p.1 #1 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
Going on the first international trip with cameras later this year - it looks like the best thing is to put it all in carry on.
I'm planning on taking a kit of 2x bodies and 4x lenses, with batteries and filters, and now need to work out how to fit it all in to a backpack style bag.
My current lowepro flipside 300 isn't big enough to take all the gear so looking at something that'll still fit into the carry on limits and fit everything inside.
The smallest carry on size limit I think I'll come up against is 21.6 x 15.7 x 7.8 inches (55 x 40 x 20 cm), including handles and wheels, with 7kg being the lowest weight I'll be able to take on board.
Gear:
1x a7R3
1x a73
1x Canon 70-200mm f4 IS
1x MC-11 adapter
1x Sony 16-35mm GM
1x Sony 24mm GM
1x Tamron 28-75mm rxiii
1x nisi 100mm filter kit (this might be ok in checked in?)
1-2 extra fz100 batteries
=4kg approx
Plus kindle, a few usb power banks and
Tripod(s) will be fitted into the checked on luggage, and attached to the bag later on
I was looking at the Lowepro 400 Flipside AW II pack but the dimensions are a little big on one edge. Any other options that might be worth looking at that'll fit everything above?
p.1 #2 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
If things get tight, wear cargo pants with big pockets - you can stuff a body in each pocket. Not particularly fashionable but I'd rather fly and look a bit silly than fly and lose my gear in checked baggage.
Also don't underestimate the weight of bags - many are over 1kg, some as much as 2kg. Make sure you check this before buying anything.
p.1 #3 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
Yeah, the lowepro 450 aw something or other was looking really good until I saw the weight was nearing 3kg.
Aztatlan wrote:
If things get tight, wear cargo pants with big pockets - you can stuff a body in each pocket. Not particularly fashionable but I'd rather fly and look a bit silly than fly and lose my gear in checked baggage.
Also don't underestimate the weight of bags - many are over 1kg, some as much as 2kg. Make sure you check this before buying anything.
p.1 #4 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
I use the Amazonbasics convertible rolling camera backpack and carry along a
Think Tank Urban Approach 15 Backpack if I need to use a small airlines. I am currently in South Korea with the A7riii, A9, 100-400 with TC, 85 1.8, 24 1.4, 12-24, tamron 28-75, 100 STF, 90 macro, and son's point and click. It is not a problem.
Btw, the only airline that I've ever seen actually weigh luggage is Tap Portugal, and that was recently. I've traveled internationally 90 days out of the year for the past 3 years. That was literally the only time I've ever had luggage weighed.
p.1 #5 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
When I travel with a7III and A7r2 and all battery powered kit. I use standard cabin bags wheels and handles, + day pack which can squeeze under the seats.
For cycle touring i take Tamron Adpatal 2 SP Zooms checked in.
Otherwise I probably have Zony 16-35, Tamron 28-70 and G70-300mm. drop the tele if cycling.
Add a computer Kindle and anything else with a battery (bike lights) ....
Now this reaches 10Kg in the cabin bag.
So all leads, L plates and accessories are checked in. Camera Bodies go in Day Pack. This leaves the Cabin bag close to 7Kg. The day bag (cycling or hiking) will squeeze under a seat. But as I usually sit in exit seats, so that is not allowed. So the day sack fits in the cabin bag, after security. And there is usually enough room for the jacket selected for travel.
cycling helmet is worn or carried, useful for passport boarding pass and kindle. Don't let it go until Cabin crew insist, Less likely to be crushed when the overheads are no longer a scrum.
p.1 #6 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
I have used ThinkTank Airport Ultralight back bag for years. Only thing what is missing is light rolls. Weight and size is optimum for me. Traveling is part of my work.
P.S. I would not put any power banks in to checked luggage. Very often they remove these from luggage. Cabin back is ok and there also some max size.
p.1 #7 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
One assumes that you won't be carrying everything around with you all day (you don't say where you're going or how you will be getting around / where you'll be sleeping, all relevant to the question you've posed).
I use the Lowepro Flipside Trek 350 and love it. I used it for 25 days trekking in Nepal a mont ago, also used it for a 4 day trip to a wedding in my wife's hometown (by train), and it doesn't get a second look at security or airline staff. It easily fits in overhead lockers and weighs around 1.5kgs.
It's awesome for walking around cities by day or hiking with good space in the top section for clothing/snacks and really good stretchy pockets that I use for water and a tripod.
I never sweat the 7kgs max. (most airlines have a higher limit and I've never been checked anyway, if it looked dodgy I always wear clothes with lots of pockets and it'd be easily to put 3 or 4 lenses or other gear in them.
Be careful that your power banks don't exceed 10k as I had one confiscated in China that was over that. Check the maximums for the country(ies) you are going to.
p.1 #8 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
kohann wrote:
I have used ThinkTank Airport Ultralight back bag for years. Only thing what is missing is light rolls. Weight and size is optimum for me. Traveling is part of my work.
P.S. I would not put any power banks in to checked luggage. Very often they remove these from luggage. Cabin back is ok and there also some max size.
Power banks are not permitted in checked luggage at all. It'll only give you a headache if you pack them and they are spotted, for sure you'll have to take them out, they could be confiscated, or they could even start on onboard fire !
Exterior dimensions: 12.7” W x 19.5” H x 7.3” D (32.3 x 49.5 x 18.5 cm)
Interior dimensions: 12” W x 18” H x 4.9–6.4” D (30.5 x 45.7 x 12.4–16.3 cm)
Weight: 5.9–6.2 lbs. (2.7–2.8 kg)
I have and used the slightly larger version of this roller the Airport Advantage plus and was able to get all of my gear and 2 tripod heads including the Sony 100-400mm GM and both Sony TCs loaded into the case. I had 3 cameras loaded: 1 A7rIII and 2 A7r cameras. My other lenses that were loaded were Leica R 100mm f2.8 Apo-Macro-Elmarit, Leica R 28mm f2.8 Elmarit V2 and Leica R 50mm f2 Summicron (both Leica lenses stacked with Leica R coupler), Leica M WATE, and Minolta CLE MC 40mm f2 M-Rokkor. I also had loaded the Mindshift Gear Filter nest. But, the case is a bit larger.
As to the depth of the Airport Advantage, it has the same depth as the larger Advantage Plus. The shallower depth areas and in the center of the bag are due to the roller handle. The lower portion of the bag has the deeper depth as well as around the edges of the top of the bag.
Along with my packed tripod, I pack a photo Backpack in my checked bag to transfer gear into at the other end for shooting. I am using the Mindshift Backlight 26L for shooting:
p.1 #10 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
I fly constantly with my gear, including on small CRJ jets and bush planes and float planes. I just made a video about how I travel with all my gear that may be helpful: . My typical setup, assuming I can’t take a hardcase, is the camera cube from the MindShift Elite 45 inside the Peak Design Travel Backpack for carry-on. Then when I get to the location, if I will be hiking, I transfer the cube to the Elite 45 which was checked in my luggage. It’s also possible to try to bring the Elite 45 pack as a carry-on too but sometimes it may involve removing the cube and the aluminum frame too if airline people are really anal about it. Worst case I can carry on the cube and gate check the backpack. If I can bring a hardcase I use the Nanuk 935.
p.1 #11 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
I use the f-stop Guru UL. UL stands for ultralight. It's a lightweight backpack that is back loading into an ICU, which is a removable part that holds the camera gear. I think a medium slope ICU in the Guru would hold all of your gear. You also have space above the ICU (in the top loaded area) for additional gear.
I like my f-stop bag. It's a little expensive, but it is well made with well thought out materials to ensure that it is light. It is small enough to fit under the seat of a domestic plane. It should fit the international standards as a carry on, as it's only a 25L bag.
I wouldn't consider any bag unless it has been designed to be light. The weight restrictions on overseas flights are often onerous. You might as well spend that weight on your gear rather than the bag holding the gear.
p.1 #12 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
I've gone through 2 carryon weight checks, both had limits of 7kg. Putting equipment in pockets might work, but the fellow infront of me in Hanoi had to empty out his jacket pockets and have their contents weighed along with their other carryon. Last few years many of the foreign local airlines are getting strict with carryon weight. I personally would not chance putting equipment in pockets but instead ensure your carryon meets regulations.
I use a very light Osprey pack to carry my gear during travels. Not only is it light, it also is more comfortable than my F-stop or Lowepro.
p.1 #13 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
Check out the Atlas Athlete backpack, which expands/contracts from 20l to 40l. It’s a slightly different take on the ICU style packs from Mindshift, F-Stop etc.
p.1 #14 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
Some airlines weigh stuff, but the surcharges aren't large. I've never been denied boarding -- it's not about safety, it's about revenue. The size of the bag matters more because of the size limitations of overhead compartments and the propensity to block egress.
I don't know whether you're female and already have a purse, but don't forget that you are also allowed one "personal item" that you could use to stuff lenses into. If you take a larger carry on bag and then fill it mostly with your camera bag, that doesn't seem very efficient.
p.1 #15 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
If you’re dealing with airlines that weigh stuff the best solution for carryon is to have stuff in a camera cube so you can pull it out of the pack and have the most compact and smallest option. Most of the time they only care about weight to ensure you can carry it including lifting it into the overhead compartment if necessary.
p.1 #16 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
Not every airline allows personal articles. Some airlines like small airlines in Alaska or Africa only allow one carryon item and don’t allow for standard and personal articles like most of the airlines with bigger aircraft do.
p.1 #17 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
I split up my kit between my regular photo pack (Prvke 21) and my hard roller case (Rimowa Small Cabin), in which I keep a separate camera insert. About 1/3 of the suitcase is gear and the rest is clothes, etc.
Usually I can keep the pack under 7kg, if not I pull out the camera cube. Backpack goes under seat, roller goes in overhead. I don't check anything.
On the very, very small planes, I will have to gate check the roller because of one item policy, but the gear is well protected in the hard case, and gate check is not nearly so risky as big airline check. Most small planes allow 7kg in cabin and 20 gate checked.
The only place this doesn't work is planes that demand soft-sided luggage, which I have only experienced in East African safari planes. I have a cheap soft carry-on for these and will then try to keep my kit on me.
p.1 #19 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
hasenbein wrote:
Of course everyone has different needs, but I have traveled successfully without checked-in baggage several times on trips 5-10 days long:
1. Crumpler Doozie Photo Backpack, fits under seat: 1 A7III, 1 Minolta MD 35-70 f3.5, 1 Minolta 75-150 f4, 1 Pentax K 28mm f3.5, 1 Voigtländer 21mm f3.5, 1 Samyang 35mm f2.8, 2 batteries, Sun Sniper camera strap, blower, 9.7" tablet, Kindle, several chargers, some little stuff.
2.Second backpack, a bit larger, for clothes and toothbrush etc.; gets put in the overhead department.
Never had any problems with that whatsoever.
It really depends where you travel. Many airlines allow 2 bags carryon and don't weigh...but then there are those that only allow 1 with a max 7kg limit. I can tell you, you'd be out of luck trying to board Vietnam Air with your two bags weighing over 7kg.
Best to check regulations of all the different legs you plan to travel and stick to their rules.
p.1 #20 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
My wife and I have travelled extensively throughout the world and have come up with the following guidelines. They assume the traveler will shoot the usual subjects, including cathedrals, temples, street scenes and landscapes.
1. Take no more than three lenses and a camera. My gear includes an A7r III, Sony 12-24, Batis 40 and Batis 135. They easily fit into my Billiingham small bag (12" x 6"). There is nothing worse than fumbling with a bunch of lenses especially in crowded conditions.
2. Don't assume that because your carry-one weighs at or near the published weight and dimensions it won't end up in the checked luggage. I have seen flight attendants take carry-on luggage away from passengers and stow it in the checked luggage area. This is especially likely if weight and dimensions are near the maximum allowable.
3. Assuming that you will be in urban environment some of the time, NEVER use a backpack. These are absolutely loved by pickpockets and other thieves. I once had a friend that lost everything in her backpack including her camera gear and passport. The cute little kid walks up to you as a distraction, daddy slits open the backpack and mommy takes the goods. The whole process takes only a few seconds.
The OP does not indicate where he will be going in his travels. So my assumptions may be wrong. Obviously some of my guidelines don't apply if you're hiking into the mountains.
