Strobes or Housing-Which one to risk?

[JohnD]

I am interested in hearing thoughts on this...I suppose this is really more of a "thought exercise"

 

Over the years I have developed different strategies for getting gear safely to a dive location.  It varies, depending on the airlines and specific aircraft involved.  When possible, I like to take as much of the most fragile and/or most expensive stuff with me in the cabin, but sometimes I just have to check most things, other than the camera and lenses, in a suitable checked luggage case.  With several airlines imposing a 7kg carry-on weight limit, and the weight of most bags alone being a couple kg or more, checking stuff has become more common.

 

Anyway, the question I have is this...if forced to check either Retra strobes or a Nauticam housing in a hard-sided rolling case, which would you choose to check?  The housing is more expensive, but I suspect the strobes might be more fragile, maybe?   Gear insurance would ultimately cover at least some of the loss but the loss or destruction of either of these would prevent dive photography on that trip, so neither one is more "important" to have. 

 

 

[Chris Ross]

You need to read the fine print of your insurance - a lot of them state items are not covered if checked, unless the airline forces you to check the items. 

 

I'm not sure where you are flying to but in the US, domestically while there may be limits they seem to be ignored and it's a race to get on first and get locker space.  Seems the same for a great many airlines flying out of the US though budget airlines will enforce it so they can charge you check things. 

 

I would think it's toss up which to check - I would base it on weight and value and what I could get away with packing in the carry on.  Ultimately the solution I think is to base your ticket purchase on carry on policy and book far enough ahead to get a good fare.

[humu9679]

Ugh, the tradeoffs! I try carrying the bare minimum in the cabin to make photos if my checked baggage disappears. On my most recent trip, that meant a camera, housing and one strobe. Luckily, I've never lost anything while traveling. Knock wood.

 

Craig

[Dave_Hicks]

Check it all. Carry on the batteries and camera body & lenses.

[Architeuthis]

I carry strobes with me in cabin lugagge, but Nauticam housing (in the travel bag) is checked-in in hardshell suitcase...

 

Cabin lugagge, in my case, consists of Fotorucksack (approx. 10kg) plus Fotobag (approx. 4 kg). Just camera, lenses, flashes, Li+-batteries, dive computers, compass and travel documents. In addition, I wear a big "outdoor vest" with many pockets, just in case I would have to remove items from the Fotorucksack (never required, so far)...

[Kraken de Mabini]

  The strobes and housing i wrap in my wet suit and clothes, and pack them in my two hard shell suitcases. The camera and lenses I wrap in some clothes in my camera bag. The suitcases I check as luggage and the camera bag i carry with me.

  I have travelled like this for over 20 years with no problem.  

Edited 6 hours ago by Kraken de Mabini