging !!!!

I also had a "personal item" (Lowpro slingshot 200) that had a 2nd camera body, lenses and some extras in that came in around 5Kg, but they didn't weigh that.

I have stayed away from hard cases as carry on, they themselves weigh quite a bit. Besides, it's always under my control so I don't see the need for extra protection.

As I said in a previous thread, I pack my carry on as if my check in luggage isn't going to arrive - happened to me twice recently.