Pelican 1610 or Lowepro backpack or duffle bag with towel??

Okay, I've got the gear (Ikelite housing, 20D, 125 Strobe, Nik V, 15mm, and 35mm lens + 17-40mm, 50mm macro, and 70-200 f/4). Now what do I carry it in? I've got to carry all my personal items in a duffle or backpack and would like to fit everything else in one case or bag. I already own a Pelican 1510. Should I use it to carry on my camera and lenses and just check the housing and strobe in my soft luggage wrapped in clothing? I could go for a bigger Pelican (1610 or 1620) or a photographer backpack. I'm trying to limit myself to one check bag because my son has three bags (going to live in New Zealand for a year and just has to have his snowboard). Any help would be appreciated. I'm leaving late Friday!! Thanks.

Jim

P.S. - Ike was awesome in getting the housing ASAP!

P.S.S. - Ryan Canon was great in coordinating and getting me the strobe!

A common tactic for sneaking more photokit onto planes is by wearing a photographers jacket - with large pockets for cameras, lenses etc. Make sure the pockets close otherwise all your lenses and strobes roll out when it is X-Rayed!

Alex

I'd be very nervous about placing my Ikelite housing into soft luggage. I've had an Ikelite housing cracked from heavy weight placed on top of it in the cargo hold, when it was in a flimsy plastic (not Pelican or Hardigg) case.

All the best, James

BTW, what does your airline charge for overage?

We fly NWA all the time, and they let us have heavy/extra bags because of mileage status. However, if I really need the extra bag, I just pay the extra $50 and have peace of mind, instead of sweating over little workarounds that tend to get things damaged.

All the best, James

I use a lowepro trekker pro AW and can fit my full Ikelite D70 rig, lenses strobes housing as well as my backup s300 rig inside. I carry this on because its too valuable and fragile to have the airlines check it. I travel with little kids so this is a great solution because it keeps my arms free and I just have one carry-on (good for international). The Trekker AW series fits in the overhead bin.

Once I even carried the arms extra port and scuba reg too in the attached backpack as my "personal Item" but that was a bit heavy. Now I just check the arms and extra port in hardsided luggage between clothes in the cardboard box. The camera has to go inside the housing something Ike doesn't reccommend. I trreat it tenderly and I think its ok.

I like how the lowepro bags let you organize everything. If I didn't have kids I would just get the lowepro roller bag for the underwater stuff and carry the camera and lenses in a micro-trekker as my "personal Item". I use a Micro trekker AW for non-diving trips and it fits my camera plus 11 lenses and assorted filters. The micro-trekker fits under the airline seat. Someday they will make that space smaller too.

I used to have a pelican case but it was really really heavy and didn't use the space well. I would only use this if you were checking it.

I carry my camera(s) and all of my lenses, plus my laptop in same Trekker AW backpack as UWphotoNewbie. At times I also squeeze in my regulator and mask. It's a tight squeeze into the overhead bins on really small planes, but it always manages to fit, and I find the backpack is very easy to carry through the airports. The custom fit padding keeps everything nice and safe.

The housing (L&M Titan), ports, 3 strobes, strobe arms, etc., get shipped in a Pelican Case (the one with roller wheels) will all the batteries, chargers, tools, etc. So far no damage or theft to anything in the case, which I assume most folks won't really recognize or know what it's for.

Boydski

That's the same thing I do, I carry the camera inside the housing with me all times. Ikelite doesn't recommend shipping (or checking in) the camera inside the housing. Carrying it on the plane with you is ok, it is the same as carrying it from the hotel to the dive shop, or from the shop to the dive spot by boat.

I've been very carefull with what I check in, it is amazing how badly treated the bags are. I fly a lot and in some airports you can catch a glimpse of the handling of the bags. The workers don't bend their backs, they literally TOSS the bags to the ground or wherever they need to go (I've seen some 3-6ft long tosses). So, no soft bags, unless they contain only clothes.

Lowepro Phototrekker AWII for nearly everything, and then arms, clamps, tray, strobe charger packed in my checked dive bag.

~Matt Segal