Camera Housings in hand luggage

I was wondering how to take my camera with me to Egypt next month. I have just upgraded to a DSLR which weighs around 6kg, not to mention regulators, laptop etc etc. Having seen how luggage handlers treat the hold items, I do not want to put any of it in the hold, with the exception of strobe arms.

However the bag is still over the weight limit allowed (5kg) and I'm sure that a lot of you will have had to deal with this in the past and so I am interested to find out the best way around it. The airlines rules are 5kg in 1 bag.

I was planning on taking my camera out and putting it in a pocket, but it still means the housing would have to be weighed!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

There are many threads on packing issues. Do a quick search and you'll see plenty of ideas.

My solution when I flying international from US: I have a fairly sturdy carry-on size roller bag which I pack inside a conventional roller duffle bag with a hard floor. I pack virtually everything photo-wise except lens and bodies into the carry-on with many t-shirts as padding. Once it's inside of my duffel, I pad around the carry-on with wet suits, etc. Never had a damage problem. And from the outside it looks like any other bag unlike a pelican, etc. which tend to attract unwanted attention from airport folks looking for a quick theft. All my dive gear, clothes, tool, etc.. go in a second rolling duffle at about 23 kg.

When I'm traveling on US airlines which don't care how much your carry-ons weigh, I back most of my photo gear in a pelican and carry it on. It weighs about 20 kg full, but it's never been weighted. My lens, bodies, etc. go into a backpack that weighs about 15 kg full.

Even on foreign airlines, I've never had or seen a carry-on bag weighed. But I know it happens sometimes.

How I pack depends on the airline and feedback from the good folks on WP.

I had the same issue with Singapore Airline flying from US to Asia. They have 6kg weight limit on carry on, and allow one "personal" item. I put my laptop and regulator and camera+batteries (point and shoot) in my laptop back pack that ended up would fit under the plane seat. For the housing, strobe, video lights, clam, arms etc, I put into a 16" tool box like this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Keter-19-in-Plastic-Tool-Box-with-Metal-Latches-and-Removable-Tool-Tray-17331512/202021300 and put that tool box in a duffel bag. The tool box provide strong structure so if people cramp and push to close the overhead cabin, it won't damage my delicate diving stuffs. Worse case if they have to gate check the carry on, it will still provide protection. I normally take the risk this way as not many airline weight your carry on during boarding, they only look at the size and if it's too big, they will force you to check in. During boarding time, they normally are in a hurry so they don't have time to weight every single carry on, so keep your carry on look as small as possible. Singapore Airline is the only airline I know that send their ground crew to walk around the boarding area and random weight check the carry on.

Who are you flying to Egypt with?

For future reference if flying there again, either fly with easy jet as they don't have a weight limit for hand luggage. Or fly via Cairo with Egypt air as they offer great hold luggage weights. Flying through Cairo isn't that bad. Even with a 3 hour stop over, you get to Sharm before most UK flights even take off. Generally Egypt air flights are late at night, getting you to the Red Sea early morning. Most UK charters or schedules leave mid morning, so you get to the Red Sea early evening. I am in and out of Egypt a few times a year and will only fly with these two

I wear a photo vest in addition to my hand carry(sometimes 2). I carry my lenses,camera body and whatever else I can fit into it. You'll look goofy, and it will weigh quit a bit, but it wont count against your hand carry weight. Take it off and store it once you get on the plane.

I have been a couple of times and my hand luggage has not been weighed, they only seem to be worried about checked luggage.

Singapore Air weighed my carry-on at LAX and it was well past the 7kg limit a few months ago so we had to buy a laptop bag to cross-load some stuff. End result same stuff was carried on, but took up even more space in the bins.

On the flights back it wasn't weighed, but I had my housing and strobes in checked bags -- I was a bit nervous about that, but it all made it home fine.