Flight travel with camera gear?

I've done little flying since 9/11 although prior did a lot.

Now I worry as my equipment includes the following

Gitzo carbon-fiber tripod
Whimberly Head along with the Flash bracket attachment
along with
Large Tamrac rolling backpack with all bodies and 400mm/f2.8 lens and flashes


My biggest question, as I believe my camera case backpack isn't the issue and have always placed it in overhead without difficulty.

It't my Gitzo along with the head and flash extender bracket pieces.

Are these considered ' potential weapons ' that the TSA will have a fit with and tell me that I must put it in checked baggage (most likely it will be my worst fear that I will be near the gate and now how would I even consider getting this into checked baggage at that point?!!)

I REALLY want to take it all on as carryon. With the pre 9/11 I could do that.

HELP if anyone knows the ins / and outs of this and any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thanks,
Monte Taylor
http://www.tsuru-bird.net
tsuru@cox.net

I think i have that same large Tamrac rolling backpack. It seems too large and heavy for an overhead bin - have you actually gotten it in?? It's bigger than the allowed sizes now.

Re the tripod, I got a canvas tripod carry pack, roll the tripod in a couple big towels to pad it, and it has been fine going through the baggage. One less thing to carry. I take the Wimberly off, as it's too expensive to chance, and just stick it in my suitcase wrapped in something.

But I did just carry it on once, and regretted it, as it rolled around in the bin and got scratched. Yuo could use the above carrier and carry it on like that.

Good luck! It can be a drag, for sure (literally!)
Sandy

I'm on the road now, and when one of the screeners expressed interest in all my gear, I used it as an opportunity to ask him about tripods. He said he though there might be some room for interpretation, but that I could rest assured any screener who had doubts or was unfamiliar simply isn't going to let you handcarry it.

I'm with Sandy on the solution. Packing it in your luggage not only saves potential hassles in screening, it also helps prevent damage in the overhead baggage compartment. My tripod looks like it has bounced around in the back of a truck, in airplane floats and in boats most of its life (which in fact it has), but I'd still hate to take a chance on fatal damage when far from home.

My Tamrac pack (787) predates the ones with wheels however much I might regret it, but compare your dimensions with that. With nothing in the front pouch and the side pockets removed, it fits easily into overhead bins. I'm with you on not checking the lenses and bodies.

Dear Monte,

This is typically where Focus can help you !! Go to http://www.focus-search.eu and type : "Plane" or "Airline" or "Security" and you should find answers to your question ! Good Luck !! ;-)

Philippe

I don't think a case that can carry a 400/2.8 is allowed by the new hand baggage sizes installed recently. My Rower AW II is just about the size allowed...

Basil

I was told by a TSA officer and a United ticket agent that tripods are not allowed in carry-on bags and must be in checked baggage as they consider it a potential weapon. The other bit of advice is to carry any electronic equipment you have, including battery chargers and portable storage devices, in your carry-on if possible, the airlines will not cover loss of electronic equipment left in checked baggage.

I think Basil is right about the 400 meeting European carry-on size limits, but it shouldn't be a problem fitting it into a bag or pack that meets US standards on all but the smaller commuter planes. To show you what I mean, here's a list of the Nikkor lenses I have in my 787 right now along with a D2X, a couple of SB-800 strobes and a Sekonic light meter: 500 f/4P, 300 f/4AF, 80-200 f/2.8, 24-120mmVR, 12-24mmDX, 105mm Micro, plus 2x and 1.4x extenders. It's snug, but with careful arrangement it zips shot easily.

See what I mean about longing for the wheels on Sandy's pack!

About the Tripod. Last year mine was in a newly purchased Hakuba tripod bag ($50) on a round trip Boston to Florida. When I arrived back in Boston, my tripod bag came off the luggage carousel with one end of the strap ripped off, a ripped seam and a TSA sticker on the baggage claim ticket. Fortunately the Gitzo tripod, which was wrapped in a towel was OK. The bag, while not a very expensive bag, was nontheless toast. I'm not sure what the moral of the story is other than beware, maybe remove the strap before checkin, and maybe don't buy an expensive bag.

I put anything which is not fragile (tripods, heads, brackets, etc) in checked luggage (not just a bag) and I will pay extra if needed for extra or overweight checked luggage. All my camera bodies, lenses etc go in a padded camera backpack of the smallest size that works for that trip. The largest camera backpack I have actually qualifies as an incidental bag on most flights. My 400 f/2.8 is in a Tenba case and carried on when needed.

Get insurance on your equipment! I have a replacement cost policy on all my equipment that pays even if a baggage gorilla breaks it. A comforting feeling.

The last time I flew (Oct 06), I removed the head from the leg set and it all fit nicely in the bottom of a duffel bag. I was able to pack clothes around the legs for padding. I checked the duffel and another smaller bag and carried on my laptop, lenses and camera body. Didn't take the 300 f2.8. If I were carrying two bodies and/or the long lens, I am not sure what I would do. But if you can get by without (I carried a Nikkor 18-200 VR and two small primes), it works pretty well.