Flying with equipment

[birdcat]

Hi Kids –

I will be flying and need to take some equipment with me – I have a Bogen 3021 tripod, which needs to come with and may be too big for carry-on (the soft case is about three feet long, don’t have a hard case). How does everyone handle flying with equipment, while not a camera, I would rather not have stacked under a ton of other luggage?

[Rob]

depending on how much gear you’re flying with, I would absolutely have insurance. Airlines couldn’t care less about your stuff. There isn’t even much you can do to prevent them from just strait up losing your stuff.

[pseudosafari]

i flew across country recently to film a hunting a trip. my rifles were in a relatively expensive aluminum case, and even that got bent on the trip back. nothing damaged inside, but i’m not sure i can use the case next time i fly. all i can say about that is that if i had to do it over again, i’d spend more money on a case because some of the highest name brands claim they can’t be broken. fyi the plastic cases are great but i know more than one person who’s had them shattered while traveling.

as for my camera gear, some of it i packed in a checked bag (one layer of clothes, gear, then another layer of clothes). that arrived fine, but there’s always the risk of them losing it. but maybe that would work for the tripod (if you can fit it in there).

the delicate stuff (lenses, filters, and one camera) i carried on in a knapsack. i had a laptop in there, too. that went fine because i could baby it the whole way. just check with the airlines you’re taking and make sure your carry on is small enough.

if you buy a box to pack your stuff in, make sure you buy a good one. also, it’s possible you could mail or UPS all your stuff instead of flying with it. they have a better track record, imo.

[D0n]

head to the plumbing section of your local hardware store….

look for some abs plumbing pipe and end cap (and even possible to find screw on end cap if you want to get fancy).

Make sure you find a diameter that your tripod can fit into.

We used this idea for fishing rods when I worked in the arctic…..

cut to length you need, glue on end cap, duct tape or screw on top endcap.

Use some web strapping or repurpose a duffle bag strap for carry strap.

as for trusting the airlines, my advice is don’t. Send it courier.

[XTR-91]

I’d ship anything too big for carry-on to destination before leaving

[vid-e-o-man]

birdcat, the idea about shipping it seems to be the best way as others have said. I have seen this advice given for a lot of different applications. Students going away to school who are flying to their destination would ship their clothes so that they would have something to wear when they go to class etc. Of course, the time frame of your departure and arrival maybe too close to allow for shipping. I too have used theplastic plumbing pipe idea for fishing rods. If you approach the person working in the plumbing department at Q depot, they should be able to help you with the parts needed to make your ‘shipping container’. The pipe comes in different thickness and therefore better for resisting crushing.Schedule 80 or even schedule 40 is much more formible than just plain PVC. Don’t forget to allow enough room in the inside for wrapping around the tripod and at either end in bubble wrap or other packing. Good luck.

[composite1]

Hey ‘Cat glad to read you’re back in the saddle!

These days, it’s easier to ship it. Ship it to the place where you’ll be staying if there are people you know who are responsible and just have it fixed so they can sign for it before you get there. Or just ship it via UPS or Fedex ground with enough lead time for you to get there and make arrangements to pick up your gear at their facility. It will be much cheaper if not safer to do it that way than deal with the airport and having to leave cases unlocked so they can be searched.

[Grinner Hester]

I travel light. 90% of the time I just throw my camera and accesories in a duffle bag so I can carry it onto the smallest of puddle jumpers. In the rare event I fly with l;ights and support, I just fed ex them to myself. I NEVER check anything. Not even my clothes. I use my clothes as padding for my carry on camera.

[birdcat]

Hi Kids –

Good suggestions all – About the PVC – I will look into that. I considered shipping but want it back soon after and don’t want to spend the $$$ for RT shipping as there is $0 budget (this is for my sis-in-law’s wedding – guess who is doing the video).

I’ll be bringing the dolly, on camera light, cameras, mics, etc… carryon but the tripod is just very big (it’s the older 3021 – long, wide & heavy).

I’m considering just putting it into the PVC and then packing it in a large suitcase surrounded by everyone’s clothes – costs $0 that way. The dolly way go this way as well (it folds up decently).

[Grinner Hester]

guite the dice roll, depending on your schedule. When I land, I’m usually shooting a couple of hours later. I just can’t afford to dink around with airlines as they try to figure out where they sent my luggage.

[birdcat]

I’m flying on a Wed and don’t need the tripod until Saturday night so I have some wiggle room if they send the luggage to Timbuktu (I’ll miss my clothes more). I even have enough time to make it to B&H if they really lose it to buy a replacement (although that would really piss me off).

[JackWolcott]

Rent. We recently had a shoot in Houston — we live in Seattle. A first class professional tripod cost us $35 for the weekend. We’ve done the same with lights, mics, etc.

In these days of the TSA, NOTHING you put into the hold of an airplane is safe from theft. Cameras go with carry on luggage, everything else gets rented or shipped.

Jack

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