[mdb2]

HI all, being new to birding and photography, please could you give me any tips regarding equipment, ie camera bags tripods etc when flying. I have a fair bit of gear to get on the flight. What do you take? I hope to do a couple of days photographing birds, and landscapes. thanks mike

[Keith Dickinson]

Hi mdb2, might be better to post this in the photography forum, more people will see it there.
I pack the second best tripod in hold luggage, and carry scope and bins as hand luggage in a rucksack. Eyepieces in pockets of waistcoat along with charger units and power leads for various electronic stuff. So far not had any bother with customs etc.
I don't take the best tripod as I don't want to loose it if the suitcase goes missing.

[mdb2]

Thanks keith, thats an indication, I was worried about the weight of the rucksack, with a dslr and a 500mm + 17-85 etc etc. mike

[jc122463]

I always send my tripod through but take my bins, scope, camera, etc. as carry-on. Occasionally security gets a bit confused as to how the bins look on x-ray, but I've never had any problem. My carry-on is always way over the weight restrictions, but I simply tell them it's all expensive equipment and I don't trust them not to loose it if it's sent through; so far they've always agreed and allowed me to take it.

Cheers,
Benji

[mdb2]

thanks Benji, I have a rucksac and would like to take my 500mm lens as well as a couple of others, surprising how much the lot weighs. regards mike

[lmans66]

I am looking at taking my scope and my camera/lens on my next trip. I hate checking bags and those would never go in a checked bag but I suppose the tripod would.....either that or have a tripod on both coasts of the states, West and East coast~....save myself the hassle of checking bags.

[Steve Arlow]

Some Airlines have different restrictions. for instance BA has a hand luggage limit of 'if you can lift it into the overhead locker' approach to weight. As long as it fits the set diametres for the luggage, then you can put vertually all your kit in it.

I flew to California on BA recently and had my 1D MkIII, Canon 500mm prime, 100-400mm, bins, extenders, CF cards, chargers and a field guide all in the the Lowpro and it weighed nearly 18kg and in addition I had a laptop bag with laptop, siteguides and whole bunch of other stuff. Vigin for the same destination only had a carry of just 7kg.

Most airlines have a limit however of around 7kg for international flights which really does reduce what you can take on as carry on.

The best advice is where ever you go is to check carefully the airlines baggage allowances but in most cases you shouldn't have a problem with a camera and 500mm lens and a pair bins packed, the rest may have to go as checked luggage and pray it arrives at the other end at the same time you do.

[Keith Dickinson]

If there is a weight restriction on your hand luggage, then get a photographers waistcoat, put as much as you can in the pockets. I've never had any bother with my waistcoat at check-in, it just goes in the silly plastic tray and through the x ray machine. Once on the plane it's an easy job to transfer things back to the rucksack.

[mdb2]

nice one keith, mike

[tony.saw]

Hi
New Zealand airlines seem keener than most on hand luggage. We had ours weighed at check in and had to take out camera, lens laptop etc to get it under wieght. We then left the check in counter and packed it all back in whilst in sight of the counter! This was then repeated once we passed into the secure area. It seemed a complete waste of time. In general, it appears that the best bet is to have a bag that does not look over size and to pick it up as if there was nothing in it - easier said than done!
Tony