travel case suggestions

Hi, my name is Joel and I'm an addict.

I've been lurking around the boards for some time picking up on tips and reaping the benefits of your experiences. First off, thank you all.

After quickly upgrading through several point-and-shoot underwater digitals I've found myself with and Oly 5060, Ike housing and Ike 125 strobe, man controller, along with all the chargers, cables, lubricants, papers, guides, and several kitchen sinks that are all associated with the rig.

I'm a few weeks away from my first ocean dives with the new rig, and haven't found a satisfactory way to pack everything that I'll need to take. Ike's website suggests a Pelican 1600 case, Pelican tells me that I'd be pressed to find an airline that would allow me to carry a case that sized onto an airplane.

What's the norm? Housing, arm, strobe, camera in a case (like a Pelican 1520) and then the chargers, cables in the checked luggage?

Thanks for your thoughts,

Joel

Why not pack it all in your carry-on luggage????

Joel, I use a standard 22 in pull-behind-me bag to carry my gear in. It sure does save my sholder. I just got back from Bahamas with an Ike SLR housing and SS-150, and Ike digital housing with DS-50 in it. Sure the TSA will open it and look around, but the only problem I had was one TSA inspector (outta 4) didn't like my tool box! It was a small clear Otter box with little wrench and a scuba-tool in it, but the idiot said NO tools were allowed (that's not was the sign says!) So the airline shipped it separately as hold baggage,

I recommend much thinkc dense foam as padding. See if you can find a bag with external braces (the poles for the handle really eat space and provide something else to bump on gear).

The only other thing is that it doesn't fit in some overheads and some airlines demand it be placed in the hold at boarding gate. But at least it was in my possession or close the hold trip.

If you do it right you can get a regulator set in too.

There has just been a long discussion on this in the dSLR forum. Take a look. The long and short is the Lowepro packs tend to be the most popular for carryon. I use a dryzone 200 by Lowepro for a housed system. The 100 size may be what you are looking for. You are alowed in there, eh.

I use a Pelican 1500 case. It started out life for my Nik 5, film, strobes, extension tubes, lenses, etc, etc, etc,. Now it takes 2 Olys, 2 PT housings, Nik 105 strobe, TLC and ULC arms, Smartdisk storage unit, batteries, charger, etc, etc, etc.

I have noticed that by the end of a trip one arm is longer than the other, but seriously it has been a greta case for the last 15 years on many o/seas trips, on dive boats and kicking about in the boot of my car on the way to dive sites.

PS

I carry it on.

(packed before Mexico trip)

WA lens in the center, macro lens in the "Mambo" neoprene case, white Olympus charger at the left, Ikelite battery charger and Sony AA charger top middle, bottom middle extra Ikelite battery, bluish/purple memory card reader, manual controller, sync cord, strobe arms, camera goes under macro lens, plenty of extra room...

I fit everything you have and more into my Lowepro Photo Trekker AW II...chargers don't need to be packed in luggage - just fit them in

Now when I get a second DS-125...that's when packing really starts getting interesting...

~Matt Segal

Thanks a ton everyone, looks like I'm off to track down Lowepro dealer =P

Joel D.