How do you air travel with your camera gear?

I had mastered getting everything just so-so in my carry on camera case. Monday I am getting a 500mm lens. Now what?

I have considered gate checking the 500mm.

What does everyone else do with the big lenses?

PS. Sandy R crosses her fingers and toes. Does anyone have a different idea

1st carry on: 500mm in a Kinesis backback, stuffed with socks and T-shirts for max padding
2nd carry on: Tamrac camera backpack with the other lenses, bodies, gear, laptop.

Tripod in the checked baggage.

Ideally, I'm wearing one of the carry on backpacks and my wife's wearing the other, and we have other non-photo stuff in our other wheeled carry on bags.

Even on small planes (commuter type planes that hold 30 or so people) I'm usually able to carry everything on.

I manage to cram all the main camera gear (including the 500) into a Lowepro backpack that gets carried on. The last thing I'd check is the lens. I've checked the tripod at times and other times I've carried it on in a standard carry-on bag (it fits with the head removed and at an angle in the bag).

I like Brian's idea: get a wife! (or sherpa)

Since I take both the 300 and 500 most places, I can't possible carry them both on. I put one in a dedicated backpack case, then into s sturdy suitcase, ascertain that my ins is up-to-date, and either gate-check or check as usual baggage. I've never had a problem, including to Ecuador, Costa Rica, the Galapagos, and Alaska - but this is far from ideal.
I suppose we could use the hard, padded metal case that COMES with the 500 and check it, since that is what it's for!
Looking forward to seeing what others do.

Sandy

Depends where you are traveling Angela and on what airlines. Traveling in Europe by air and even on buses is tough. Very strict on one carry on only with strict weight limits. When I traveled to Scotland, I flew US Airways (which has more relaxed carry on rules) and then used trains to avoid the carry on overload rules on buses.

That getting a wife thing has me thinking......I wonder if my husband would go for it.

I cram a lot in my Lowe Pro Computrekker Plus. It's pretty heavy as a result, but has fit into every major carrier's overhead bin so far: Alaska, American, United, LAN, British Airways, Aerolineas Argentinas. I have to gatecheck on the smaller carriers and bush flights, but I'm more comfortable with that. I still remember the hidden cameras at Chicago O'Hare and what they showed... I'd never check a valuable lens at check-in. Insurance is great, but losing a lens costs you the trip...

I use a thinktank international or addicted. The tripod is either attached or checked in luggage. Not had a problem.

I use a think tank international for my 500 and bodies and smaller lenses, I put my tripod through checked baggage and have not had a problem with it, but I have not been out of the US with the 500 yet. I would never pack my 500 in checked baggage no matter how good my insurance was, like Jim said, insurance is great but losing the lens can mean that the trip is for naught.

Just came back from Australia. Wore ThinkTank Ariport Antidote all the time-never weighed on Delta or NZAir, (good thing as it weighed 28# with 2 Nikon D-300, 70-200 f/2.8 with ver. III 2.0TC, 18-200 VR lens, Dell Studio with cord, SB-900, all batteries.) It fits in all overhead comp. and if it doesn't fit overhead you can take the laptop carry case out-had it's own strap-and it will then fit under most seats too. the laptop case is great-padded and easy to carry by itself once you get on location and are looking for a hot spot etc.

Chargers were in suitcase. wore Cabela's vest with Pana.LumixDMC-LX5, iPod touch, cell phone, diary and the like.

Last time I took 400mm f/2.8 with 2.0 TC and Wimberley head and Gitzo carbon-fiber pod I sent it Fedex with ins. and it arrived ahead of me in great shape- put it in Pelican case with double locks. it cost a little bit more than if I had to pay the airlines for extra checked baggage but was guarenteed to arrive.......(-:

For me it depends on the destination and what type of planes I'll be taking. On longer flights where I know I'll be taking larger jets, everything goes in my ThinkTank Airport Security. The lens hood and tripod are typically checked.

If the flight itinerary involves regional jets, I cram the 500 in my LowePro Trekker (AWII), because the TT bag doesn't fit underneath or overhead in those smaller planes. The lens barely fits length-wise in the LowePro bag.

Agree with everyone else... bodies and lenses never get checked.

Max

If you do check camera gear, do not put it in fancy suitcases, like Halliburtons, that advertise they contain something valuable. I lived in Latin America for 16 years and heard many sob stories about losing valuable equipment that way. Use TSA locks and hope the agents are honest and will re-lock any cases they open for inspection. To reduce the probability of inspection, check the lists of items that are likely to show in xrays as suspicious. Like everyone else says, carry on your most valuable and most fragile gear. In my experience, flight attendants are helpful in finding closet space for hard-to-stash objects like tripods.
---John