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Archive 2017 · Shipping gear for African safaris

  
 
jharter
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p.3 #1 · p.3 #1 · Shipping gear for African safaris


Obviously, you are motivated but I suggest enjoying what opportunity you have. If one of your lenses goes down in Africa, you will certainly adapt by using the others. But if you need a convoy of support vihicles to tow your gear you will spend your time worrying and keeping track of gear rather than enjoying the experience and the photography.

I did 2 3-month trips to Aftrica. Only once or twice was I allowed out of the vehicle on game drives. You don't mention where exactly you are going, but I suspect you will have a similar experience. In that context, I never used a tripod, just a monopod. If you are in a vehicle with several others, they will be jostling about and create a lot of movement in the vehicle which is very annoying.

In some places like Nairobi especially it was very easy for us to arragne a private trip by hiring a driver/guide with a minivan and a cook. We would camp a couple of days and then spend a night or two at one of the fancy game lodges before moving one. Night after night at the lodges is luxurious but a bit oppressive too in terms of the routine. We were never with a group tour - just my wife and I with our driver and cook so we could do whatever we wanted.

I don't doubt your experience with equipment failure but I have never had a piece of equipment fail in over 30 years.

When I was traveling in Africa, all of my gear was in a Pelican case. Africa is incredibly dusty. The Pelican cases were great for storing gear during the bone-crushing dusty drives too.

As to pro photographers that work a lot in Africa - I suspect that many of them spend extended periods of time there with multiple trips so they have multiple ways of bringing in equipment which stays there rather than going back and forth to the home country. They probably also have connections with others on the ground so they can store equipment.

Have a great trip!

If you do ship gear, DHL is the way to go. You could ship to the DHL office or a hotel. Make sure it is a luxury hotel and contact the manager ahead of time. Don't forget that you will need to ship it back. Add packing tape inside the box so you can retape the box for shipping. Make sure you save the box that it came in for reshipping. Even if you ship in Pelican cases you might put the case in a box. Make sure that when your trip ends, you have time to take the gear to the DHL office and that you have verified hours of operation and double checked that there is no local holiday that might effect operations.



Mar 24, 2017 at 11:28 AM
plnelson
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p.3 #2 · p.3 #2 · Shipping gear for African safaris


jharter wrote:
Obviously, you are motivated but I suggest enjoying what opportunity you have. If one of your lenses goes down in Africa, you will certainly adapt by using the others. But if you need a convoy of support vihicles to tow your gear you will spend your time worrying and keeping track of gear rather than enjoying the experience and the photography.


18 kg is about 40 pounds. I'm a backpacker and even at my age (64) that's a pretty standard pack to carry, so I don't know where you get a "convoy" from. A few postings ago I listed the gear I had in mind - did it look unreasonable?

I don't doubt your experience with equipment failure but I have never had a piece of equipment fail in over 30 years.

You've been lucky.

They probably also have connections with others on the ground so they can store equipment.

I would assume that a good African photo tour company catering to serious photographers would also have these connections, no?


If you do ship gear, DHL is the way to go. You could ship to the DHL office or a hotel. Make sure it is a luxury hotel and contact the manager ahead of time. Don't forget that you will need to ship it back. Add packing tape inside the box so you can retape the box for shipping. Make sure you save the box that it came in for reshipping. Even if you ship in Pelican cases you might put the case in a box. Make sure that when your trip ends, you have time to take the gear to...Show more

I'm hoping to not have to make these arrangements myself; I'm hoping that companies that run African photo tours are used to catering to serious photographers who are trying to bring a serious wildlife kit into the country as I am. I don't mind packing and unpacking my stuff; I just don't want to be the only photographer doing it. I've been very surprised at how unusual this seems to be. A few postings ago I listed what I thought was a perfectly reasonable wildlife shooting kit and it came to 18.4 kg. I'll reproduce it here:
600mm f/4 VR 3.8 kg
300mm f/2.8 VR 2.9kg
70-200 f/2.8 VR 1.5 kg
assorted smaller lenses for wide angle and macro work
2 kg
Pelican 1510 to put it in 6.2 kg
2 Nikon 810 bodies 2 kg
That's 18.4 kg ,assuming we could fit it all in the one Pelican which I think is a stretch. And not including the weight of tripods, beanbags, etc.

Is this not a reasonable kit for wildlife? Especially if my main interest is smaller mammals and birds, which tend to be more active at dawn and dusk when the light is more marginal, so you need speed for higher shutter speeds and easier AF, and reach to fill the frame with a smaller subject?

People look at me like I have two heads when I suggest that I'd like to shoot wildlife in Africa with this kit. Why?





Mar 24, 2017 at 12:51 PM
mabidally
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p.3 #3 · p.3 #3 · Shipping gear for African safaris


plnelson wrote:
I really don't want to make all my own arrangements. I want to go on a trip organised by a company that is used to catering to the needs of serious photographers who routinely bring big, heavy kits. Part of the pleasure of being on a trip like this is spending time with other serious or professional photographers, talking shop and comparing notes. If all the other photogs are just casual amateurs shooting with kit-zooms it won't be as much fun.

How do I find an operator who caters to serious photographers?


Elementary my friend, this is elementary! It's called networking and meeting and planning with other like minded friends. Evebn the best of operators in Africa IMHO offer watered down experiences and one has to make ones own!




Mar 24, 2017 at 02:20 PM
arbitrage
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p.3 #4 · p.3 #4 · Shipping gear for African safaris


plnelson wrote:
18 kg is about 40 pounds. I'm a backpacker and even at my age (64) that's a pretty standard pack to carry, so I don't know where you get a "convoy" from. A few postings ago I listed the gear I had in mind - did it look unreasonable?

You've been lucky.

I would assume that a good African photo tour company catering to serious photographers would also have these connections, no?


I'm hoping to not have to make these arrangements myself; I'm hoping that companies that run African photo tours are used to catering to serious photographers who are trying to
...Show more

Yes that is a reasonable kit especially because you are after birds as you mention (that is what I'd be after also in Africa with mammals as the side show). However, the less reasonable part is duplicating that kit and transporting that also. I still think it is feasible with shipping the duplicate kit as suggested to the tour company or reputable hotel. The tour company should be okay with storing the extra duplicate lenses for you at the lodges or in the jeeps if there is room. Then if something bad happens to a lens you can get the duplicate for the next day.




Mar 24, 2017 at 02:27 PM
plnelson
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p.3 #5 · p.3 #5 · Shipping gear for African safaris


arbitrage wrote:
Yes that is a reasonable kit especially because you are after birds as you mention (that is what I'd be after also in Africa with mammals as the side show). However, the less reasonable part is duplicating that kit


But even without the duplication how would I do it? Let's say that's my WHOLE kit... If the 600 broke, the 300+ a TC would at least give me some backup; if just the 300 broke I'd still have 200 f/2.8 and 600 f/4.

But it's still about 40 pounds, WAY over the carry-on weight limit.

This thread is getting very frustrating - the kit I described is a perfectly reasonable African wildlife photography kit. So people must be traveling to and from Africa every day with kits like this from all over the world! Thousands of people must do it every year. But I have yet to hear of anyone describing how they did it without depending on a great deal of luck getting a grossly-overweight bag past a gate agent.

So far I've contacted three tour operators - Pangolin, Nat Geo, and Piper Mackay who all said they THINK they might be able to arrange to receive shipping but they've never been asked before, like this is a completely weird request. But none of them have yet explained how their other guests managed to do it. (or even whether they did; I've been told Nat Geo's "photo" trips are filled with people shooting cellphones.)








Mar 24, 2017 at 02:54 PM
Bobg657
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p.3 #6 · p.3 #6 · Shipping gear for African safaris


Davis Lloyd does mammal photo trips to the Masai Mara, he will handle intra Kenya shipping. Davidlloyd.net


Mar 24, 2017 at 05:27 PM
lowside67
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p.3 #7 · p.3 #7 · Shipping gear for African safaris


I don't think people are looking at you for having two heads for taking that kit, it's for taking two copies of that kit. Most people would bring a 600 F4, a 300 2.8, and 1.4x tele and 2x tele. If the 600 went down, you'd use the tele on the 300 for longer reach. If the 300 went down, you'd be able to crop from your 70-200, etc.

In any event...

You will definitely need two Pelican 1510s for that much gear. Here is a 1510 with either a 300 2.8 or a 500 4.0:



I more recently took a trip with a 500 F4 in the same Pelican 1510 and the diameter of the lens hood is basically the maximum you can fit in the case. Assuming the Nikon 600's hood is similar in diameter to the Canon, it will not fit in the Pelican 1510 - it is too large a diameter and the lid will not close without pressure on the hood and no padding around it. The lens will likely fit, but the hood will have to taken separately - just food for thought.

Mark



Edited on Mar 26, 2017 at 11:42 PM · View previous versions



Mar 24, 2017 at 05:43 PM
mitesh
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p.3 #8 · p.3 #8 · Shipping gear for African safaris


plnelson wrote:
But even without the duplication how would I do it? Let's say that's my WHOLE kit... If the 600 broke, the 300+ a TC would at least give me some backup; if just the 300 broke I'd still have 200 f/2.8 and 600 f/4.

But it's still about 40 pounds, WAY over the carry-on weight limit.

This thread is getting very frustrating - the kit I described is a perfectly reasonable African wildlife photography kit. So people must be traveling to and from Africa every day with kits like this from all over the world! Thousands of people must do
...Show more


Peter, I think you're getting frustrated because you are in search of a definitive answer where nobody, at least not among those who have opined here, has such an answer. The reality is such that there is a level of inconsistency in airlines all over the world in how luggage and weight policies are enforced. Nobody on this forum can state that they have a foolproof method of taking an over-weight carry-on aboard any given flight. Only thing we can offer are our personal experiences and the methods we employed that we believe are the reasons why we were successful in getting our over-weight carry-ons aboard.

You have asked how pros do it. I don't think it is any different than the rest of us, in most cases. For example, I recently took a trip to the Falkland Islands. On the LATAM airlines flight from the Falklands to Santiago, Chile, I was seated next to Art Morris (Birds-as-art). He had a bulging Think Tank roller and an equally stuffed Think Tank shoulder bag. The carry-on allowance was 17 lbs. I'm sure he had about double that weight because I read on his blog what he took on the trip, and he had it all with him in his carry-on. So, here's a pro who's clearly taking his chances with an over-weight carry-on. If he had been told by a surly gate agent to check the roller, he would have been in the same position any one of us would have been in: appealing, pleading, begging, etc.

I understand why this is so important to you, and I hope you're able to find a solution that's acceptable to you and that you have an enjoyable trip.



Mar 24, 2017 at 05:59 PM
plnelson
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p.3 #9 · p.3 #9 · Shipping gear for African safaris


lowside67 wrote:
I don't think people are looking at you for having two heads for taking that kit, it's for taking two copies of that kit.
. . .

You will definitely need two Pelican 1510s for that much gear.



I agree, so forget the duplication - even without duplicates it's still way over the carry-on weight limits, especially counting the weight of two 1510's. (two EMPTY 1510's weigh 12.4 kg - so they exceed the carry-on weight limit of most airlines all by themselves!) So this thread has gone on for 3 pages and so far I've contacted 4 tour companies and I still haven't learned the secret of how people are getting what I think we all agree is a perfectly reasonable Africa wildlife photography kit to Africa safely and reliably.




Edited on Mar 24, 2017 at 06:02 PM · View previous versions



Mar 24, 2017 at 06:02 PM
eyelaser
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p.3 #10 · p.3 #10 · Shipping gear for African safaris


Safe to say no one here, even those of us that have been to Africa more than a dozen times can help you with your dilemma. We've tried to help but to no avail...it's time to move on and do your own research. If and when you figure out how to accomplish what you want and need let us know.
Eric
ps, if you don't even acknowledge a pm even if it didn't give you exactly what you wanted then don't expect any more advise from me.



Mar 24, 2017 at 06:02 PM
plnelson
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p.3 #11 · p.3 #11 · Shipping gear for African safaris


eyelaser wrote:
ps, if you don't even acknowledge a pm even if it didn't give you exactly what you wanted then don't expect any more advise from me.


What are you talking about? I've answered all your pm's and my control panel doesn't show any unanswered ones.




Mar 24, 2017 at 06:12 PM
eyelaser
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p.3 #12 · p.3 #12 · Shipping gear for African safaris


plnelson wrote:
What are you talking about? I've answered all your pm's and my control panel doesn't show any unanswered ones.




You've answered all of them...I only sent you one....here's a copy in case you missed it from 3/19/17.....if you replied maybe you never hit send....I guess you have me confused with someone else.

From 3/19/17 (copied from my pm outbox so I know it was sent)
So, I've been to Africa 14 times over the last 16 years and regularly take 40lbs of equipment. There is never an issue on Delta, SAA, United (Swiss,KLM) for taking that on the plane. The only time it could possibly be an issue is if you are going to take small planes once in Africa (Botswana, Kenya etc) where the planes carry anywhere from 6-18 passengers and weight can be an issue. I have never had to check my bag anywhere although I worry each time that I will. Oddly, I was flying in Canada and they did weigh my bag on a smaller plane and said it was overweight and it would have to be checked. I asked if I carry my camera (ie: take the camera and lens out of the backpack) would that be ok...and oddly they said yes...makes absolutely no sense as weight is weight and it would all be with me...anyway, I digress.
You should also be aware that the gear you bring (ie: what is necessary) is very different for East or Southern Africa as you will be much much closer to the animals in Southern Africa than East Africa due to off roading restrictions in East Africa. So the purpose of buying the extra seat is not for the international flights but the inter/intra Africa ones.
But, I guess if you do want to ship gear you can and will probably need to have it delivered to the tour operator's representative in your arrival city...but of course you will then have the issues I mentioned about on small planes....if you are just landing in a big city and renting a 4x4 and self driving then you avoid that but I suspect that isn't your plan.




Mar 24, 2017 at 06:19 PM
Bobg657
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p.3 #13 · p.3 #13 · Shipping gear for African safaris


Another idea, hav e you tried Safaritalk Forum? There are lots of photogs and tour operators as well as other safari enthusiasts there, maybe they can help.


Mar 24, 2017 at 06:24 PM
arbitrage
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p.3 #14 · p.3 #14 · Shipping gear for African safaris


plnelson wrote:
But even without the duplication how would I do it? Let's say that's my WHOLE kit... If the 600 broke, the 300+ a TC would at least give me some backup; if just the 300 broke I'd still have 200 f/2.8 and 600 f/4.

But it's still about 40 pounds, WAY over the carry-on weight limit.

This thread is getting very frustrating - the kit I described is a perfectly reasonable African wildlife photography kit. So people must be traveling to and from Africa every day with kits like this from all over the world! Thousands of people must do
...Show more

Everyone carries overweight bags. I went to Antartica with a group of only 50 photographers on the smallest boat currently running that trip (Polar Pioneer). Because the group leaders were Joshua Holko and Andy Biggs almost everyone on that boat were using Andy's Gura Gear Kiboko or Bataflae bags. Almost everyone was overweight. Sure a few of them weren't. My dad came with me and brought a Sony A6000.... But yes everyone travels with overweight carryons and you rarely and I mean rarely read about any stories where people had to ditch their flight or sacrifice their gear to the hold. It just doesn't happen. Even in the rare circumstances where you might get weighed or hassled every one I've talked to has been able to show them the camera gear and they don't want the liability so let you on. But even that is very rare.

So yes, all of us going to Africa, CR, Ecuador, Pantanal, Antarctica etc, etc, are travelling with overweight carry-ons. If you can't do that then you need to ship your stuff ahead of time and arrange for extra seats on any small planes within Africa.



Mar 24, 2017 at 06:42 PM
arbitrage
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p.3 #15 · p.3 #15 · Shipping gear for African safaris


plnelson wrote:
I agree, so forget the duplication - even without duplicates it's still way over the carry-on weight limits, especially counting the weight of two 1510's. (two EMPTY 1510's weigh 12.4 kg - so they exceed the carry-on weight limit of most airlines all by themselves!) So this thread has gone on for 3 pages and so far I've contacted 4 tour companies and I still haven't learned the secret of how people are getting what I think we all agree is a perfectly reasonable Africa wildlife photography kit to Africa safely and reliably.



If you are carrying it on then don't use Pelicans. If you are shipping use a Pelican. To carry on that sort of gear you need a GuraGear Bataflae or the new version Tamrac G32. Or a Moose Peterson bag from Thinktank. You can get all your gear on the plane with that type of backpack and a larger laptop bag with the other stuff and maybe a smaller lens or two. I would only use Pelicans if you are okay with checking the gear or if you are shipping it to Africa.

I mentioned in my other reply about Joshua Holko, highly regarded professional polar photographer. He travels with 600II, 200-400, 70-200, 24-70, 11-24 and at least 3 bodies (usually 2 1DXs and 1 5 series). He uses the same bags I do, GuraGear 32L and GuraGear Chobe. He is miles overweight and he does trips multiple times per month all over the world. He has never had an issue. I've never had an issue. I leave in 1 week to CR. 600II, 400DOII, 100-400II, 4 camera bodies (don't ask why), 24-70 and 3 TCs plus 15" laptop and a bunch of HDs, headphones etc are all going on the plane with me. I'm not worried in the least.



Mar 24, 2017 at 06:48 PM
arbitrage
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p.3 #16 · p.3 #16 · Shipping gear for African safaris


eyelaser wrote:
You've answered all of them...I only sent you one....here's a copy in case you missed it from 3/19/17.....if you replied maybe you never hit send....I guess you have me confused with someone else.

From 3/19/17 (copied from my pm outbox so I know it was sent)
So, I've been to Africa 14 times over the last 16 years and regularly take 40lbs of equipment. There is never an issue on Delta, SAA, United (Swiss,KLM) for taking that on the plane. The only time it could possibly be an issue is if you are going to take small planes once in Africa (Botswana,
...Show more

Stupid Canadians.....



Mar 24, 2017 at 06:50 PM
jharter
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p.3 #17 · p.3 #17 · Shipping gear for African safaris


I exaggerated with "convoy" but you were talking about taking duplicates of a very large kit to places with some of the most extreme baggag limitations. So lugging two huge pelican cases around Africa seems a bit much even if you are quite fit. No need to get snitty with people sharing their experience. You might watch the movie the "Sheltering Sky" prior to your trip for an object lesson about throwing money at Africa.


Mar 25, 2017 at 11:46 AM
evertdoorn
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p.3 #18 · p.3 #18 · Shipping gear for African safaris


Bobg657 wrote:
Davis Lloyd does mammal photo trips to the Masai Mara, he will handle intra Kenya shipping. Davidlloyd.net


Yep. Been with David to the Mara last year. Most stuff goes overland so you don't need to take much on the light aircraft from Wilson. However, no out of vehicle shooting in the Mara and a tripod is as useful there as a fridge is to an eskimo



Mar 25, 2017 at 12:08 PM
raptrlvr
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p.3 #19 · p.3 #19 · Shipping gear for African safaris


Got back from Africa about 1 month ago. My carry on camera gear was a 600mm/D700 with a tripod strapped to it and a couple of smaller lens. Weighed 31 lbs. Never a problem on any of the flights we took. My wife carried the LowePro backpack with the D4, 300mm2.8, 24-70, 16-35, 70-300 and an 85 mm in it. Weight on that was 29 lbs and once again never a problem with any of our flights. When we got to our "trip of a lifetime" which was Mala Mala , we found out we didn't need the 600mm at all. Our ranger got us so close that some times the 300mm 2.8 was way too much lens and I had to switch to the 24-70 or the 70-300mm. I never once got the 600mm out of the case. Carrying a back up body is a good idea. My D4 got moisture in it at Victoria Falls and stopped working for 2 days, but, I had the D700 with me. We only had 4 people {plus the ranger} in our vehicle, so, I had both sides of the vehicle I could work with. Once home, sent the D4 in for fix at $546.00.


Mar 26, 2017 at 09:35 PM
raptrlvr
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p.3 #20 · p.3 #20 · Shipping gear for African safaris


We were not allowed out of the vehicles to "set up a tripod" to shoot the animals. We are talking about predators that can kill you. Even in the camps we were escorted to and from our rooms because of the wild animals coming into the camp. The rangers carry a high powered rifle just in case of danger. Doing macro work or anything like that was not gonna work because of the danger from the animals. We did have the opportunity to shoot birds, but, from the vehicle. Your not gonna be able to move around in the bush to get the best lighting or anything along those lines. You can at an additional cost get a photography set up in the vehicle that has a built in mount that slides along a rail inside of the vehicle. Because your in a vehicle, age is really no problem. I am 69 and everything went well. Male Male camp is right along the river, but, you can't roam on your own because of the wild animals.


Mar 26, 2017 at 10:02 PM
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