Equipment on planes do's & dont's

Ady N

Ady N

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Am taking a few £KKK's of gear overseas next week and just want to ensure I don't come a cropper at the airport in respect to what I can take on board/put in the hold, etc.

Basically I am taking all my equipment on board which fits into 'normal' sized hand luggage - this includes batteries, memory cards and the like. May have to put my monopod in a suitcase due to size................

Anything I need to be aware of?

Thanks.
 
Ady N said:
Am taking a few £KKK's of gear overseas next week and just want to ensure I don't come a cropper at the airport in respect to what I can take on board/put in the hold, etc.

Basically I am taking all my equipment on board which fits into 'normal' sized hand luggage - this includes batteries, memory cards and the like. May have to put my monopod in a suitcase due to size................

Anything I need to be aware of?

Thanks.
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What are you going to do if the Airline you fly with ask to weigh your hand luggage and it's significantly overweight?

That's what I'd be worried about.
 
Going with Easyjet who do not put a weight limit on hand luggage - just dimensions of it................

TBH I am leaving the heavier bodies and lenses at home so not silly weight.

D810, 50mm, 18-35mm, 135mm, flash, reflector + a few odds and sods.
 
Check with EasyJet to see what their size limit is and don't exceed it. Not sure if you can still book speedy boarding (or whatever it's called) to make sure you get space in an overhead locker but if so, it may be worth doing.
 
Nod said:
Check with EasyJet to see what their size limit is and don't exceed it. Not sure if you can still book speedy boarding (or whatever it's called) to make sure you get space in an overhead locker but if so, it may be worth doing.
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I may feel more comfortable with bag under seat to avoid any chance of falls from height!!

Thanks.
 
As Joseph says, put as much as you can in coat pockets. Given the Summer? we're having, you won't even look out of place! :LOL:
 
OldCarlos said:
Or under the seat. ;)

I never put my camera bag in the overhead bins.
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Agreed (y)

I use a Thinktank Airport Commuter when heading on the planes and that carries 2 pro size bodies, 500mm f/4, 70-300mm L version, 17-40mm, 8-15mm, 1.4x converter and LEE filters, chargers, laptop etc. which half of that ends up in my coat or craghoppers trousers when taking it though the weight check stage so to speak and then putting it all back in my bag after as it has the room to fit it comfortably.
 
Ady N said:
Going with Easyjet who do not put a weight limit on hand luggage - just dimensions of it................

TBH I am leaving the heavier bodies and lenses at home so not silly weight.

D810, 50mm, 18-35mm, 135mm, flash, reflector + a few odds and sods.
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That's almost nothing. I usually take more glass + mbp. If bag is reasonably sized and you don't make it look excessively heavy it will be fine.
 
I've travelled with my stealth reporter bag packed with two gripped bodies and about 4 lenses not attached and been fine, if I do see them weighing stuff I just put one round my neck. I get stopped more at xray for them to take bag apart as its quite tightly packed.
 
Ady N said:
Am taking a few £KKK's of gear overseas next week and just want to ensure I don't come a cropper at the airport in respect to what I can take on board/put in the hold, etc.

Basically I am taking all my equipment on board which fits into 'normal' sized hand luggage - this includes batteries, memory cards and the like. May have to put my monopod in a suitcase due to size................

Anything I need to be aware of?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Been years and years since I last flew on an airliner, so not much of a help here, but anyway just my suggestion.

Tools. Most photographers tend to carry a penknife or similar, but you can't take it on an airliner. You'll have to make do with something different. Say a jeweller's screwdriver instead of using the screwdriver that's normally on the penknife. Check with airliner or airport what you can't take and what may be allowed. Sometimes something can happen to your camera or lens, and you would need tools to make a quick repair, that's why I bring a penknife with me (not on airliner, I meant when I go somewhere by car). It may be possible to have to leave your penknife or similar tools in the main luggage, so your carry on bag don't carry any of it in it.

Take photos of your kit, record serial numbers, and mark them with those UV pens. I've no idea where you're going, you did say "overseas" but just bring those records and photos, in a small pocket book with you in case your kit get taken. Unlike being at home, if you went out and someone took your kit, you can report to the police, then go home. A police officer can sometimes pop around to your home, where you could then show receipts, list of serial numbers, and so on. But if your kit gets stolen overseas, you can't very much go home and get the paperwork. So make a small pocketbook (which you should not keep in camera bag) contains your details of your kit.

Power point adaptor, not sure if your mention of "batteries" are AA batteries or rechargeable ones, so if rechargeable ones, remember to get yourself a power point adaptor. We use 3 pin plugs, but overseas, they use different plugs. Up to you to take in your carry on bag or put in luggage. May be worth charging up all batteries before going on the flight in case you end up taking photos on the aircraft.
 
Major Eazy said:
Been years and years since I last flew on an airliner, so not much of a help here, but anyway just my suggestion.

Tools. Most photographers tend to carry a penknife or similar, but you can't take it on an airliner..
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Unless, of course, you put it in your hold baggage.
 
Major Eazy said:
Been years and years since I last flew on an airliner, so not much of a help here, but anyway just my suggestion.

Tools. Most photographers tend to carry a penknife or similar, but you can't take it on an airliner.
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hollis_f said:
Unless, of course, you put it in your hold baggage.
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You can take a Penknife or similar in your hand luggage, I do all the time. As long as the largest blade is 6.0cm long or shorter its fine.
 
Joeturner11 said:
You can take a Penknife or similar in your hand luggage, I do all the time. As long as the largest blade is 6.0cm long or shorter its fine.
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According to the government guidelines you're not allowed a "Knife (with a sharp or pointed blade and/or blade longer than 6cm)" in your hand baggage. So you are allowed a knife with a blade shorter than 6cm as long as it is neither pointed or sharp.


https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions/personal-items
 
Joeturner11 said:
You can take a Penknife or similar in your hand luggage, I do all the time. As long as the largest blade is 6.0cm long or shorter its fine.
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According to the government guidelines you're not allowed a "Knife (with a sharp or pointed blade and/or blade longer than 6cm)" in your hand baggage. So you are allowed a knife with a blade shorter than 6cm as long as it is neither pointed or sharp.


https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions/personal-items
 
hollis_f said:
According to the government guidelines you're not allowed a "Knife (with a sharp or pointed blade and/or blade longer than 6cm)" in your hand baggage. So you are allowed a knife with a blade shorter than 6cm as long as it is neither pointed or sharp.


https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions/personal-items
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On their website that's a knife not a penknife, as long as it is 6cm long or shorter as I said they don't give a rats how sharp it is, I have took it with me loads of times on the plane never a issue.
 
If you take a rocket blower you may well get your luggage searched, so best keep it easily to hand as on x ray it may look like a hand granade
 
realspeed said:
If you take a rocket blower you may well get your luggage searched, so best keep it easily to hand as on x ray it may look like a hand granade
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Never had my bag searched because of a rocket blower. Even when you do get searched that has nothing to do with whether you will get the bag on at the gate. Check-in, security and boarding are all separate and not linked.
 
i checked in for an easyjet flight the other day, and it said about not taking lithium batteries in hand luggage, only hold luggage. I've travelled many times on other airlines in the past few years and hadn't read anything about lithium batteries - does anyone know if they specifically check for batteries?
 
dan_yell said:
i checked in for an easyjet flight the other day, and it said about not taking lithium batteries in hand luggage, only hold luggage. I've travelled many times on other airlines in the past few years and hadn't read anything about lithium batteries - does anyone know if they specifically check for batteries?
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It will be fine, as long as your are taking electronic equipment they can be used it don't worry :)
 
Joeturner11 said:
It will be fine, as long as your are taking electronic equipment they can be used it don't worry :)
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it will be one in each camera and some spares - I can pack in the case, but I've not travelled with sleazyjet recently
 
JustJoe said:
When you are checking your bags just keep an eye out if they are weighting them, if so put as much on your body as possible. Stick a couple lens in your pocket, body around your kneck etc.
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I flew Thompson who have a hand luggage max. and placed my D300 body and one of my lenses in my pockets the rest went in my camera bag until I was on board the aircraft.
 
oh I just read they have to be in cabin baggage, not hold baggage. ill shut up and learn to read!
 
I was going to say that that was arse about face! Lithium batteries must be in hand baggage not in the hold!
 
Nod said:
I was going to say that that was arse about face! Lithium batteries must be in hand baggage not in the hold!
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what a doofus! not sure how I managed to get it mixed up.

that is the first time I've seen any particular notice about it though, been on BA, KLM, air france, Delta, Icelandair, Wow, Air Canada, United etc in past 5 years - perhaps I've just not been paying attention.
 
realspeed said:
If you take a rocket blower you may well get your luggage searched, so best keep it easily to hand as on x ray it may look like a hand granade
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I once brought back from France 6 French sausages all bound together in a bunch, all with their strings at one end. It's fair to say that looked a lot like Wile E. Coyote's TNT but still never had my bag searched at any point. I think the inspections reveal a lot more than just shape etc.

I did have my hand luggage searched once because of a go pro handle, but it's not like the search caused me any problems.

I don't think anyone has mentioned that while these low cost airlines allow you to bring on hand luggage (within dimensions) of almost anything you want. They do state that if it doesn't all fit in the plane that it will be placed in the hold FOC. I usually get around this by having my bag under the seat in front which they also allow.
 
They took my Swiss card from me, was in a bag and was seen on the scan, said keep it and bored my plane..
 
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