Help finding an airline travel case

kgarrett11

I am planning a trip to Africa this summer. The Tamrac backpack that I currently have won't meet airline standards. I will be taking two bodies, an 18-200 VR and 80-400 VR lens, a flash, a laptop and all of the other little things that are a must. I was looking at the "Airport International" by ThinkTank Photo. Can anyone make any other suggestions?

Zanotti

Pelican Cases
Pretty much the strongest possible:

http://pelican.com/

Great size:

http://pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1550


There are lots of resellers and discounters, shop around....

Z

ian408

Take a look at Think Tank photo's
carry on baggage.

gus

What are the 'world official' carry on dimentions ?

or do they differ ?

Art Scott

LowePro Has some great carry backpacks.....should give them a look.

ian408

gus wrote:

What are the 'world official' carry on dimentions ?

or do they differ ?

The Think Tank Airport International is 8x14x21 and they say it fits most
carry-on requirements.

I will say this though. Just because carry-on is allowed does not mean you
will be allowed to carry something onto a plane. Why's that you ask? Thank
the folks boarding ahead of you and their penchant for taking too much crap.
I've gotten onto crowded plane where passengers were told they had to
check their roll-on cases.

wxwax

Minimal carry-on for smaller, commuter planes, as well.

W.W. Webster

kgarrett11 wrote:

The Tamrac backpack that I currently have won't meet airline standards.

What 'standards' are you referring to? Which airline(s) are you flying with?

gus wrote:

What are the 'world official' carry on dimentions ? or do they differ ?

There is no such thing as an internationally-agreed carry-on baggage standard. Each airline sets its own.

Claims by baggage manufacturers that their products meet 'international carry-on requirements' are entirely spurious. Remember, they want to sell bags and won't be standing alongside you at check-in to ensure the airline will accept their product as being within limits.

My experience of all the American carriers I've travelled with (seven, that I can think of off hand), particularly travelling domestically within the US but also internationally, is that their travellers expect and are permitted to carry on as much as they like. Sometimes they can hardly fit the stuff down the aisle, protest vociferously if there isn't enough locker space or sufficiently large lockers to contain it, and demand that the cabin crew find space for it!

I've concluded those airlines accept that people are unwilling to subject themselves to the prospect of a long wait to collect checked-in baggage, or its potential loss or damage, and that they turn a blind eye to breaches of their own carry-on rules as they don't want to risk a fuss at the gate or losing a customer to their competitors. Have I got it about right?

Where does this leave the photographer wanting to be absolutely sure his valuable gear can travel adjacent to him/her and not in the hold? Unfortunately, if you want to be absolutely certain, the only option is to:

> obtain the acceptable maximum carry-on baggage dimensions (and weight) for the carriers you will travel with and carry the specification with you as evidence (check-in staff are not airline employees in many locations)
> ensure your hand luggage complies with the published requirements (limiting the weight of the contents, including packing some items in your checked-in baggage as necessary), and
> cringe as some oaf tries to cram his entire household possessions on top of your gear in the locker.

wxwax

W.W. Webster wrote:

My experience of all the American carriers I've travelled with (seven, that I can think of off hand), particularly travelling domestically within the US but also internationally, is that their travellers expect and are permitted to carry on as much as they like. Sometimes they can hardly fit the stuff down the aisle, protest vociferously if there isn't enough locker space or sufficiently large lockers to contain it, and demand that the cabin crew find space for it!

I've concluded those airlines accept that people are unwilling to subject themselves to the prospect of a long wait to collect checked-in baggage, or its potential loss or damage, and that they turn a blind eye to breaches of their own carry-on rules as they don't want to risk a fuss at the gate or losing a customer to their competitors. Have I got it about right?

Not entirely.

I've been challenged. And i've seen others challenged.

From what I've seen in the US, your carry-on has to pass the "eyeball" and common sense tests. Most carriers have a metal frame at the gate, ready to see if your bag will fit inside.

W.W. Webster

wxwax wrote:

Most carriers have a metal frame at the gate, ready to see if your bag will fit inside.

That's part of the charade! Have you ever seen it used?

wxwax

W.W. Webster wrote:

That's part of the charade! Have you ever seen it used?

Yes.

I lost. :cry

That's why we don't see garment bags, anymore. They used to be all the rage.

Charlie Brown

wxwax wrote:

Yes.

I lost. :cry

That's why we don't see garment bags, anymore. They used to be all the rage.

i have a tri-fold garment bad and it fits. but now that i have a laptop and otehr stuff worth actually protecting, im thining about getting a pleican case to protect them with when the need arises.

and non i still dont have a job

gus

I have always carried my crumpler 'Brians Hot-tub' (same size as the Karachi Outpost) as carry one even though i doubt it would pass the frame at the door test.

Loaded it is way over weight thus i put on a bit of a show as i walk on to make out that its really light & then drop some pain killers for my lower back once on board.

wxwax

Charlie Brown wrote:

i have a tri-fold garment bad and it fits. but now that i have a laptop and otehr stuff worth actually protecting, im thining about getting a pleican case to protect them with when the need arises.

and non i still dont have a job

As Gus suggests, a nice backpack with a laptop protector is the bee's knees.

Charlie Brown

wxwax wrote:

As Gus suggests, a nice backpack with a laptop protector is the bee's knees.

that isnt going to help me spend money i dont have though is it?

wxwax

gus wrote:

I have always carried my crumpler 'Brians Hot-tub' (same size as the Karachi Outpost) as carry one even though i doubt it would pass the frame at the door test.

Loaded it is way over weight thus i put on a bit of a show as i walk on to make out that its really light & then drop some pain killers for my lower back once on board.

I've make it with the Karachi. I usually carry a jacket or some such on the same arm, to disguise it a bit. It may be too large, but I reckon it passes the eyeball test. it looks plausible.

Patch29 has made it with the very largest Tenba backpack, which carries a huge amount of gear. I reckon it helps that it's black.

gus

wxwax wrote:

I've make it with the Karachi.

Problem is.....what if they stop you ? Way too late to put it in with the stuff the gorillas throw into the hold.

Not a lot they can do with you at the gate really is there ? You can always ask very nicely if the hosties can put it in one of their cupboards. Ive seen them do this with big stuff before.

wxwax

gus wrote:

Problem is.....what if they stop you ? Way too late to put it in with the stuff the gorillas throw into the hold.

Not a lot they can do with you at the gate really is there ? You can always ask very nicely if the hosties can put it in one of their cupboards. Ive seen them do this with big stuff before.

I know. That's why I disguise it, and carry it on the side away from the boarding pass checker.

ian408

I got "the look" once getting on to a Southwest flight. The pilot or first
officer gave "the nod" to the flight attendant and I was allowed to carry
my Lowe backpack onto what was billed as a full flight. I was lucky.

I learned from that mistake. If you're flying with stuff you want on the plane,
get there early or risk having to put it in the hold.

gus

wxwax wrote:

I know. That's why I disguise it, and carry it on the side away from the boarding pass checker.

Thats exactly what i do also.

After all...airlines wouldnt be awake to any passenger tricks right ?

Charlie Brown

gus wrote:

Thats exactly what i do also.

After all...airlines wouldnt be awake to any passenger tricks right ?

small acountant looking guys like you never cause problems gus, you ought to know that. its the big, balg, goofy ockers that seem to be the problem.


hows tricks?

gus

Charlie Brown wrote:

small acountant looking guys like you never cause problems gus, you ought to know that. its the big, balg, goofy ockers that seem to be the problem.


hows tricks?

Hey at least i always get the emegency exit thus also often getting the left overs of biz class food service.

Im bloody fantastic mate...tks for asking.

wxwax

gus wrote:

Thats exactly what i do also.

After all...airlines wouldnt be awake to any passenger tricks right ?

No, no way. We're much smarter than them at their own game.

cabinetbuff

have you tried KATA?

kgarrett11 wrote:

I am planning a trip to Africa this summer. The Tamrac backpack that I currently have won't meet airline standards. I will be taking two bodies, an 18-200 VR and 80-400 VR lens, a flash, a laptop and all of the other little things that are a must. I was looking at the "Airport International" by ThinkTank Photo. Can anyone make any other suggestions?

Have you checked KATA R-103 Rucksack?

I have Canon so it's hard for me to relate to the size of the Nikon lenses they always seem narrower to me on the pictures. I manage to fit the following into KATA R-103 (refer to the link for pictures and description):

http://photo.researchjunky.com/tp/1353.photo_backpack_research.html

The thing I like about KATA R-103 is that it's really low profile and will even fit under the seat in front of you in case the overhead bin is already full or if you need to have access to your gear in flight.

kgarrett11

Thanks everyone for your input. It took me a while to get back. My PC crashed (better the PC than the plane). There is one at ThinkTank that I might get. I thought that there was a standard for international flights but guess that was just hopeful thinking. Do you think that they will be suspicious if I carry a long overcoat over my arm to cover the bag, in July going to Africa?