Traveling with your (large) housings

Hi all, lately ive gotten a bit annoyed at the time it takes to assemble/disassemble my d2x/subal housings before and after a trip. To be able to take it in the suitcases I have, I have to strip the thing totally apart, including handles, any arms, backplate seperate, etc. This takes upto an hour for 2 housings, and is prone to error in the hectic environment of a liveaboard.

So ive been thinking about buying a case that can take 2 housings assembled + arms (not necessarily attached) + 4 strobes + 2 dome ports + 2 macro ports (all not attached, except maybe with sync cords already attached). Yes, my current samsonite handles all this currently, but in a more disassembled state. Ive seen people use coolers, and ive seen some other cases (I dont want any heavy UW photo cases), but im more generally wondering, are people traveling with their housings already assembled or is everyone taking theirs apart for travel? The cameras will go in hand luggage btw, but our housings go in checked.

Cor

i disassemble it and carry it on in my Lowepro photo treker

For several years I checked my housing in a pelican case. I never took off handles, strobe arm plates etc. Never had a problem. Sometimes it would travel with a port attached (but you need to take the rear o-ring out if you do). I wouldn't leave synch cables in as they would be prone to damage (the cable and the synch port) IMHO.

After having had a couple of friends arrive without their luggage, and also having baggage weight become an issue, I carry-on my housings, so they have to be stripped to fit in cabin baggage. I agree its a PITA.

The two housings and strobes travel in a semi-rigid Antler roller cabin bag. This bag was just had a month of hard use and stood up really well - also its streamlined so it looks smaller . I would have gone the rigid bag if I could have found one here. Cameras, lenses, domeport and laptop in a Lowepro computrekker.

Putting it together and making the first dive is often impossible though

cheers

Leander

I usually use tray-mounted ULCS handles instead of the side-mounted handles on my Subal D2 housing, but always disassemble before travelling. Without handles, the housing, big dome port and the 105 MF port all fit into a Pelican case that is just legal to hand-carry on a plane.

Cameras (two bodies), lenses, laptop etc. fill up a large Lowepro Trekker backpack. When I can get away with it (out here in Asia, most of the time), the backpack and the Pelican both ride on the plane with me. If I have to check one, I check the Pelican.

Frogfish

For my PNG trip I bought a LowePro Pro Roller 3. It looks like a regular suitcase (ie doesn't say "steal me" on it ) but it's quite rugged. I got my Subal ND20 housing, 2x YS-350 strobes, Dome + Macro ports, Lots of batteries and various chargers, my HID dive torch, etc. there and back safely without having to remove the handles or anything else requiring tools. Not sure how I would fit 2 housings and 4 strobes in it though.

Pro Roller 3

Clinton

I will have to hand carry my Phenom video housing on my next trip with camera inside.. hehe.. hopefully will get away with it.

I will have to hand carry my Phenom video housing on my next trip with camera inside.. hehe.. hopefully will get away with it.

on Malaysian Airlines we saw one guy carrying a video housing (complete with camera, arms, handles, and lights) "handbag style"

I always carry my housing and strobes with me on a cabin handbag. I don't risk my trip, in case of any loss or damage.

I also rememeber one friend telling that his equipment in a pelicase was stolen. Because everybody knows what a pelicase is!!

i disassemble it and carry it on in my Lowepro photo treker

I do the same but no ports or strobes just housing, cameras and lenses.

Cheers

Todd

I leave a set of dive gear & housings/ ports / strobes on the boat and just commute with my cameras and lenses.

Makes travelling almost a pleasure.

Hi Cor,

My typical travel setup is to put the housings ports and strobes into checked luggage. It's a pain - and you have to disassemble everything. On short trips where I don't have to fly multiple legs, I put together the housing, port, and viewfinder and carry it as one unit as my "personal item." The security and flight attendant folks usually know what it is and don't mind.

Unless you carry on EVERYTHING you're going to need to do a photo dive, there's really no point. For example, carrying on your camera and housing but packing your ports doesn't help :-)

Cheers

James

I would be nervous about checking everything. I use a f.64 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/9169...ack_Black_.html backpack which will fit either a complete Macro or WA set up but have to pick, including laptop. Weights a ton but no one has called me on it yet. All other ports lenses, extras go in the Stormcase roller which get checked. I just come to terms with being Anti Social at the start of a trip as I hold up in our cabin getting everything put back

Unless you carry on EVERYTHING you're going to need to do a photo dive, there's really no point. For example, carrying on your camera and housing but packing your ports doesn't help :-)

 

Cheers

James

I only do this due to space. I also figure the housing is worth more than the ports so I carry it for security. I'm leary about checking a few lenses and carrying on a complete set-up. That said I am sure if my luggage was delayed one of these times I may start to rethink the process.

Cheers

Todd

I carry all camera gear with me in a lowe pro trekker a la Mike Vietch plus a doskocil carry-on case. My rationale is that if the checked dive gear gets stolen, I can borrow the stuff. I don't want to risk an assignment by not having the camera gear.

What works for me really well is that I clean everything before traveling and put cords, ports, etc. in individual, brand new, very large (the largest available) zip-loc plastic bags. This way, on location, I just assemble the camera housing in 10 minutes or so. Since everything is clean, putting it together is easy. The importance of new zip-loc bags is that they're clean and sterile. You don't have to worry about anything contaminating the orings.

Regards

Michael

www.mpostock.com

Unless you carry on EVERYTHING you're going to need to do a photo dive, there's really no point. For example, carrying on your camera and housing but packing your ports doesn't help :-)

 

Cheers

James

I can't quite fit everything into my hand-carry luggage. I hedge and pack the strobes in my checked luggage, and carry on housing, ports, and camera. I figure worst case, I can rent or buy new strobes easier than a new system, or really worst case, hope for lots of ambient light .

I'm another in favour of hand carrying a basic setup so that if your checked luggage doesn't arrive you can at least having a working setup.

I have to choose between WA or macro as there is only room for one. But I can fit two strobes, cords, housing, 1 port, camera, lenses and chargers for camera and strobes as well as my laptop in one bag. It does weigh around 16kg though. I also only carry-on a bare minimum of arms to allow me to get by.

I also put the individual pieces in new ziploc bags to keep everything clean and always find that I can assemble everything in around 30 minutes at the start of the trip.

Its rare to dive on the day of arrival I find so usually you have plenty of time to set everything up even if it means you have to be a bit anti-social for awhile.

Housing, ports, strobes and arms all go in a rolling carryon type bag. Actual camera, lens, assorted accessories and computer in a backpack. Everything is completely disassembled and put together at my destination. And if I'm lucky enough to get to switch islands I get to do it more than once!

I don't know how I would manage with two complete setups - buy a seperate plane ticket just for the equipment.

I would pack my Subal with handles on. I could get everything in one roller carry-on. The Ikelite goes in a Samsonite suit case with tray/handles attached. The Aquatica that replaced the Subal gets the handles removed for travel.

I find it stressful when I arrive at a destination and begin the assembly of two rigs. I'm usually in the mood for a nap, not remembering how things go together. Now that I have the TTL converter and INON strobes it is even worse. I can lose parts in 60 seconds.

Do airlines let you carrying rolling carryon bag plus a backpack to the plane?

For sure it’s heavier then aloud.

Do airlines let you carrying rolling carryon bag plus a backpack to the plane?

For sure it’s heavier then aloud.

Not had a problem yet ...

My camera bag is smaller than the carry-on. Its also a laptop bag, so if it was contended I would take out a cameras and squeeze (oh that sounds wrong) lenses in the carry-on, pockets, anywhere - to get past checkin! Just leaving laptop and HDDs in the laptop bag which is allowed.

I was wondering if a dome port would make a nice hat

I carry enough to be able to take photos when outbound. I check more (like arms, sync cords and such) coming back B)