p.4 #1 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
Frogfish wrote:
Yep. I looked at the kit in GSP's bag above and that (with the bag) is more like 10kgs. More and more regional airlines in Asia are now at a 7kgs limit, even some in Europe though EasyJet and BA have no weight limits. That said I've never been stopped and my LowePro Trek 350 is almost always between 7-10kgs.
The 10,000 MaH limit is important too. I had my 20,000 MaH charger confiscated by Security in Tianjin. All my battery packs are now 10,000 MaH.
This is helpful as I am headed to China and have a 20000 mAh battery pack also. Bummer, but helpful!
p.4 #2 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
I think one has to assume that while your example is this upcoming trip, there may be others in your future, and it would be good if your bag(s) selection was also your first choice for future travel.
I'm a convert to back packs. As far as carrying gear weight all day, or even for a few hours, on one shoulder - never again, unless just one body and one lens.
I like my Mindshift Rotation Panorama 22L. I find it carries better than any other camera pack I personally have tried (admittedly limited). It has the stiff rear panel (frame?), substantial waist belt, load lifters and various adjustments that serious hikers bang on about with real technical packs, which really helps you carry most of the weight on your hips.
The 22L won't carry all the gear that you list, but something from the Backlight series would, with most of all of the same design features. And if you wind up in cities with an abundance of thieves, you access the gear from the rear, not the front.
And if you analyze the weights for all the packs you can consider, the Mindshift ones are among the lightest. (I was very interested in the Atlas Athlete, until I looked at the weight empty.)
p.4 #4 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
Frogfish wrote:
You can take 2 x 10,000 MaH Elizabeth Where are you going ?
I'm stopping in Beijing on the way back from Mongolia. Seeing family that lives there for a weekend then have three free days if you have suggestions I was hoping to dive the submerged part of the Wall but the company that does it ain't calling me back.
My Anker 20000 mAh power bank is 72 watt-hours and all the Chinese regulations say batteries under 100 watt-hours are allowed...but I really don't want to lose that sucker!
p.4 #5 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
elizabeth77 wrote:
I'm stopping in Beijing on the way back from Mongolia. Seeing family that lives there for a weekend then have three free days if you have suggestions I was hoping to dive the submerged part of the Wall but the company that does it ain't calling me back.
My Anker 20000 mAh power bank is 72 watt-hours and all the Chinese regulations say batteries under 100 watt-hours are allowed...but I really don't want to lose that sucker!
The Wild Wall is well worth a visit - so much better than the tourist areas if you are OK with crumbling and at times verticals ! If you're interested PM me.
The Chinese Security just check to see what is written on the battery packs, over 10,000 MaH and it is very likely it will be confiscated regardless of watt-hours, so personally I wouldn't risk it.
p.4 #6 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
elizabeth77 wrote:
I'm stopping in Beijing on the way back from Mongolia. Seeing family that lives there for a weekend then have three free days if you have suggestions I was hoping to dive the submerged part of the Wall but the company that does it ain't calling me back.
My Anker 20000 mAh power bank is 72 watt-hours and all the Chinese regulations say batteries under 100 watt-hours are allowed...but I really don't want to lose that sucker!
Besides Security reading the power bank to see if it is over 10,000mAh (which they will not let you take on board), Security also requires you to take camera and all lenses out of your bag when going through x-ray machine. So if you brought a large kit to carry-on, expect to take them all out during inspection.
p.4 #7 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
It pays to read the airline's rules very carefully (and have a printed copy with you, in case the don't know their own rules at the airport -- happened to me more than once...)
For example, some airlines limit the weight of the carry-on but have not weight restrictions on the personal-item
p.4 #8 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
dshao1 wrote:
Besides Security reading the power bank to see if it is over 10,000mAh (which they will not let you take on board), Security also requires you to take camera and all lenses out of your bag when going through x-ray machine. So if you brought a large kit to carry-on, expect to take them all out during inspection.
Dan
I've heard of this rule but in effect I've never seen or had it enforced (after living here for 23 years and I do fly a lot domestically as well as a few international trips a year). Only ever been asked to remove laptop and ipad from my bag, not even the large bag of batteries which I all keep together in my carry on. Hopefully that will continue !
p.4 #9 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
Frogfish wrote:
I've heard of this rule but in effect I've never seen or had it enforced (after living here for 23 years and I do fly a lot domestically as well as a few international trips a year). Only ever been asked to remove laptop and ipad from my bag, not even the large bag of batteries which I all keep together in my carry on. Hopefully that will continue !
Interesting and Lucky You! 😊. I fly twice a week when in China and get asked every time. Even when I bring one camera with one lens, they ask me if I have other lenses. 🙁
Elizabeth, I wish you the same luck as Frogfish! 😇
p.4 #11 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
Hey all, updating from transiting through Beijing three times last month (and many thanks to @Frogfish and @dshao1 for the tips!).
EVERY time, all of my camera gear was unpacked at security. I mean a full Think Tank roller with 2 bodies and six lenses plus drone and controller, I had to pull it all out and put it in bins. Last time through this happened at main security AND at the gate while boarding (and I am United Global and was flying business). This is where I am super thankful I took the roller as it's a very swift unpack and repack.
I was also challenged on "do you have any batteries or chargers?" at which I just handed over my charger/power bank organizer and lipo bag of drone batteries. Only once did security check the size of power banks (2x 10000 mah, thanks again Kevin!). Interestingly the drone and its batteries got the least questioning. My drone is in a Domke wrap and I was never asked to unwrap it. (DJI obviously a big Chinese company and recreational drones very common.) I have found that the lipo bag seems to keep airport security everywhere pretty calm so is useful even though totally unnecessary
I had two travel companions with 20000 mah power banks who were not challenged at PEK, but I would be careful and for certain allow plenty of time for all this fun at security. Everyone I ran into this trip had had all their gear unpacked.
Note that I had both a Prvke backpack and the TT roller and both went in cabin no problem including between Beijing and Ulaanbaatar on Air China. Nothing was weighed or had to be checked (I already had a checked bag of clothing, price I paid for the gear roller).
However, on regional Mongolia flights (MIAT and Aero Mongolia), everything was weighed and I (and every other traveler) had to pay overage for both in-cabin (5 kg limit) and check-in (12 kg limit). Paying the overage (low money) meant keeping my gear in cabin, well worth it. Since it's high season for photogs in the country I'm sure the airlines do really well here right now
p.4 #12 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
Isaacheus wrote:
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?
I would recommend either the BP Freeline 350 or Protactic for that kit. Fits under the seat in front of you and has a pocket for a 13" laptop, and should fit all those lenses.
p.4 #13 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
Kohala wrote:
3. The poster who indicated that the type of theft I mentioned is a 1000 to 1 possibility might spend some time in European cities, such as Barcelona, where there are signs posted on the main drag and elsewhere cautioning everyone about thieves and pickpockets.
I lived most of my life in a tourist town, San Francisco. A few decades ago there was a rash of pickpockets. They'd put up hand lettered signs saying "Beware of Pickpockets!" When people saw the sign they'd reflexively pat their money, wallet, etc., pointing out to pickpockets exactly where their most valuable items were.
p.4 #14 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
elizabeth77 wrote:
Hey all, updating from transiting through Beijing three times last month (and many thanks to @Frogfish@ and @dshao1@ for the tips!).
EVERY time, all of my camera gear was unpacked at security. I mean a full Think Tank roller with 2 bodies and six lenses plus drone and controller, I had to pull it all out and put it in bins. Last time through this happened at main security AND at the gate while boarding (and I am United Global and was flying business). This is where I am super thankful I took the roller as it's a very swift unpack and repack.
I was also challenged on "do you have any batteries or chargers?" at which I just handed over my charger/power bank organizer and lipo bag of drone batteries. Only once did security check the size of power banks (2x 10000 mah, thanks again Kevin!). Interestingly the drone and its batteries got the least questioning. My drone is in a Domke wrap and I was never asked to unwrap it. (DJI obviously a big Chinese company and recreational drones very common.) I have found that the lipo bag seems to keep airport security everywhere pretty calm so is useful even though totally unnecessary
I had two travel companions with 20000 mah power banks who were not challenged at PEK, but I would be careful and for certain allow plenty of time for all this fun at security. Everyone I ran into this trip had had all their gear unpacked.
Note that I had both a Prvke backpack and the TT roller and both went in cabin no problem including between Beijing and Ulaanbaatar on Air China. Nothing was weighed or had to be checked (I already had a checked bag of clothing, price I paid for the gear roller).
However, on regional Mongolia flights (MIAT and Aero Mongolia), everything was weighed and I (and every other traveler) had to pay overage for both in-cabin (5 kg limit) and check-in (12 kg limit). Paying the overage (low money) meant keeping my gear in cabin, well worth it. Since it's high season for photogs in the country I'm sure the airlines do really well here right now
All nin all not too bad but good to be prepared ...Show more →
What were the final sizes & weights on the backpack & roller that you took? I ask because there was a lot of consternation around weight, yet you seemed to be able to pay extra to carry more. On the international regional flights, was the cabin storage space reduced like it is on US regionals?
p.4 #15 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
GSP_ wrote:
What were the final sizes & weights on the backpack & roller that you took? I ask because there was a lot of consternation around weight, yet you seemed to be able to pay extra to carry more. On the international regional flights, was the cabin storage space reduced like it is on US regionals?
What I did on internal flights was put the photo backpack and tripod inside my checked bag. I always carry a small collapsible daypack (the AmazonBasics one, it weighs about an ounce and takes up no room) so made that my personal item and took it with the gear roller in-cabin. My roller with my working travel kit (a7r3, a9, 16-35 GM, 24-70 GM, 70-200 GM, 85 GM, Loxia 21, Mavic Pro 2 drone, controller, filters, chargers, cables) plus tossing in my Macbook Pro weighs about 12 kg (<28 pounds).
So in cabin I probably had 13-14kg, but compact.
Checked bag was a similar weight so not a huge overage. I paid about $29 US in total overages on each flight (~70,000 tugrik each time). Well worth it for me to have my gear with me and not being used as a football by baggage handlers.
I was wrong about flying MIAT, all my flights were Aero Mongolia which is a Fokker 50, quite a small turboprop plane.
What worked here was that my cabin bags were small enough to easily fit overhead or under seat even in a tiny regional, and they let me pay for the extra weight. If my bags had been oversized I would have had to check. The Think Tank roller is the smallest one and is designed for these planes, and the Amazon backpack is very small so gets ignored completely.
All airlines differ and you never really know what will happen at check-in or gate but hope that helps somehow!
p.4 #16 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
I've had my carry-on weighed a couple of times in Europe and a number of times in Asia, and in all those cases 7kg was the limit. I'm shortly going to Australia and New Zealand, and after reading the airline's baggage allowances checked out to see how serious they are about the weights. Very, apparently.
7kg for carry-on and 23kg for check-in. We're up to 11 flight legs on this trip, with a couple domestic ones in Australia. Everyone I've talked to or read blogs from has emphasized that if it's over 7kg, it gets checked, and if it gets checked at the gate you pay a hefty fee. It has to look VERY light not to get weighed. I've usually carried a small camera bag with me as an additional 'personal' item but apparently on these flights the only 'personal' item that's allowed is a small purse or a laptop sleeve. If the checked item is over 23kg, overweight fees which are quite large are applied up to 30kg; the absolute maximum. Apparently the best option if you might be overweight on checked-in is to pre-buy an added bag allowance.
Apparently both Quantas and Air New Zealand (the two we're using) and all other airlines that fly into and out of A and NZ apply the same regulations in the same way.
p.4 #17 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
The best way to go is always to be prepared and to be able to pull out precious gear. This is where camera cubes come in handy - pull out and drop in a collapsible bag, or hold in your hand.
The hard fact is that few travel kits at least for working photographers are going to be under 5-7 kg, and IF a limit is enforced, you will be checking some gear. So ensure you have at least one body and core len(ses) on you plus batteries/charger and anything else you can't afford to lose or have damaged, and try to have a gear bag with as much padding as possible. Obviously a Pelican type case is ideal.
Again, bush plane type flights (small Cessnas, etc.) are going to check everything you have except a very small personal, but in this case you usually see your bags loaded on and it's not a hacky sack type treatment.
p.4 #18 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
Henning wrote:
I've had my carry-on weighed a couple of times in Europe and a number of times in Asia, and in all those cases 7kg was the limit. I'm shortly going to Australia and New Zealand, and after reading the airline's baggage allowances checked out to see how serious they are about the weights. Very, apparently.
7kg for carry-on and 23kg for check-in. We're up to 11 flight legs on this trip, with a couple domestic ones in Australia. Everyone I've talked to or read blogs from has emphasized that if it's over 7kg, it gets checked, and if it gets checked at the gate you pay a hefty fee. It has to look VERY light not to get weighed. I've usually carried a small camera bag with me as an additional 'personal' item but apparently on these flights the only 'personal' item that's allowed is a small purse or a laptop sleeve. If the checked item is over 23kg, overweight fees which are quite large are applied up to 30kg; the absolute maximum. Apparently the best option if you might be overweight on checked-in is to pre-buy an added bag allowance.
Apparently both Quantas and Air New Zealand (the two we're using) and all other airlines that fly into and out of A and NZ apply the same regulations in the same way....Show more →
Those are the rules with Qantas, and there’s some chance they will apply them, but I’ve only once or twice in many hundreds of flights, internationally and domestic with them (and Air NZ) had my carry on weighed.
p.4 #20 · International travel and fitting cameras in carry on
Frogfish wrote:
I've heard of this rule but in effect I've never seen or had it enforced (after living here for 23 years and I do fly a lot domestically as well as a few international trips a year). Only ever been asked to remove laptop and ipad from my bag, not even the large bag of batteries which I all keep together in my carry on. Hopefully that will continue !
my BIL had a 20000MAH with check in luggage, it had to be removed and brought with carry on. It could be a new thing, but it was pretty strict at the airports I boarded recently, weight especially. In the past, I never had my carry on weighed, and twice recently. I travel with a big family so my kids had nothing carried on, so it worked out, but it's annoying to know that it's so strict these days. Gone are the days of a carry on tripod.
Where are you going ?
I was hoping to dive the submerged part of the Wall but the company that does it ain't calling me back.