Taking camera equipment as hand luggage in Tanzina

[ndwgolf]

I'm going on Safari in Tanzania in Jan and will need to take a AT7 Precision Air (name of airline) flight from Dar Sa Alam to Kilimanjaro. I have a backpack that will hold these Nikon items below;
600mm f4
300mm f2.8
70/200mm f2.8
2 x D800 bodies
1 x D4s Body

When I weighed it it was +/- 12 kg so I am hoping that the airline don't bust my #$#@ and say that I can only take 7kg.
Has anyone flown with this airline before??

 

[simonblue]

You could take a bus,bit of an mad bumpy ride but they don't care about the weight

 

[chris malcolm]

How about wearing a safari waistcoat with big pockets you could stuff some big lenses in? I have one in which I can put an A77 with an f2.8 80-200mm lens on, in fact I could put one of those in each side.

 

[ndwgolf]

How about wearing a safari waistcoat with big pockets you could stuff some big lenses in? I have one in which I can put an A77 with an f2.8 80-200mm lens on, in fact I could put one of those in each side.

Chris
That's a fantastic idea and yes I have one of those jackets already, should be able to fit the 2 x D800 bodies in the jacket and maybe the D4s and 70/200mm over the shoulder.....job done

 

[cymruchris]

When I fly - my camera bag weighs 15kg - I carry the jacket just in case. So far - although not flown with that airline - every other airline has been ok with it once they see what's in the bag. One airline gave me an extra bag, so that I could split the load into the overhead locker. I would certainly carry the jacket just in case though.

 

[odd jim]

How about wearing a safari waistcoat with big pockets you could stuff some big lenses in? I have one in which I can put an A77 with an f2.8 80-200mm lens on, in fact I could put one of those in each side.

I wouldn't walk into a hot airport with a chunky equipment filled vest with big protruding pockets in this day and age...

 

[chris malcolm]

I wouldn't walk into a hot airport with a chunky equipment filled vest with big protruding pockets in this day and age...

You don't have to do that. You can put on the vest and fill its pockets just before check in. Up till then it can all be in your luggage.

 

[ndwgolf]

I wouldn't walk into a hot airport with a chunky equipment filled vest with big protruding pockets in this day and age...

Understood but that's not my plan. I will put the jacket in the camera bag. If at check-in I get any grief I will then put the jacket on and fill the pockets

 

[odd jim]

Understood but that's not my plan. I will put the jacket in the camera bag. If at check-in I get any grief I will then put the jacket on and fill the pockets

Good plan!

 

[hollis_f]

Understood but that's not my plan. I will put the jacket in the camera bag. If at check-in I get any grief I will then put the jacket on and fill the pockets

Yup, that's always been my plan, but I've never had to execute it.

When flying Jo'burg to Maun a few years back the miserable guy two places before us had his tiddly little bag checked for weight. I had 15kg in my ThinkTank bag on my back (with just one strap over a shoulder). When it came time for us to check in I was all politeness and smiles. When asked if I had any cabin baggage I deftly swung the bag off my shoulder, held it with one thumb and said "Just this." And we were both passed through with no problems. Then I made for the bar where I sat with a beer, massaging my aching thumb.

Only once have I had to use my vest. That was in Portugal where my friends had 4l of water in their bag (back in the days when that was allowed). I told them to give me the water, shoved it into my pockets - right in front of the check-in clerk - and all was well.

 

[DoctorJ]

Make sure you take a few dollars. When I flew to Kilimanjaro the guard at the passport check (who had a gun..) told me (while looking at my camera bag) that I needed to pay a $10 'landing tax'. This, needless to say, hadn't been mentioned when I booked the flight, but it was just on a private 8 seater from Zanzibar, it wasn't with an airline.

 

[odd jim]

Make sure you take a few dollars. When I flew to Kilimanjaro the guard at the passport check (who had a gun..) told me (while looking at my camera bag) that I needed to pay a $10 'landing tax'. This, needless to say, hadn't been mentioned when I booked the flight, but it was just on a private 8 seater from Zanzibar, it wasn't with an airline.

I expect that was his own special tax!

 

[digital]

Understood but that's not my plan. I will put the jacket in the camera bag. If at check-in I get any grief I will then put the jacket on and fill the pockets

I wouldn't give some jobsworh the opportunity to see what you have and then tell you you can't 'wear' it and you have to check it in.

I wear the jacket with the pockets filled and with a very thin rain jacket over to make the bulges less visible.

 

[DoctorJ]

I expect that was his own special tax!

Definitely! Have to say though I have been to Tanzania a couple of times and found pretty much everyone honest and welcoming. Some slightly odd drinks in hotels, ordered a whisky and dry ginger once and got a whisky and tonic, apart from that I can't fault a beautiful country with one car per 50,000 people!

If you haven't got the Ngorongoro crater on your itinerary, try and add it on. Also Lake Manyara reserve is small but perfectly formed!