International Airline Travel with Camera Equipment

Just wondering...... with increased airport security these days, especially on flights into the US with strict limits on carry on baggage, has anyone had troubles carrying a backpack load of camera equipment back into the US after traveling abroad? I ask since I am starting to plan my next vacation and it will probably be somewhere outside the US. Even returning from Canada seems problematic on the surface. I guess leaving is not the problem, but the return trip maybe. Interested to hear if anyone has had problems.

Just declare all gear before you leave, just in case.

The custom service has a form you can fill out for the trip, on which you declare the equipment you're taking with you. When I've done it, I had to track down their office at the large airport I was departing from, fill out the form, and have them verify the gear, including serial #'s. It's time consuming and not an easy job finding their office in the airports I've done it at. In fact, at the Denver airport they were quite startled by my request and had to hunt for the forms. But on returning to the US, the completed and stamped form was priceless in customs.

Now.....

There's the issue of getting back into the US. I haven't done it myself since the underwear exploded, but reports from friends returning from both Canada and England were not good. No carry-on's at that point in time on the flight from England, and a physical pat down of your person in addition to sever carry-on restrictions coming from Canada. That's secondhand info, but my friend said the treatment was only for US-bound flights.

I've used a copy of the purchase receipts along with the insurance listing of insured equipment. Both have serial numbers.

Dick

Hi Eva. Hope this helps.
I travel a lot with my job (magazine editor) in fact I've just come back from the US. I carry all my gear - two bodies, three lenses, three Canon flashes, three Pocket Wizards and assorted gadgetry - in a large Tenba backpack. It fits okay in the overhead locker on a large commercial jet like a 747 or Airbus 380 but on smaller aircraft I have to jam it under the seat in front of me.

I carry everything I need in one bag. If it doesn't fit, it doesn't go.

And my biggest problem hasn't been Customs paperwork. A year ago some rat at LAX lifted a Canon 400mm lens and a Toshiba laptop from my luggage and I didn't find out until I got back to Australia. That's why my gear travels as carry-on baggage. If something does go missing from checked baggage, you'll discover a marked lack of interest from the airline, and an insurance company only too willing to reimburse you after depreciating the value of the stolen equipment. (They paid me half what I paid for the gear I lost)

All that begs the question: when you check baggage, who's responsible for it? The answer is: No-one.

The Tenba backpack is a clumsy bit of gear and if I'm not backpacking I don't really need it. My next buy will be a 'rolling Pelican case' - do you have those in the US? - that will transport easier between shoots and fit more snugly in an overhead locker. Plus I won't have to carry it.

From a security standpoint, camera gear has never been a problem. Security staff looked inside my bag in Sydney, San Fran and LA, but that's all. I guess the bottom line there is: if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.

Cheers,
Barry A.

As Hank noted, there was an absolute, no carry-on bag rule in effect for flights entering the U.S. from Canada. However, as of Jan 20, this restriction has been thankfully lifted.

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/flyingwithfish/2010/01/19/canada-to-us-flights-allow-carry-on-baggage-again/

Here is a recent lengthy article by Michael Reichman on international travel with camera gear:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/flying-jan-10.shtml

It's tough when the rules change and you are in the middle of a trip, or just about to leave on one.

Thanks everyone for your input. The articles were very helpful. BTW - I always carry my camera gear with me in the cabin in my Lowepro Vertex 100AW and never had trouble going through security or customs before. I was just worried about the new carry on restrictions which seems now, not to apply to camera gear. As always, thanks for your helpful information.