I'm getting the gear, now what to carry it in?

Thanks to my husband, my DS-125 strobe and Ultralite arms are ordered, and I will be ordering my PT-010 housing within the next week, so now I need to figure out what to buy to carry it all in for travel. I would be interested in what type of setup you all use to travel with (Pelican case, backpacks, sizes, etc), and any tips or tricks on how to pack for ease in airport security, or do you check your gear. We normally carry our regs, computers, and 1 days clothes and swimwear, but now with the camera equipment, I may have to rethink all that.

My trip draws nearer so I could really use your help and suggestions.

Thanks

When me and my wife o diving we pack all diving gear (incl reg) in one Scubapro backpacker, and houses for video & still + personal stuff in a reinforced Cressi Sub dive back. I bring the camera, strobes, video, computer etc in a Lowe camera backpacker into the cabin. This never gives us a problem with overweight luggage (cause they never weight our cabin luggage which is 20kg). Nothing ever broken or lost. I would love to get 1-2 big Pelican cases but that would mean much bulkier luggage and probably a need to pay for the overweight. We mainly travel in Asia where it is easier to travel with less bulkier luggage.

I just got a DS125 myself! I haven't tried it yet but it looks really great.

I'm the proud owner of three Pelican cases, a 1450, 1520, and 1550.

The 1450 is fine for a camera, housing, one strobe and arm & accessories.

For two strobes etc. I like the 1520, which is the largest one that you can carry-on. You have to be creative with bigger rigs... I finally figured how to stuff the Titan and two strobes into it.

The 1550 is a moose... lots of room for whatever, but you have to check it, which I don't like.

An Akona backpack reg bag also goes on with me for the camera, reg, dive computer, laptop, a mask and a toothbrush (just in case my dive bag doesn't make it on the same flight).

Richard

I second TJO's recommendation for the Lowepro backpack.

If you carry your own equipment, you'll probably fit all your dive gear and clothes in a roller bag (I use Action Plus but there are other bags such as Stahlsac which are bulletproof) and your camera stuff in one carryon.

HTH,

For my camera (DSC-S85), housing (Ikelite), and strobe (DS-50), with arms, chargers, extra batteries, Pelican 11?? case, and cables, I have a Pelican Soft Bag that fits into a 1520 case. It's removable, has padded dividers that can be re-arranged, and is carry-on sized. I chose the soft bag / case combo so that if I ended up having to check it, I could, plus I have some flexibility on my return trip if I want to bring home some extra stuff, because I effectively have 2 bags in one. It's a bit heavier than what I would like, but it's a great setup.

For my laptop, reg, computer, and miscellaneous other stuff I have a laptop backpack from Jack Wolfskin (read as good deal at REI) that I use.

Tom

I pack...

PT-10 housing with Oly C-4040

FishEye tray and extra lengths of arm

YSDx90 strobe, cable and diffuser

battery charger and 5 sets of batteries

Nikon CP880 camera with battery charger

SS WAL L lens

and a small Tupperwear container with all cleaning supplies, grease and memory cards.

It's a tight fit but all camera gear goes in it and is my carry-on....nothing needs to be checked.

This is the Lowepro I am using. Before i filled it with; Nikon F60 with lenses, 2 Sea&Sea Pro 350 TTL strobes, extra batteries, 50 film cartridges, Sony PC110 video, chargers, Nikonos V with lenses... I just switched to digital so no need for film any more :-)

http://www.lowepro.com/pages/series/trekki...ing/supertr.htm

Here's the one I use...

http://www.lowepro.com/pages/series/trekki...ing/trimtrk.htm

In the Pelican line of products, the only rolling bags are too large to carry on. There are a number of backpacks that are carry on sized that have wheels attached now.

Here's a link to what Lowe considers airline "carry on" sized

Be careful though, the Road Runner Mini AW is not strictly carry on sized based on the exterior dimensions. Airline regs are currently 14"x9"x22". Most major carriers are lenient on this, but I've had a few get very picky about the size limits recently, rightfully so based on some of the stuff I see people try to pass off as "carry ons".

Another possibly cheaper alternative, and something I've done in the past, is to buy a rolling carry-on bag from a traditional luggage manufacturer. I have a Samsonite Carbon 2010 that I use in addition to what I listed above. When I pack camera stuff or regs in it, I pad it with the few pieces of clothing I actually take on a dive trip, or bring a couple extra towels. The Carbon 2010 is half hard case, half soft case, which makes me feel like there is a *little* more protection on the off chance I need to check it.

Hope this helps.

Tom

I thought this was way cool, a Lowe photo backpack that is also waterproof! I gotta get one of these. Not only good for taking the camera on a dive boat but good for hiking in the rain too.

http://www.lowepro.com/pages/series/dryzone/dzone.htm

Ouch!!!! $235 at B and H

Cheers

James

All backpacks are waterproof. Just pack your gear in a big plastic bag for USD 0.50 It will even float! Just in case... use two bags...

Yes, TJO, I recommend the "Hefty" brand of backpack. Then I can look like a homeless person...

BTW, I can give you a free sample of this black plastic bag, got some thick ones to pack dive gear in so it won't get everything wet when backpacking it home.

Another option would be the Sealine waterproof bags, or similar dry bags like from Stahlsac.

One good suggestion for plastic bags is to use garbage compactor bags (you probably don't know what those are since they don't have trash compactors in Japan).

Cheers,

Oops. What I meant (and usually do) is to pack stuff I need to keep dry in plastic bags and then put the bags in the nice backpack. I didn't mean you should carry around plastic bags like a homeless in Ueno... Hey, I have been a professional boyscout Matt. You knew that right?

Boy, it can be very hard to tell what to get without seeing it. There is no place down here besides Ritz camera that carries lowepro backpacks. They only had one it stock.

Do you think that the Lowepro road runner mini would be large enough to hold:

nikon cp5000

19mm lens

DS125 strobe (and arm)

Ikelite 6190 housing

Laptop computer

dome port

Dive mask

Regulators

change of light wieght clothes

small toiletry bag.

That is generally what I like to carry on with me. It looks like the regular size Road Runner may be too large to carry on.

Jack R

Except for the regulators+hose it should be ok I think - unless your laptop is a large 15 inch screen type.

Yes, I meant that garbage bags can be used inside of packs to store wet gear as well as for an outer cover during a rainstorm, similar to the LowePro AW covers.

Also, the semitranslucent garbage bags here in Japan are made of materials that are supposed to decompose quickly, that is why I do not like to use them.

Free sample offer is still valid...

I am close to a decision. I am leaning towards the lowepro road runner mini as opposed to the regular lowepro road runner.

In looking at the picture I see a place for the camera and lenses etc. and I see some room on the lid for personal stuff. Is there a place behind (or under) the camera gear to place more items. In other words it that just a top layer? Here is a photo

http://www.lowepro.com/images/ppages/bag_p...20mini%20aw.jpg

The way it looks here, it doesnt seem like I would have room for my Ikelite 6190 housing (cp5000). Or if I didn put it in, it would practically take up the whole thing.

The picture that lowepro has or the regular road runner is very tough to see what it can do. Is what this guy has on his back a detachable part?

http://www.lowepro.com/images/PPages/Bag_p...20on%20back.jpg

If anyone knows of good pics please let me know where to look.

Sorry to be asking so many questions about this, its just that there is no way for me to actually look at them to compare in person. The nearest store to me that may or may not have them in stock is in Orlando, about 3.5 hours drive.

I don't know where you're considering making your purchase, but almost all merchants, especially on-line sellers will let you return new merchandise. So why not just order one or the other and see how it fits your needs. Just save all of the packaging intact in case you want to return it.

Richard

Richard,

I was probably going to do that but I thought if I put in a litte more research I would make a better guess the first time. I didnt want the hassle of returning it but I am certainly willing to.