[monochrome]

1st week of June I will travel to Boca Raton, FL for a conference.

Having not traveled with significant camera equipment since 9/11, what advice do you experienced travelers have for minimizing hassles at the gates, and protecting equipment in hotels?

Any advice on how to prepare for what is available to shoot? (won't be getting too far away from the hotel much - just beach and meetings)

I plan to take a LowePro Slingshot 200AW with:

K10D/BG-2/O-ME53 Eyepiece | FA35/2 | FA50/1.4 | F35~70/3.5~4.5 | F70~210 f/4~5.6 | A35~105/3.5 |
Promaster 7500EDF | CPL's | OmniPod Bean Bag

[Marc Langille]

1st week of June I will travel to Boca Raton, FL for a conference.

Having not traveled with significant camera equipment since 9/11, what advice do you experienced travelers have for minimizing hassles at the gates, and protecting equipment in hotels?

Any advice on how to prepare for what is available to shoot? (won't be getting too far away from the hotel much - just beach and meetings)

I plan to take a LowePro Slingshot 200AW with:

K10D/BG-2/O-ME53 Eyepiece | FA35/2 | FA50/1.4 | F35~70/3.5~4.5 | F70~210 f/4~5.6 | A35~105/3.5 |
Promaster 7500EDF | CPL's | OmniPod Bean Bag

You'll have nothing to worry about with that. I am carrying a 300AW with similar stuff, including batteries, flash, extension and remote cable, Arca-Swiss Z1 Ballhead, CPL, 3 sets of filters, and several lenses. That goes through every time, although sometimes they check it over via the X-Ray machine for about 20 seconds, since there is a fair bit to look at. They spend more time with my laptop bag: laptop, 2 external hard drives, wires, chargers, etc. than anything else.

My Pelican 1510 case has my FA* 300/2.8, K20D+BG-2, Canon 40D+grip, and Sigma 500/4.5. That is checked - it is padlocked with Peli-locks, TSA approved. That's my only option, since the other bag is soft-sided and the laptop bag is too. It's all insured, and no problems - except for a delay in the 1510 on the last flight - in came in around 45 minutes later on another flight. Just minor fretting...

My actual suitcase is also checked luggage: it has all my hot weather gear, rattlesnake gators, knives (very useful for cutting/trimming scrub or basic protection), etc. Everything else is shipped or left on site. However, I am by myself on a whole lot of land - easily 6,000 acres, and all fenced, so it's private.

Cheers,
Marc

[tybeck]

I took a body and 4 lens through security with no trouble back in December around the holidays. If you can I'd only take what you need and carry-on everything. I if you check in have a padded case and insurance against damage or theft. I guess you could always ship to the hotel as well if you really had a lot of stuff to carry. As for protecting your equipment in the hotel many will have in-room safes. If those aren't available any decent place will have a hotel safe. Ask at reception. From my friend's experience in recent years your valuables are safer in check in luggage than they are in your hotel room. Seems that TSA and airport staff are more honest (or better monitored) than hotel staff.

[raider]

From my friend's experience in recent years your valuables are safer in check in luggage than they are in your hotel room.

About 2 years ago, my brother was traveling (cannot remember his destination) and he put his Sony digital camera inside his check in luggage. What an oversight.

When he reach his destination and open his luggage, he observed that the digial camera was stolen. All the clothings and personal effects are left intact.

[jmdeegan]

TSA Pays more attention to footwear and laptops than cameras

I've gone to Brazil, Florida and NC with my K10D, either in my slingshot or tenba bag, and never once had it be checked beyond the x-ray machine.

Trip to charlotte, I checked the slingshot with my flashes and some other miscellaneous gear, inside a suitcase. Not a worry or issue at all.

One thing to remember--lens cleaning fluid if you have it, put in under the plane. I stuff mine in my shave kit, since its more fluid then they permit.

[monochrome]

Thanks everyone - pretty much what I expected to hear. I'm not a pro, so Pelicans are not part of my gear. I'm quite certain the conference location has a safe in-room and at concierge (high-end resort).

Interesting reminder about the lens fluid - I would have forgotten that. I have to take a small size of prescription eyedrops - my health plan HATES to let me buy them - but I won't put them in the checked luggage in case of loss.

[ve2vfd]

Same here, flew to Fort Lauderdale in March and had no problems with my Slingshot 100 full of gear as carry on. I just made sure I had no lens fluid in the bag. They ran my bag thru xray and didn't even give it a second glance.

I also have to carry eye drops with me all the time and just put the bottle in the tray with my wallet and keys, again they didn't give it a glance.

I never carry anything valuable in my checked luggage, and I lock the zippers with loose tie-wraps so they are easy to cut off. If they are cut I know if my luggage has been tampered with.

Pat

[monochrome]

and I lock the zippers with loose tie-wraps so they are easy to cut off. If they are cut I know if my luggage has been tampered with.

Pat

Even in my 50's, I'm learning something neat and new every day!

Paul

[heatherslightbox]

I've never had a problem getting through security with my body, lenses, and accessories. Since the jury is out on whether or not it's a good idea to carry on a tripod, I've always put it in my checked luggage and have never had a problem there, either.

As for the liquids, as long as the container is 3 ounces or less, then you won't have a problem carrying it in your carry-on. In addition to nose spray, I also carry eye ointment with me. It's OTC, but not every pharmacy carries it, so I'd rather not have to run around trying to find a store that has it, should it not get to my destination when I do. All my other sundry-type stuff goes into the checked bag. I figure if it gets lost, I can go to almost any drug, discount, or grocery store and be able to replace it.

I'm surprised that more companies haven't started putting their products in travel-sized bottles...

Heather

[monochrome]

Since the jury is out on whether or not it's a good idea to carry on a tripod, I've always put it in my checked luggage and have never had a problem there, either.

As for the liquids, as long as the container is 3 ounces or less, then you won't have a problem carrying it in your carry-on.

I'm surprised that more companies haven't started putting their products in travel-sized bottles...

Heather

Thanks Heather!

I've gone back and forth about the tripod. Right now I only have a pan head, and that tipped me to getting a bean bag. If I miss the perfect sunset, well there you go.

I actually won't have any long periods of free time - just an hour or two each day, maybe an early morning or a late afternoon, so I want to travel light and use what I have. I'm presenting two papers and moderating a session, so a lot of my free time will be review and prep. Mostly I just want to be able to get out and relax. Hope I get something to post up for Peter.

My insurance company doesn't want to pay for the little bottles since this is maintenance medication - they only want to let me buy larger bottles that last three months. They're also posted in ML and I've waited while well-meaning TSA agents tried to decide how many ML were in an ounce.

I'm carrying a large bottle in my shaving kit in the checked luggage as a backup.

Thanks again for the tripod reminder.

Paul

[Gooshin]

dont make bomb jokes

that is all.

[nonnstop]

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/everything-else/21785-camera-equipment-airport-security.html

Not sure what I'm doing here, but trying to give you a link to Pentax Forums, Everything Else, check Feb 29, 2008.

I asked a very similar question and got a lot of helpful responses. Hopefully this thread will give you some more help.

[monochrome]

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/everything-else/21785-camera-equipment-airport-security.html

Not sure what I'm doing here, but trying to give you a link to Pentax Forums, Everything Else, check Feb 29, 2008.

I asked a very similar question and got a lot of helpful responses. Hopefully this thread will give you some more help.

Thanks for the link - very detailed responses. I am , as were you, looking for basic advice on reducing hassle. Sort of like, "Wear loafers. Take everything out of your pockets while in line and put it in a ziplok bag. Put your laptop in an external sleeve, put that item on the belt last, pull out the laptop and put it in the tray, wait to walk through the reader device until the laptop goes in (to keep it from walking away while you are on the other side)." etc.