Airline Travel

How do you travel when flying? I have a 200-400 Nikkor lens with the D-300 and various other equipment including a tripod and Wimberley Gimbal. I am concerned about checking this equipment as baggage and likely will carry it on. Need to pick a backpack that will fit all of that along with an IPad. Suggestions welcome!

I carry a Kinesis Long Lens case with a backpack harness attached for my 500 f/4 with a camera body attached. The rest of the camera gear goes in a Tamrac rolling case that easily fits in the overhead. Tripod(s) gets checked in a well padded suitcase with the rest of my clothes etc. So far (knock on wood) no damage to the tripods.

Hi Patrick I just returned for a trip to Scotland traveling on US Airways to Glasgow. My tripod was packed in my checked bag with ball head removed and in one of my carry ons. I carried on two bags. I use a Lowepro Vertex 100 AW for all my main camera equipment and a Think Tank Urban Disguise 60 laptop / camera bag for computer and excess camera equipment.. I travel with both digital and film cameras but no large lenses since I do only landscapes. My Dell 6500 and my iPad fit in the Think Tank bag, no problem along with a few lenses and film. US airlines seem to be more OK with carry ons than European airlines (one only, no exception, 8KG or less ONLY, NO EXCEPTION. One of my camera carry on bags was close to 30 lbs. Check with the airline you are using. In Europe, even the bus and rail lines have strict weight and size limits on luggage.

I use a vest to put my cameras and a few lenses to take weight out of my Think Tank international roller. Works great, no problems as the vest dosent count as weight. Good luck.

Hi Patrick: Have you considered using a bean bag. My wife made me a two pound bean bag that is about 9-10 inches long and 6 inches wide in a stretchy fabric with 1/8 inch resin beads. It is amazingly stable and amazingly easy to set up and use. It may take some contortions setting up your shots on rocks and fence posts, etc. Just an alternative thought . . .

I fly a fair amount with my camera gear. I use a standard Kelty day pack, I can fit my 17" dell lap top and charger, 100-400 , 24-105, 5dmii and all my gadgets. I pack my lenses in the canon cases that they came with than pack with my fleece stuff, clothes, rain gear, sox and all other soft stuff for trip. My day pack is fairly water resistant but in Alaska i would put a kitchen trash bag inside for extra protection from rain. Now you have a backpack that you can day hike with fit a lunch, water, rain gear and extra clothes. One other nice thing about this is that it doesnt look like camera gear and it is light and fits easily in the overhead compartments. I do check in my tri pod with ball head removed also with my luggage.
Be prepared for alot of rain in Alaska on my 10 day trip it rained everyday almost all day , be sure to have loose fitting goretex rain gear that you can fit camera under and maybe even rain cover for your pack.
Cabelas has a nice water resistant rus sack style back pack that would easily fit all of your stuff and keep it dry .

As others, I put the tripod in checked luggage with the head taken off. Sometimes I will have the tripod head as carry on, depending how much I have for carry on.

I find my Kiboko 30L pack essential when travelling with camera gear. Have a look at their selection of backpacks at: www.guragear.com. I also travel with my 200-400 and have never had a problem. I usually wear a Scottevest, just in case I have to offload some smaller lenses to the vest.