Inside a Travel Photographer's Carry-On Bag
Keeping Camera Gear Safe While Avoiding Airline Checked Baggage Fees
Aug 14, 2008
Most photographers who travel with expensive equipment have always preferred to keep their fragile camera gear close by in the airplane cabin, checking personal luggage and hefty tripods if necessary. With mounting fees for even the first checked bag, this strategy is less attractive. Today, keeping checked luggage to a minimum may mean choosing between a second camera body and a second pair of shoes.
Carry-On Luggage Restrictions
Most business and leisure travelers have learned to cope with airline carry-on baggage restrictions that became even stricter with the ban on liquids imposed in August 2006. Although the limits on hand luggage that did away with all carry-ons in British airports have now eased so that most airports in the United Kingdom allow travelers to bring two items on board, cabin baggage may still be restricted, especially when flying smaller planes to less-travelled destinations.
New Strategies for Traveling Light Are Needed
Except for travel photographers with frequent flyer status on major airlines that exempts them from checked baggage fees—or the rare individual who enjoys the luxury of an unlimited expense account—traveling light has become an economic necessity.
Here are some tips for getting to location shoots with the requisite photo equipment as well as with an adequate wardrobe.
Find the Right Camera Bag
Specially fitted rolling carry-on size bags with separate compartments for clothing, photo gear and associated electronics are attractive, but they can be pricey, rarely found for less than US$200 and ranging up to US$400 and more. Another drawback is that they usually carry product labels advertising what's inside.
A less expensive and more discreet alternative is the bag-inside-a-bag ploy that nests a padded camera bag inside an ordinary lightweight rollaboard. The LowePro Stealth Reporter D400 AW fits nicely at the bottom of a carry-on size rolling suitcase, leaving room to spare for a change of clothing or two.
This bag comes in larger versions, but the D400 is an ideal size to slip over the handles of the rollaboard as a second personal item. If the flight is full or the plane small, this LowePro bag is small enough to qualify as a purse or tote so that chances are, flight crews will allow it to come on board in circumstances where larger rolling bags must be gate checked.
Consider Renting Equipment on Location
Photographers traveling to central Florida, for example, can arrange camera equipment rentals online through RentGlass.com and have the gear waiting for pick up at the company's offices near Orlando.
Travel with Smaller Camera Bodies and Choose Lenses Judiciously for Weight and Versatility
The newest entry-level digital SLRs are lighter but packed with more features than the top pro models of just a few years ago. Their compact size and reduced weight also make them easier to carry while touring.
Ship Personal Effects to the Destination
For domestic trips, Federal Express or UPS can be a cost-effective alternative to traveling with that extra bag, and these carriers offer service guarantees that don't apply to the airlines or even to companies that specialize in shipping luggage. One should check ahead to make sure hotels are willing to accept advance shipments. Avoid shipping bags across national borders, however, as customs can delay their arrival indefinitely.
Further Reading
Noted wildlife photographer David Cardinal offers hands-on reviews of rolling photo-computer bags by LowePro and Pelican as well as many more suggestions for lightening the travel photographer's load of camera gear in his article "One-Bag Solutions for Airline Carry-ons, Plus Tips for Traveling Lightly."
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