[77tbholmes]

Okay my family and I have not traveled a lot by plane and when we did my two Lowe Pro Flispside 400aw as a carry ons worked for size and there was no weight restriction with West Jet. Now I am going to Mexico (direct flight) and I am limited to 5kg on Sunwing. So the question I have is do I check the bag as luggage? Who has tried it and what did you use? All the equipment is insured with a floater so I am not worried that way but I need the equipment when I get there. Please share your experiences. So far Sunwing has not been helpful and essentially told me to keep my equipment at home. Next time it will be West Jet but I still have this trip.

Thanks
Todd

[Ari]

I get really nervous about checking gear in. I always bring it on board with me. 5kg seems like an awful lot of gear you can carry on - that should be enough for a body, a couple of lenses, miscellanea and even a small laptop.

[Wasp]

Checking in camera gear is a really bad idea.


This $11,000 Camera Lens Shows Why You Don't Check In Gear When Flying

[aslyfox]

if you can't handle the weight limitation on the carry on

have you looked into shipping the equipment directly to the location

don't know if that is even possible.

good luck

---

Last edited by aslyfox; 12-09-2018 at 02:31 PM.

[Macario]

I get really nervous about checking gear in. I always bring it on board with me. 5kg seems like an awful lot of gear you can carry on - that should be enough for a body, a couple of lenses, miscellanea and even a small laptop.

no not really, a bag is a minimum of 1kg with padding. So only 4kg for gear etc, and that is not a lot. But a nice trick is to put all you want in the bag and weigh it. Then take lenses etc out until uou reach the limit. Then you know what can go in the bag and what not. And at the check in, then just put what is needed in pockets, and when you are checked in, back in the bag.

[seventhdr]

Get the bag down to 5 kg and carry the rest of your gear on your body. Use a jacket with big pockets to carry things that are over the 5 kg limit.

Regards

Chris

[77tbholmes]

if you can't handle the weight limitation on the carry on

have you looked into shipping the equipment directly to the location

don't know if that is even possible.

good luck

that is a good idea.

---------- Post added 12-09-18 at 03:53 PM ----------

no not really, a bag is a minimum of 1kg with padding. So only 4kg for gear etc, and that is not a lot. But a nice trick is to put all you want in the bag and weigh it. Then take lenses etc out until uou reach the limit. Then you know what can go in the bag and what not. And at the check in, then just put what is needed in pockets, and when you are checked in, back in the bag.

I tried this and found a empty bag really quick. I am trying to pack a 102aw sling right now as a lap bag which is allowed without weighing.

[lesmore49]

Okay my family and I have not traveled a lot by plane and when we did my two Lowe Pro Flispside 400aw as a carry ons worked for size and there was no weight restriction with West Jet. Now I am going to Mexico (direct flight) and I am limited to 5kg on Sunwing. So the question I have is do I check the bag as luggage? Who has tried it and what did you use? All the equipment is insured with a floater so I am not worried that way but I need the equipment when I get there. Please share your experiences. So far Sunwing has not been helpful and essentially told me to keep my equipment at home. Next time it will be West Jet but I still have this trip.

Thanks
Todd

Don't check your camera equipment as luggage. Take it as carry on only. We saw luggage being loaded into a commercial passenger plane in Toronto last year. The baggage handlers were tossing the stuff into the plane with no discernible care. When I have to travel via airline, I just put unbreakables such as clothes in my suitcases. If I have any breakable, valuable, fragile stuff it will be carry on ...or not at all. Carry on is the only way I would pack my camera equipment.

I cut down on the equipment I carry on...last time I just took a small ASP-C body and one lens....nothing else. If your restrictions are really limiting you, it might be an idea just to use your cell phone camera.

[77tbholmes]

Get the bag down to 5 kg and carry the rest of your gear on your body. Use a jacket with big pockets to carry things that are over the 5 kg limit.

Regards

Chris

This is an idea with cargo pants would help too. I did not realize there is a such a difference between airlines with regard to luggage/ carry ons.

[Garry Conway]

I always "carry on" my gear, as you said its not just about the cost of camera equipement it's also about having it there to use. At large international airports baggage does get lost now and then although they are generally pretty good, at smaller local airports security isn't always good.

Most times I carry-on my tripod as well but it does make the security people nervous so I have been putting it in my checked baggage lately although I don't like doing it. If you have gear that's over the allowable weight check with the airline you might be able to pay a little extra to be able to take it on board, if not, place the gear you could mange without (if it were lost) into your checked baggage. In some situations I will put my extra flash , lights or a nonessential lens in checked baggage if absolutely necessary.

I have travelled on Sunwing and they can be very dissorganized at some of the smaller airports and if flights get delayed or changed because of weather or other reasons, bags can get lost or stolen. Also make sure you pay attention to both size and weight restricts, Sunwing will sometimes measure your bags as will some other carriers.

Hope this helps and you get some awesome photos

[aslyfox]

Get the bag down to 5 kg and carry the rest of your gear on your body. Use a jacket with big pockets to carry things that are over the 5 kg limit.

Regards

Chris

multipocket vest you can wear/stuff under seat in front of you works too

just don't step on anything breakable

[aslyfox]

This is an idea with cargo pants would help too. I did not realize there is a such a difference between airlines with regard to luggage/ carry ons.

another problem I haven't figured out a solution to is planes with small overhead storage bins

last time I flew back from Chicago to Kansas City, I was in a plane where the space to put the carry ons into was less than 10 inches

had to gate check and pray

lots of unhappy passengers on that plane, nothing but a thin carry on would work and they did not warn you until you got to the door of the plane

[77tbholmes]

okay this is what I have done.

I loaded my 120aw full it is 16lx8dx8.5w and weighs 3.9 kg
I unloaded my 400aw which is 19lx10dx12w and it now weighs 4.2kg

the 120aw I stow under the seat according to Sunwing and the 400aw is the carry on. I will stuff my cargo shorts (get a multi pocket vest) with the extras and move whats needed before security.

I will have a k3 and k3II a 55-300, Primes 14,35,50, external flash, theta v, small tripod, batteries, cards, chargers, card reader with jump drive for theta.

Thank you everyone for the great ideas and advice, now I am pumped to get out and enjoy.

Todd

[aslyfox]

okay this is what I have done.

I loaded my 120aw full it is 16lx8dx8.5w and weighs 3.9 kg
I unloaded my 400aw which is 19lx10dx12w and it now weighs 4.2kg

the 120aw I stow under the seat according to Sunwing and the 400aw is the carry on. I will stuff my cargo shorts (get a multi pocket vest) with the extras and move whats needed before security.

I will have a k3 and k3II a 55-300, Primes 14,35,50, external flash, theta v, small tripod, batteries, cards, chargers, card reader with jump drive for theta.

Thank you everyone for the great ideas and advice, now I am pumped to get out and enjoy.

Todd

my thoughts for what they are worth:

1 if you have the battery grips for the K 3/3 II and the AA battery trays, I would take the minimum # of batteries [ once I confirm I could obtain the type of AA battery I want to use at the locale in Mexico I am heading to ]

2 chargers and every thing sturdy into checked luggage but keep one charger and cables along with the theta v, and card reader with jump drive for theta for cargo pants/multpocket vest

3 consider putting battery grips into checked luggage packed appropriately to save weight

4 consider wearing a " scrub " [ nurse ] shirt ( large pockets )

good luck

[sergysergy]

Sometimes airlines are flexible. It just depends on the person you have to deal with.