Large camera bag as carry-on?

keithinmelbourne

We're heading off to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in a few weeks. I finally bought a Lowepro Vertex 300 to (just) get all the gear in. I should have checked this in the real world first, but has anyone had problems getting a bag this large as carry-on luggage?:scratch

ziggy53

I found this reference:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=8300726&postcount=5

keithinmelbourne

Thanks for the advice. I'll let you know how I went!

rpcrowe

It depends on the airlines...
Often, international flights have more stringent luggage regulations than U.S. domestic flights, especially for carry-on bags.

I carried a Vertex 300 on a flight from LAX to Anchorage and they let me carry it on the plane.

This is basically what my Vertex looked like filled. I carried the 17-40L for the D60 that is set up for full-time infrared photography. I would not carry that again - instead, I would rely on the 12-24mm Tokina on the D60 for infrared shooting. I carried the Nikon Coolpix inside a plastic bag in my fishing vest, I certainly didn't want to take a chance on dunking a DSLR if I fell when wading an Alaskan river while fishing for salmon. I needed the 300mm and 1.4x for wildlife shots. I shot this picture using my 40D and carried that camera to Alaska rather than the 10D shown in the bag.

A problem I did have with the Vertex is that the shoulder and waist straps are extremely large and bulky. When the bag was filled, it could not fit the bag in the box that the airline uses to check the maximum dimensions of carry-on bags. However, they let me carry it on anyway. I wish that the straps were detachable.

Another problem is that the Vertex 300 AW when filled, is one heavy piece of gear. I would not want to lug this thing around a lot of airports and definitely would not want to be carrying it when I am out shooting. I rented a car in Anchorage and only used the 300 AW carrying my gear from the airport to the car trunk and then from the motel/lodge rooms to the trunk of the car and back.

If I were going to take a trip back to Vietnam, I would select a bag that has a set of built-in wheels (like this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ROLLING-CAMERA-BACKPACK-PHOTO-DIGITAL-VIDEO-BACK-PACK_W0QQitemZ270351375816QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ef2329dc8&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 ) and then I would pare my gear down considerably. I would probably take my 30D and 40D, 12-24mm Tokina f/4, 17-55mm f/2.8 IS, and 70-200mm f/4L IS lenses plus a 1.4x TC and a flash.

The two bodies would protect me from missing out on photography if one body fails (one did on my trip to Alaska). The 12-24mm and the 17-55mm are somewhat close in focal lengths and could fill in for each other if one goes down. I trust my 70-200mm f/4L IS not to go down. I fell on an Alaskan slope (where my 40D camera broke) but, the 70-200mm f/4L IS kept on shooting.

I would carry my clothing and personal effects in another small rolling bag. I would select my clothing for its wash and wear capability and would carry only one change of clothing with, perhaps, an extra pair of sports shorts. A short nylon covered steel cable with loops at both ends would allow you to lock the two bags together and make them less likely to be ripped off while you are waiting on line to board a plane or bus. You could also secure your bags to your chair while in a waiting room or a restaurant. However, even with the cable, I would not leave the bags untended.

I would also carry a neat travel tripod such as the one which I modified out of a stock SLIK Pro 330 DS. I switched to the optional short center post to save weight and exchanged the stock head for an Adorama Flashpoint F-1 Magnesium Arca Compatible ball head. The tripod, so modified weighs only one pound eleven ounces and can support either camera with any of the three lenses. I use a RRS L Plate on the camera which has the lens without the tripod ring. This prevents the camera from being tilted over to the side when in portrait position and gives a much more stable support.

One final tip. Vietnam (I am most familiar with the southern end of that nation) is subjected to monsoonal rain storms from May to October. I would purchase an OPTECH Rainsleeve for each camera I am carrying. They are dirt cheap and weigh less than nothing, yet do a good job protecting the camera/lens from the elements. They come in handy even in the dry season to protect the camera/lens from dust. http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=op%2Ftech+rainsleeve&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=3786691037&ref=pd_sl_16aj8bpis6_b

divamum

As I posted in another airline thread, just make sure you check the planes for ALL of your flights, because the puddle-jumpers and non-long-haul-jets sometimes have smaller bag dimensions for their carry-ons. I got caught by this here in the US; fortunately, I only had a laptop with me and that was in a sleeve in my carry on so I whipped it out and kept that with me while the carry-on went into the cargo gateside. I would NOT have been happy letting a gear-packed camera bag into the hold.

I now make sure that I'm packing bags within bags so if I get harassed at the gate I can whip out the valuable stuff as necessary.

Again, just check the requirements for your smallest planes and have contingency plans that you can implement at the gate as necessary.

keithinmelbourne

rpcrowe wrote:

Often, international flights have more stringent luggage regulations than U.S. domestic flights, especially for carry-on bags.

I carried a Vertex 300 on a flight from LAX to Anchorage and they let me carry it on the plane.

This is basically what my Vertex looked like filled. I carried the 17-40L for the D60 that is set up for full-time infrared photography. I would not carry that again - instead, I would rely on the 12-24mm Tokina on the D60 for infrared shooting. I carried the Nikon Coolpix inside a plastic bag in my fishing vest, I certainly didn't want to take a chance on dunking a DSLR if I fell when wading an Alaskan river while fishing for salmon. I needed the 300mm and 1.4x for wildlife shots. I shot this picture using my 40D and carried that camera to Alaska rather than the 10D shown in the bag.

A problem I did have with the Vertex is that the shoulder and waist straps are extremely large and bulky. When the bag was filled, it could not fit the bag in the box that the airline uses to check the maximum dimensions of carry-on bags. However, they let me carry it on anyway. I wish that the straps were detachable.

Another problem is that the Vertex 300 AW when filled, is one heavy piece of gear. I would not want to lug this thing around a lot of airports and definitely would not want to be carrying it when I am out shooting. I rented a car in Anchorage and only used the 300 AW carrying my gear from the airport to the car trunk and then from the motel/lodge rooms to the trunk of the car and back.

If I were going to take a trip back to Vietnam, I would select a bag that has a set of built-in wheels (like this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ROLLING-CAMERA-BACKPACK-PHOTO-DIGITAL-VIDEO-BACK-PACK_W0QQitemZ270351375816QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ef2329dc8&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 ) and then I would pare my gear down considerably. I would probably take my 30D and 40D, 12-24mm Tokina f/4, 17-55mm f/2.8 IS, and 70-200mm f/4L IS lenses plus a 1.4x TC and a flash.

The two bodies would protect me from missing out on photography if one body fails (one did on my trip to Alaska). The 12-24mm and the 17-55mm are somewhat close in focal lengths and could fill in for each other if one goes down. I trust my 70-200mm f/4L IS not to go down. I fell on an Alaskan slope (where my 40D camera broke) but, the 70-200mm f/4L IS kept on shooting.

I would carry my clothing and personal effects in another small rolling bag. I would select my clothing for its wash and wear capability and would carry only one change of clothing with, perhaps, an extra pair of sports shorts. A short nylon covered steel cable with loops at both ends would allow you to lock the two bags together and make them less likely to be ripped off while you are waiting on line to board a plane or bus. You could also secure your bags to your chair while in a waiting room or a restaurant. However, even with the cable, I would not leave the bags untended.

I would also carry a neat travel tripod such as the one which I modified out of a stock SLIK Pro 330 DS. I switched to the optional short center post to save weight and exchanged the stock head for an Adorama Flashpoint F-1 Magnesium Arca Compatible ball head. The tripod, so modified weighs only one pound eleven ounces and can support either camera with any of the three lenses. I use a RRS L Plate on the camera which has the lens without the tripod ring. This prevents the camera from being tilted over to the side when in portrait position and gives a much more stable support.

One final tip. Vietnam (I am most familiar with the southern end of that nation) is subjected to monsoonal rain storms from May to October. I would purchase an OPTECH Rainsleeve for each camera I am carrying. They are dirt cheap and weigh less than nothing, yet do a good job protecting the camera/lens from the elements. They come in handy even in the dry season to protect the camera/lens from dust. http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=op%2Ftech+rainsleeve&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=3786691037&ref=pd_sl_16aj8bpis6_b

Yeah, I'm probably taking too much gear, but I figure I will take most of the basic equipment on board the plane (some will go in a case). When I'm in-country I will take a top-loader or lighten the Vertex each day. I have bought coupled Black Rapid camera straps. They are probably the most comfortable way to carry heavy DSLRs I have yet found.

On my last long trip, I was sorry I didn't pack some stuff, like my tilt-shift lens. This time, I will assess the type of shots I take each day and pack accordingly. As you can guess, we do a lot of street walking and take our time (saunter is the technical description).

Thanks for the heads-up on the weather, I will pack rainsleeves. I also have a pancho that will cover the Vertex bag. I will also take the G10 as a back-up camera or for those timesm, such as when we will be in canoes, etc.

If this all becomes a disaster, I will write a post describing it! Our last trip, 10 weeks through Syria, Jordan, Israel, Morocco, Spain and the UK went reasonably well. I'm probably pushing the equipment envelope a little more this time. I hope not.

Thanks for taking the time to reply

keithinmelbourne

divamum wrote:

As I posted in another airline thread, just make sure you check the planes for ALL of your flights, because the puddle-jumpers and non-long-haul-jets sometimes have smaller bag dimensions for their carry-ons. I got caught by this here in the US; fortunately, I only had a laptop with me and that was in a sleeve in my carry on so I whipped it out and kept that with me while the carry-on went into the cargo gateside. I would NOT have been happy letting a gear-packed camera bag into the hold.

I now make sure that I'm packing bags within bags so if I get harassed at the gate I can whip out the valuable stuff as necessary.

Again, just check the requirements for your smallest planes and have contingency plans that you can implement at the gate as necessary.

Thanks for the reminder, I will check with the airline.