The TSA has (at http://safetravel.dot.gov/whats_new_batteries.html ) new rules for what number, types and sizes of batteries you are allowed on an airplane with. Lithium metal and lithium batteries are limited in size, limited in the number that can be carried on, limited in where they're carried, and limited by not being allowed to be packed outside the equipment they power--all of which present potential pitfalls for photo travel.

Anyone have any experience shipping gear via Fedex or the like rather than checking it? For photo travel, did you just send it to a destination hotel and hope they'd hold it for you?

More on the new rules and the problems travelling with cameras here: http://rockslidephoto.com/blog/?p=436

That's not the TSA, albeit it's a safety issue. Of course the periodic incidents of these little puppies bursting into flame is a bit of an inconvenience as well.

I believe this new restriction only applies to NON-RECHARGABLE lithium batteries.

Rocketball: That doesn't appear to be what the DOT site I referenced showed. What's your source?

Craig: The TSA enforces those regulations, I didn't mean to single out that agency in particular, however. Also note that lighters have been responsible for more commercial air travel fires than Li batteries, but were readmitted to commercial passenger travel in August. Of the fires listed in the DOT proceedings that generated these regulations, about half would not have been prevented by these regulations in any case. I stand by my prediction that these regulations are overkill, burdensome, and will be selectively enforced in ways that makes travel even more difficult.

There's an awful lot of hoopla about this, and it's all pretty much unnecessary.

The changes are:
1) You can't pack spare lithium batteries in your checked luggage—you have to keep them in your carry-ons, and
2) You have to individually package or wrap your spare batteries so that the contacts can't be accidentally shorted out.

There are no quantity restrictions on "small" batteries in your carry-on. All DSLR batteries are small batteries. The quantity restrictions are on "medium" batteries that weigh a number of pounds each.

So that's all there is to it. Package up your spare batteries so that they can't short out, and put them all in your carry-ons. Take all that you like.

Doug: I think you are taking a very big leap of faith when you presume that the folks enforcing the regulations are going to be able to look at a 2300mAh, 11V LP-E4 battery pack, multiply that out to 25.5 mWh and then and work out correctly that that comes out to 2 "equivalent grams" (a little more actually) using an unstated forumla which would be disallowed except that it's allowed up to 8 grams because it's lithium-ion instead of lithium metal.

This is from folks who sometimes have trouble accepting that TMAX 3200 film is eligible for hand-check.

With all respect, I lack your optimism.

Geez this is like the worst news to me, as I am planning to make a bunch of Li-ion HV battery packs for my small flashes..

Joe: of course you're welcome to be pessimistic. However, I find it rather difficult to imagine that anyone is going to confuse a camera battery with a multi-pound brick.

The formula is not "unstated". For lithium-ion batteries, it's stated quite explicitly in 49 CFR 171.8. It's the total of 0.3 times the amp-hour rating for each cell in the battery. A BP-511 battery with 1500 mAh capacity has two 1500mAh cells in series, so the equivalent lithium content is 0.3 * 2 * 1.5, or 0.9 grams. Similarly for NB-2L type batteries. To simplify, for 7.2/7.4V Li-Ion cells the equivalent lithium content is 0.0006 times the mAh rating.

I think that the people who are concerned about this have no idea just how freakin' big and heavy the restricted batteries are. They're huge. There's no way that anyone is going to confuse a camera battery with one of these.

Hey Joe,

Although it does sound like the gram restrictions won't be a major issue for most of us (at least as long as you don't line your pockets with spare batteries to keep warm..) I thought I'd go ahead and answer your question about shipping gear:

We travel internationally on a regular basis for multi-location video and stills shoots with more gear than we can generally manage with the airlines, so FedEx has become our best friend.

We ship to our next location addressed to our names care of the hotel we are staying at. For extra safety we always notify the hotel in advance that we are expecting packages (heavy ones at that.) To date, we have never had a problem with this practice, and the ability to track and even re-direct packages en-route via the FedEx web system has been a major source of relief.

Doug: Fair enough. I think I'm still feeling burnt by some old experiences, but perhaps this won't be as bad as I posit. Given that being wrong could mean throwing out a $100 battery pack, you can see where I'd have some natural paranoia. Thanks for the reality check.

Kahuna: That's great to hear about, I very much appreciate your experiences. There are several cases in which I've wanted to drag enough stuff (the Greenland trip was a prime example, because I felt I needed to have backups for the body and primary lenses) where I considered FedEx or DHL just to drag less stuff through several rounds of airplanes. I guess I'd been concerned that the gear would have to be picked up not at the destination hotel but at the appropriate government whatever in the destination country.

I posted this in the other thread first by mistake, but it bears repeating for some of the information that can be shared...

I put together a chart that shows the current Canon body lineup, the corresponding battery type, and the total lithium content, along with some tangential information, much of which has already been addressed here, plus a little more technical info for the techno-geeks!

Lithium Content in Canon Batteries

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/602189

According to the research I did with the TSA and other official sources for calculating lithium content, that information is inaccurate. See my response t the post and the source documentation provided both on the page I've set up, and its corresponding references. Thanks.

Jason,

Your chart assumes all the batteries are single cells. The calculation is 0.3 x ampere hours per cell. Are you certain all the batteries are single cells? I could not find this information, but the appearance of certain batteries, e.g. the BP-511A, looks as if it has at least 2 cells.

Airport security 1980s:
Place all metals on tray and carry-on item on the belt to x-ray scanner, walk thru metal detector.

Aiport security 2008:
1.Remove 3-1-1 zip lock bag and all electronics from carry on and place in the tub. Next empty all pockets inc. wallet and take off jacket & shoes. If you have a laptop then get it out the bag, do it fast because you're holding up the line. Now walk thru the metal detector while holding you boarding pass. If all goes well then sit down and put your shoes on and all the stuff you took out back into the carry on. After all that you expect me to remember to take out my spare Li-batteries?

DanBrown: You are correct. The BP-511 is 2 cells (7.4v = 3.7v*2) and that needs to be accounted for in the calculation.

Good catch - I was not aware that some of the Canon product line has 2-celled batteries. Thanks for keeping me honest - now off to correct the info on the page I had set up!

Update: The information has been corrected to reflect total Lithium content for all the current bodies of Canon cameras, with Lithium content for the following batteries:

NB-2LH
BP-511A
LP-E4

The page has also been moved to a more permanent location for easier reference:

Lithium Content for Common Canon batteries