Holy moly that is a lot of gear, Scott! Certainly not a backpacker's travel gear!
That's a portion of what I take with me when I'm shooting a wedding - gotta have backups for everything that can fail (except the portable HDD - that is a backup to the cards ).
Would I ever put all that into a backpack - sure if you want to give me one that's big enough. Would I carry it any distance - What, do I look crazy to you?
Think Tank Airport Security V2
Just picked up the Think Tank Airport Security v2 and I'm really loving how it fits everything and has wheels!
Took a picture tonight of all my gear (which took us about an hour at the store between myself, my husband, and the Calumet Photographic sales guy to figure out the perfect way to arrange for all my stuff...) anyhoo without further ado, here's what I crammed in with a little room to spare still
looks like a great solution! i wish i could do that, but i have too much other stuff to haul (work related...laptop, etc) and can't use a dedicated photo bag. :cry
Canon 7D and some stuff that sticks on the end of it.
looks like a great solution! i wish i could do that, but i have too much other stuff to haul (work related...laptop, etc) and can't use a dedicated photo bag. :cry
Depending on how much you need to carry, the crumpler bags can provide a pretty good option
This one has a good load area for kit:
What I Learned From My Trip To Alaska
I am normally a motor-home traveler and I haven't had much experience with airline travel and carrying photography equipment on an airline since I was a combat cameraman in the Navy. Then, it was totally usual to carry a half-ton of motion picture equipment in Halliburton cases. Of course, it was usually a four or five man crew that shared lugging the gear and the ONLY purpose for the trip was cinematography.
I wanted to take a decent amount of equipment on my ten day trip to Alaska's Kenai Peninsula in 2008. I decided to choose a Lowepro Vertex 300AW bag since that was big enough to carry my equipment, yet the measurements indicated that it could be carried aboard the airplane. I have attached an image of my gear for Alaska.
WRONG MOVE... Here's what I learned:
1. Although the measurements of the Vertex 300AW indicate that the bag can be used as a carry-on bag, the waist belt and shoulder straps will come close to preventing this on some airlines. The waist belt and shoulder straps are extremely bulky and, if the Vertex is filled, will prevent the bag from fitting on some of those "test boxes" which determine the maximum size for carry-on luggage. Unfortunately, the straps cannot be removed.
2. When filled, the Vertex 300 is a heck of a load. I will not lug this bag through any airport again but, will opt for a wheeled luggage carrier.
3. Back packs are fine if you want to carry them on your back but, a lot of space is wasted. The very shape of a backpack in inefficient since it narrows towards the top. Since I used the Vertex primarily as a gear carrier and as a storage place, I would have been better off with a rectangular case.
4. Monopods are an iffy situation. Security at LAX would not let me carry the monopod aboard the flight saying that the pod was a, "weapon-like implement". I asked the security at Anchorage, on the way back, if I could have carried my pod aboard and the answer was "Sure, people carry them aboard all the time". I guess it depends on the location and or the individual security person. I will transport my monopod in the check-on baggage in the future. By the way, my monopod was the Manfrotto 681. This is a great pod, tall and extremely sturdy. However, it is a bit heavy at 1.75 pounds and doesn't collapse very short (26 inches). I have since replaced this pod with a Calumet 8103 which weighs less than a pound and collapses to 20 inches which is easier to pack.
5. I am traveling to China this spring. I will carry less gear since I won't need extra long lenses, have opted not to take my IR converted D60 and will not need the Nikon Cool-Pix since I wont be wading in streams fishing for salmon. I will carry the following equipment:
Two 1.6x cameras (30d and 40D)
12-24mm f/4 Tokina
17-55mm f/2.8 IS
70-200mm f/4L IS
420EX flash
Modified Slik Pro 330 DX tripod (weighs 1-pound 11-ounces as modified)
Calumet 8103 Carbon Fiber Monopod (weighs 15-ounces)
A few filters
Extra camera batteries and charger
Extra rechargeable flash batteries and charger
Extra CF cards - about 24 GIGs worth (enough for a day of shooting)
Two OPTECH rainsleeves
This total weighs a bit more than 10-pounds but, I won't be carrying both the tripod and monopod at the same time. I plan to carry the monopod during the day and the tripod for night shots. Obviously, I won't be carrying battery chargers and my full complement of batteries during the shooting day.
This assortment is considerably lighter and less bulky than my selection of equipment for Alaska. However, my shooting will not be quite as varied as that in Alaska - no wildlife shooting or wading salmon streams with fishing rod and camera in my fishing vest.
I usually carry the 17-55mm on one camera around my neck and the 70-200mm on the other camera in a Tamrac Zoom-19 Holster case at my left hip with a hand strap attached. I carry the extra 12-24mm lens is in my shooting vest.
I plan to use a standard carry-on size rolling suitcase for my equipment. Inside the the suitcase, I will have my Zoom-19 with camera, lens batteries and CF cards and a small Tamrac 603 shoulder case for my camera with the 17-55mm plus accessories. I will have the 12-24mm lens rolled up in my shooting vest.
My wife will carry her small 14" screen notebook computer on which we have photoshop CS-3. I have a small, about the size of a pack of King-size cigarettes, external hard drive with a large capacity.
My workflow will be to download imagery from my CF cards to the hard drive of the notebook computer each evening and copy the images from internal computer hard drive to the external hard drive. I will carry the small external hard drive, while my spouse carries the computer, so that my images will be stored in two different locations.
I do have one accessory which I will be trying for the first time on a trip. An MP-3 player that has voice recording capability. I will use this both for entertainment (books on tape & music) for the long flight there and back as well as using it to record information about what I am shooting. That way, I can dispense with my notebook.
There was a great article in Shutterbug this month about airline travel and bags. He reviewed comfort, ease of use, airline size restrictions and price. I thought it was a pretty good article if anyone cares to look.
(Timely thread since I am flying with gear at the end of the month)
no worries with the xray security machines...i've never personally had a problem and various forum posts i've read over the years have said the same.
- No worries carrying your CF cards through the gate screening machine. I've even kept them in my Pelican and had it scanned - no worries. Oh, and BTW, I also carry my portable HDD in the Pelican and it's gone through the scan any number of times with no problems (as has the HDD in my laptop, come to think of it).
- No worries carrying your CF cards through the gate screening machine. I've even kept them in my Pelican and had it scanned - no worries. Oh, and BTW, I also carry my portable HDD in the Pelican and it's gone through the scan any number of times with no problems (as has the HDD in my laptop, come to think of it).
So, carry the cards with no worries!
on that note my laptop is often on sleep mode when it goes through the xray, and my phone is completely on. Never had a problem w/ any electronic I own going through the xray (camera's included)
Comments
www.tednghiem.com
Would I ever put all that into a backpack - sure if you want to give me one that's big enough. Would I carry it any distance - What, do I look crazy to you?
My Photos
Thoughts on photographing a wedding, How to post a picture, AF Microadjustments?, Light Scoop
Equipment List - Check my profile
I wouldn't call you crazy, but I have met lots of photographers who packed a lot of gear while "backpacking" a country. They are crazee, I tell you!
www.tednghiem.com
Just picked up the Think Tank Airport Security v2 and I'm really loving how it fits everything and has wheels!
Took a picture tonight of all my gear (which took us about an hour at the store between myself, my husband, and the Calumet Photographic sales guy to figure out the perfect way to arrange for all my stuff...) anyhoo without further ado, here's what I crammed in with a little room to spare still
Facebook: Friend / Fan || Twitter: @shimamizu || Google Plus
Depending on how much you need to carry, the crumpler bags can provide a pretty good option
This one has a good load area for kit:
And a slot for your laptop:
More info here: http://crumpler.co.uk/?product=The_Mob_Boss&page=details&product_line=988
I am normally a motor-home traveler and I haven't had much experience with airline travel and carrying photography equipment on an airline since I was a combat cameraman in the Navy. Then, it was totally usual to carry a half-ton of motion picture equipment in Halliburton cases. Of course, it was usually a four or five man crew that shared lugging the gear and the ONLY purpose for the trip was cinematography.
I wanted to take a decent amount of equipment on my ten day trip to Alaska's Kenai Peninsula in 2008. I decided to choose a Lowepro Vertex 300AW bag since that was big enough to carry my equipment, yet the measurements indicated that it could be carried aboard the airplane. I have attached an image of my gear for Alaska.
WRONG MOVE... Here's what I learned:
1. Although the measurements of the Vertex 300AW indicate that the bag can be used as a carry-on bag, the waist belt and shoulder straps will come close to preventing this on some airlines. The waist belt and shoulder straps are extremely bulky and, if the Vertex is filled, will prevent the bag from fitting on some of those "test boxes" which determine the maximum size for carry-on luggage. Unfortunately, the straps cannot be removed.
2. When filled, the Vertex 300 is a heck of a load. I will not lug this bag through any airport again but, will opt for a wheeled luggage carrier.
3. Back packs are fine if you want to carry them on your back but, a lot of space is wasted. The very shape of a backpack in inefficient since it narrows towards the top. Since I used the Vertex primarily as a gear carrier and as a storage place, I would have been better off with a rectangular case.
4. Monopods are an iffy situation. Security at LAX would not let me carry the monopod aboard the flight saying that the pod was a, "weapon-like implement". I asked the security at Anchorage, on the way back, if I could have carried my pod aboard and the answer was "Sure, people carry them aboard all the time". I guess it depends on the location and or the individual security person. I will transport my monopod in the check-on baggage in the future. By the way, my monopod was the Manfrotto 681. This is a great pod, tall and extremely sturdy. However, it is a bit heavy at 1.75 pounds and doesn't collapse very short (26 inches). I have since replaced this pod with a Calumet 8103 which weighs less than a pound and collapses to 20 inches which is easier to pack.
5. I am traveling to China this spring. I will carry less gear since I won't need extra long lenses, have opted not to take my IR converted D60 and will not need the Nikon Cool-Pix since I wont be wading in streams fishing for salmon. I will carry the following equipment:
Two 1.6x cameras (30d and 40D)
12-24mm f/4 Tokina
17-55mm f/2.8 IS
70-200mm f/4L IS
420EX flash
Modified Slik Pro 330 DX tripod (weighs 1-pound 11-ounces as modified)
Calumet 8103 Carbon Fiber Monopod (weighs 15-ounces)
A few filters
Extra camera batteries and charger
Extra rechargeable flash batteries and charger
Extra CF cards - about 24 GIGs worth (enough for a day of shooting)
Two OPTECH rainsleeves
This total weighs a bit more than 10-pounds but, I won't be carrying both the tripod and monopod at the same time. I plan to carry the monopod during the day and the tripod for night shots. Obviously, I won't be carrying battery chargers and my full complement of batteries during the shooting day.
This assortment is considerably lighter and less bulky than my selection of equipment for Alaska. However, my shooting will not be quite as varied as that in Alaska - no wildlife shooting or wading salmon streams with fishing rod and camera in my fishing vest.
I usually carry the 17-55mm on one camera around my neck and the 70-200mm on the other camera in a Tamrac Zoom-19 Holster case at my left hip with a hand strap attached. I carry the extra 12-24mm lens is in my shooting vest.
I plan to use a standard carry-on size rolling suitcase for my equipment. Inside the the suitcase, I will have my Zoom-19 with camera, lens batteries and CF cards and a small Tamrac 603 shoulder case for my camera with the 17-55mm plus accessories. I will have the 12-24mm lens rolled up in my shooting vest.
My wife will carry her small 14" screen notebook computer on which we have photoshop CS-3. I have a small, about the size of a pack of King-size cigarettes, external hard drive with a large capacity.
My workflow will be to download imagery from my CF cards to the hard drive of the notebook computer each evening and copy the images from internal computer hard drive to the external hard drive. I will carry the small external hard drive, while my spouse carries the computer, so that my images will be stored in two different locations.
I do have one accessory which I will be trying for the first time on a trip. An MP-3 player that has voice recording capability. I will use this both for entertainment (books on tape & music) for the long flight there and back as well as using it to record information about what I am shooting. That way, I can dispense with my notebook.
I changed my mind regarding packing individual items within a regular roller suitcase. Instead, I have just purchased, but not received a Lowepro pro Roller Mini Portable Rolling Hard Case
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lowepro-Pro-Roller-Mini-Portable-Rolling-Hard-Case_W0QQitemZ370244512781QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item56344aec0d&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
(Timely thread since I am flying with gear at the end of the month)
Facebook: Friend / Fan || Twitter: @shimamizu || Google Plus
Is there any danger to the files on memory cards as they go through the x-ray machines? I don't want to check them... but I need the files intact.
no worries with the xray security machines...i've never personally had a problem and various forum posts i've read over the years have said the same.
I've never had a problem with flying, been stopped once but they were polite (newark, nj)
So, carry the cards with no worries!
My Photos
Thoughts on photographing a wedding, How to post a picture, AF Microadjustments?, Light Scoop
Equipment List - Check my profile
on that note my laptop is often on sleep mode when it goes through the xray, and my phone is completely on. Never had a problem w/ any electronic I own going through the xray (camera's included)
Facebook: Friend / Fan || Twitter: @shimamizu || Google Plus