If you have super big Great White tele, how do you travel with it?

[dolina]

I use a backpack that is airline carry on compliant.

 

[takesome1]

Here is a thought on preventing Gate Check.
A backpack is obviously carry on.
A roll around camera bag looks like a suit case, it is carry on.
A laptop is a personal item.

I know the airlines I regularly fly will not gate check a laptop.
The laptop and it's bag can go under the seat, or overhead.
Under the seat belongs to you to fill, even if overhead is full.
The bag I use carries both a laptop and lens, it looks like a laptop bag and I say use any advantage you can to avoid being gate checked.

 

[Loswr]

I haven't travelled with my 600 II yet, but if I were to do so, I'd put the lens in my Storm im2500 carryon hard case, and put the hood in checked luggage.

Depending on your airline and class of service, there's always a chance you'll end up boarding after the overheads are full, and be forced to gate check your carryon, which is why I put often my photo gear in a hard case and have TSA-approved locks along just in case.

I suppose one logic is as good as the other. I have never been forced to gate check my gear. The airlines have miss directed my bags though.

I have a hard case I could put mine in. The reason I usually do not and carry on is that most trips I take the super tele, photos with the super tele are the reason for the trip. I can wear the same clothes for days. I can go without a tripod.
Waiting days for a camera and lens to arrive would completely destroy the trip. A family vacation that the lens would be nice to have along, I might put it in the pelican.

My hard case is my carry on - it's a Storm in2500, meets the max dimensions for carry on luggage. I've never been forced to gate check it, and I usually fly with premier status or business class so it's unlikely...but one never knows. Failing to plan is planning to fail. When traveling with 'normal' lenses, the gear goes in a backpack and the backpack goes in the im2500. Besides a little piece of mind for the flight, it can be locked for storage in the hotel room or luggage area, which is nice as most of my trips are not explicitly for photography. Finally, if I end up buying a whole bunch of stuff at my destination, I can use the hard case as checked luggage for the return trip and just wear the backpack as carryon.

 

[tculotta]

FStop Gear Literoom roller. I can fit the 600 II in it.

 

[DavidA]

The Gura Gear 32L will handle your 600mm AND meets US carryon requirements. The problem you may run into is overhead bin size on regional jets and small prop planes. It may also be difficult to put these bags under the seat. When I know I am traveling on a regional jet, I will use my smallest backpack for core gear and a soft case for the long lens. The backpack can go under the seat and the lens bag (cited case no camera attached)in the overhead bin. I will attach Monopod to the bag and tripod goes into checked luggage. I have never been refused boarding with this setup.

I had planned to take the 32L for a trip to Africa this year but ran into an issue wit South African Air. I an allowed two carryons bags and a slim laptop case, but each bag is limited to 8kg. My 32l fits all size requirements, but my gear with a 200-400 1.4x is around 30lbs. If this was an American they would see this as a fee opportunity!

I hate dealing with multiple bags but sometimes you don't have a choice.

 

[candc]

I haven't travelled with my 600 II yet, but if I were to do so, I'd put the lens in my Storm im2500 carryon hard case, and put the hood in checked luggage.

Depending on your airline and class of service, there's always a chance you'll end up boarding after the overheads are full, and be forced to gate check your carryon, which is why I put often my photo gear in a hard case and have TSA-approved locks along just in case.

I have an f-stop Satori and some ICU's. The 600, sigma 120-300, plus a body fit in the xl pro. I would like to put that in a hard ease for travel but it seems from looking at the dimensions of the im2500 on the pelican site that the lid won't close with the hood on the 600. The 1510 is a bit deeper (7.6" vs 7.2"). That one might be just big enough to work?

 

[Loswr]

I haven't travelled with my 600 II yet, but if I were to do so, I'd put the lens in my Storm im2500 carryon hard case, and put the hood in checked luggage.

Depending on your airline and class of service, there's always a chance you'll end up boarding after the overheads are full, and be forced to gate check your carryon, which is why I put often my photo gear in a hard case and have TSA-approved locks along just in case.

I have an f-stop Satori and some ICU's. The 600, sigma 120-300, plus a body fit in the xl pro. I would like to put that in a hard ease for travel but it seems from looking at the dimensions of the im2500 on the pelican site that the lid won't close with the hood on the 600. The 1510 is a bit deeper (7.6" vs 7.2"). That one might be just big enough to work?

The hood for the 600 II is ~7.7" in diameter (and slightly longer than that), so I don't think it would fit in the Peli 1510, either. Thus the suggestion to pack the hood in checked luggage.

 

[Viggo]

I bring my 200 L everywhere and usually on camera or if I decide to bring two lenses I keep it on my shoulder in Lowepro Lens Case with an OpTech strap. It fits very accurate so it's not to big compared to a bare lens.

 

[candc]

I haven't travelled with my 600 II yet, but if I were to do so, I'd put the lens in my Storm im2500 carryon hard case, and put the hood in checked luggage.

Depending on your airline and class of service, there's always a chance you'll end up boarding after the overheads are full, and be forced to gate check your carryon, which is why I put often my photo gear in a hard case and have TSA-approved locks along just in case.

I have an f-stop Satori and some ICU's. The 600, sigma 120-300, plus a body fit in the xl pro. I would like to put that in a hard ease for travel but it seems from looking at the dimensions of the im2500 on the pelican site that the lid won't close with the hood on the 600. The 1510 is a bit deeper (7.6" vs 7.2"). That one might be just big enough to work?

The hood for the 600 II is ~7.7" in diameter (and slightly longer than that), so I don't think it would fit in the Peli 1510, either. Thus the suggestion to pack the hood in checked luggage.

If you measure it at the locking knob that is the size. but still too big for either one of those cases it seems. I really like the idea of being able put the gear in a waterproof hardcase. I did some searching on the web and ordered one of these

http://www.skbcases.com/music/products/proddetail.php?f=&id=550&o=&c=153&s=

I put the stuff I mentioned above into the xl pro ICU and measured, it should fit. That case doesn't have wheels or a pull handle which allows for more interior room but is still carry on compliant.

I will post when it gets here. I am going to visit my sister in sc in a couple weeks. I think I will take a canoe trip while I am there and then maybe go down to Tampa and spend some time there so this will be great if it works.

 

[applecider]

It would be nice to hear from someone who has checked camera gear, including big whites. Or would it be preferable to send gear fedex or ups. I spend about a month on cape cod every summer, and it would be nice to bring more gear than I'd want to carry on. I took advantage of pelican sale and picked up several wheeled and some large Pelicans with the idea that they'd make great storage if not air travel bags, so please some one who has traveled with your gear checked please chime in.

All the Pelicans that were on sale when I got them are foam precursor, I'll plack differently if I'm going to air baggage them vs home storage. Like more foam at the edges for impact protection etc...

Like others here I've flown with a big white in a backpack or in think tank roller luggage in overhead compartment.

 

[Loswr]

...so please some one who has traveled with your gear checked please chime in.

In fact, I did check my gear once – intentionally. When returning from a trip to China, we had more important things to deal with than dragging camera gear through a plane change in Hong Kong (we went to China with one daughter, and came back with two). I'm not sure that I'd be willing to check gear on the outbound trip – on the way there, the airline lost luggage that didn't catch up to us for three days; on the way home, they lost a different piece of luggage (not the camera gear) that showed up 24 hrs later. I figured the trip was done, I had the memory cards and backups on a laptop and a set of 64 GB USB thumb drives, and the gear was insured.

Gear was a gripped 5DII and several lenses (16-35/2.8L II, 24-105/4L, 70-200/2.8L II, TS-E 24L II, and 35/1.4L), it was packed as I've mentioned previously – in a Lowepro Flipside 400 AW bag inside the Storm im2500 case, with TSA-approved locks. The gear was just fine when we got home.

 

[candc]

i got that skb case i ordered today (its carry on compliant) and tried some packing. thats the case with a f-stop icu inside (its the modular insert for the backpacks). the lens hood is the problem. you can jam it in but i wouldn't recommend it.

the pics of loaded bataflae's like cr guy's have the hood off. neuro recommends this as well. so the answer is "take the hoods off".

 

[grahamsz]

You da boss! 23 kg of hand luggage? Do tell us how you did that!

And if I were to be able to purchase a lens like the 600L, I would not check it in.

I certainly fly with 20-30lbs in a backpack on a regular basis and i'm sure I've had more than that on occasion. Usually if it's with a budget airline then I'm careful to make sure it's just slung effortlessly over one shoulder while i'm waiting in the checkin line. Just be sure and warn the TSA guy that it's heavy if you get pulled off for an extra inspection, I've seen him almost drop it.

Be nice to your airplane staff and never ever fly ryanair!

 

[grahamsz]

On a related note, it's also worth paying for early boarding when you've got a lot of expensive stuff to carry on.

If I've got a lot of gear with me (granted I don't have any big whites) then I'm always terrified that there'll be no overhead space and I'll be forced to gate check $10k of equipment.

Also related is to make sure you aren't flying on any regional commuter jets. United may allow a fairly generous carryon baggage allowance but if you find yourself of a United Express Canadair then you'll be SOL. I doubt you could even fit a bare 600mm in the overhead bin.

 

[Loswr]

...if you find yourself of a United Express Canadair then you'll be SOL. I doubt you could even fit a bare 600mm in the overhead bin.

On the side of the RJ aisle with two seats, the underseat area holds a much larger carryon.

 

[grahamsz]

On the side of the RJ aisle with two seats, the underseat area holds a much larger carryon.

Sure but

a) You can't be sure you'll be on that side
b) Even still you won't be fitting a "maximum size" roller bag under the seat in front of you

 

[Loswr]

On the side of the RJ aisle with two seats, the underseat area holds a much larger carryon.

Sure but

a) You can't be sure you'll be on that side
b) Even still you won't be fitting a "maximum size" roller bag under the seat in front of you

Board early and sit there, even if it's across the aisle from your assigned seat. Generally, most people prefer the single seat, and are happy to trade. You're right, it's still not full size. That's why I pack gear in a hard case, sometimes it must be checked.