DSLR Carry-on?

I'm interested to know what everyone is using to carry their DSLRs and housings on the plane in.

It's clear to me that my old pelican case was a bad idea. It just barely fits inside a standard carry-on with little room to spare and my DS125 and Canon Digital Elf and housing parely fit inside. It's quite heavy too. I know with a new DSLR with strobes, ports and lenses I'll need a lot more space.

I was thinking about the LowePro photo Treckker AW II. It seems to have enough space and I like the added weatherproofness. Travelling with kids I really like the backpack style--it keeps my arms free to grab tiny hands and strollers. Anyone know if an Ikelite DSLR housing like the D100 or Rebel housing will fit inside? I figure the D70 housing will be about the same. How do you like the bag?

How do you carry your reg? In the attached backpack?

Thanks

I have the Photo Trekker AW I, it can take quite a lot of equipment. Regs I don't even bother carrying-on. They go inside a Rubbermaid Action Packer with all my other dive gear. My housing (Subal) with ports and 2 S&S YS120s go inside a Pelican 1520 then this goes inside a soft sided suitcase with my clothes. Inside the Lowepro, I get a 10D, 550ex, 5 lenses, chargers, Memory cards,Image Tank,palm pilot to fit comfortably. However on a recent trip where I didn't have as much luggage room, my housing, 2 strobes, 10D, 550ex and 3 lenses fit with no problem. I carry a small laptop inside a Case Logic neoprene laptop bag that's slightly bigger than a hard cover book.

Stu

This past week I packed my S&S housing for D60, ports, strobes, chargers, etc, in a wheeled cooler from Coleman and checked it. I created some quick release straps to keep the lid closed, and it worked like a charm. Also great as a seat in some of the check-in lines. I then took all my photo gear (D60, Elan 7e, 5 or so lenses, CF cards, etc) as well as my laptop, bose headphones, and some other random crap as a carryon in a Tamrac 613 shoulder bag. The 613 is barely carryon legal, but with only one carryon, I got no arguments.

Regs I used to carryon, but I just can't be bothered anymore, at least when I'm going somewhere I'm sure I can get semi-decent rental gear if they get lost. Going to Truk, I'd carry at least one on, as well as any computers.

hi

i always travel from france to egypt with a delsey cabin luggage in which i put everything inside except the ULCS .

i recently went to the maldives with Srilankan (which is a little bit stricter than the egyptian airlines :wink: ) and everything was in my North pole Rucksac, well protected with foam , smaller and more discret than the cabin luggage.

just be careful of protecting everything

Don t spend your money in Pelican luggages, travel with it !

sorry for my bad english :roll:

I use an S2/Aquatica housing with several strobes. My packing is like this:

CASE 1 (checked) 62 pounds. Pelican 1620 wheeled case, contains housing, ports, strobes, tools, battery chargers etc. Also a Nikonos V setup as backup. (Tip: Discard the eggcrate foam in the Pelican lid and use a wetsuit instead.)

CASE 2 (checked) 64 pounds. A semi hard sided Samsonite rollon which contains all my scuba gear including regulator and all my clothes.

CASE 3 (carryon) 25 pounds. An anonymous looking backpack which is fitted inside with camera bag dividers. Contains S2 body, lenses, blank CD's, washkit and travel documents. Also my laptop, which is in a padded sleeve so it can be taken out and carried separately if required.

This configuration has been accepted without question on all US (International destinations) and Carribean/South American Airlines I have travelled on. The other key is insurance. DAN Equipment Insurance covers all my photo and dive gear regardless of how it is packed or who has control of it (me or the airline).

I have taken a different approache to this issue. I use a 1650 pelican case and remove the foam. I pack all of my camera gear, regs, lights, stobes, computers, etc, wrapped in clothes, drysuit underwear etc in the Pelican and I check it. This leaves my carry on very light with just my dive computer and a few personal items, reading material, & laptop if I am bringing one. Since some of the remote locations I go to are very critical of wgt. I have witnessed them pull carry ons they deem too heavy and have them checked. This may leave your camera without sufficent protection in the cargo hold. Dozens of trips over 10's of thousands of miles and not one damaged item. I do have insurance too.

We have a bigger problem, one big box with both SLR and Video housings, with lights, batteries, chargers, etc. We use the 1650 checked in not carry on and then use two dive bags for all dive gear and clothes. Carry on is a laptop and camera bodies in an old Northface backpack.

BVA

I was thinking about the LowePro photo Treckker AW II

I have a Photo Trekker AW that I would sell. I loved it but decided to go with all wheels recently.

Does it fit the Ikelite s2pro housing, camera, strobes and such? I'd imagine that the s2 pro housing is roughly the same size as the d70 will be.

How Much?

oops

The Ikelite S2pro housing is a bit bigger than the new Ikelite D70 will be - as the housing for the D70 will use Ikelite's new form fitting house.

In any case, it's not really possible to carry on a complete SLR setup - most carry on the camera and lenses and check the housing and ports.

Cheers

James

Some good options here.

For 2 people, 10 days of 3 dives/day we are trying:

1 Pelican 1620 for housing, strobes, laptop, chargers, lenses, regs, accessories.

In carry-on dive computers, D100 w/one lens, mandatory playing cards and travel cribbage game.

Roller Acona (SP?) dive bag for BC's, fins, etc...

One medium Travell Pro for clothing.

Like the idea of less foam and wrapping in cloathing.

I may be over cautious, but I wouldn't check a laptop, much like I don't check lenses or camera bodies if I can help it. I'd check the dive computers and carry the laptop if I had to choose.

Just my $0.02

I seem to remember someone on the forum awhile back getting burned when they checked their laptop in and it got stolen.

Having things taken out of bags is now a concern given we can't lock bags anymore. Fortunately it is an ooold laptop that was just gathering dust. It's covered under the homeowner's policy so worst case scenerio it's stolen and oh nooo I have to buy one of new 20-40gig pic storage units.

They actually changed the rules, there are specific TSA approved locks that they have master keys for that you can use as of Nov 2003. Someone somewhere mentioned that they are available from Brookstone.

Went to Brookstone and for $20 picked up two of the "Approved" locks. The sales person mentioned that not all airports know about the new rule so if the locks are cut off note the airport, date, etc... and Brookstone will replace them at no cost.

Let us know how it worked out, I'd like to stop killing zip-tie plants on every trip...

I have a Subal housing for Nikon D100, large wide angle dome port, flat port, 1 DS-125 strobe, a Subal Housing for Nikon SB180DX flash, uttralite arms, cords, extra o-rings, owners manuals, etc. With strategic configurations of packing, I am able to fit ALL of this into a large rolling backpack. The backpack will fit into the overhead compartments of commercial jets (so far). It is real heavy, but I feel secure knowing I have all my photo equipment. My rolling backpack is a Tamrac (I don't know the model number, but looking at the web site it seems to be something like model 678). The bag is about the size of typcial rolling bag that most people seem to use when traveling. By the way, I have never worn the thing on my back...I just roll it everywhere.

I also carry a smaller Lowepro backpack which has my cameras, lenses, etc. The laptop goes into my wife or kids rolling carry on. The last few trips I checked my 80-200 lens in the middle of my clothes. That thing is so heavy!

Oh, I also have a video camera and housing. I have been checking this in a pelican case.

My wife and two kids (ages 12 and 14) do 2 to 4 dive trips a year. With 4 people's dive equipment and my photo / video equipment we have a LOT of luggage!