Jenobandito

I am flying on Emirate Airlines to South Africa for 12 days, two of which will be in an open vehicle on safari, and they have a strict one bag rule in the cabin. One, not a carry-on and a personal item, only one bag on board with a weight limit of 15#. I am stressing about putting bubble wrapped items in the belly of the plane, even with additional insurance on them. My list contains two bodies, two 28-135mm lenses, one 100-400mm lens, a 100-300mm lens, an a 20mm lens, plus batteries, chargers, etc. In addition I will have my Mac for transferring images nightly. In the bag it weighs about 25#, and to get the things I need on the long flight, Kindle, inflatable pillow, eye covers, sani-wipes, ect. I cannot take it all on board. I will be wearing a photo vest, and could put some lenses in the pocket, but I cannot get all equipment in the vest and camera backpack. After boarding the plane it will be necessary to move items from the pockets into the backpack, and there will not be room along with my other things. Should I cut out one 28-135 lens? Should I opt for the lighter 100-300mm lens? Shall I eliminate the 20mm lens? I need advice from others who have encountered a similar situation. I have called Emirate to double check and see if they have special rules for photo equipment, and the answer has been no twice. There is always a chance they will not weigh it, but it they did I would be in trouble. Please advice.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Either don't take so much stuff or don't travel. Am not unsympathetic, but that is today's reality.

dave_roe Loc: Rome Italy

Upgrade to business class or first. Bag limits change and they are to be a lot more willing to be helpful.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Ok, so you can carry whatever within limits in the cargo hold and the rest in the cabin but in one bag that weight 15 of less pounds?

What is the stress exactly?

You fear to be robbed? Have breakage?

I have traveled with no bags in cabins, pure and simple. Never had a problem. I semi-lost one item one time but since I recovered it (delivered to my hotel) within a day I just do not see why you stress so much about nothing. You have an insurance? Use it. You cannot take an image for whatever reason? Live with it, after all people have been robbed or worse in the street, hotels or supposedly secure areas. What about dropping the camera?

Lost imagery? Unless you are a hapless pro, this is no big deal, what you may see and experience is much better but then again if you can only think of your 'stuff', stay home and watch National Geography or the nature channel. At least you camera will be in your safe.... Until some guys breaks in that is.

Shit happens. How you deal with it is always your choice but stressing about 'what if' is rather ridiculous.

PS: about the vest? Good idea to be inspected over and over at the custom zone. I might help missing your flight too since your are it. After all we all LOVE folks with an over stuffed vest now-a-day.

twowindsbear

Ship the stuff to yourself at your destination address.

Don't thak so much other stuff, like clothes and stuff - buy a change of clothes at a second hand store when you get there then donate it back when you leave.

Use a better box to check your stuff to protect it.

Fly another carrier with more liberal limits.

ELNikkor

Ok to have a back-up body, but you do not need 2 28-135's, and 2 long range zooms!

sirlensalot Loc: Arizona

Think I will go with "twowindbear" on this one. If you insist on taking all of the equipment, ship it ahead to your final destination(and back). Make sure you insure it for damage and replacement value.
Second option - pare down your load. 1-DSLR body, 1-100-400, 1-20mm, 1-28-135. Adding batteries and cords, etc. You should make your 15 lb. limit for carry-on. If budget will support it, add a pocket camera, one small enough you can stuff into the pocket of some cargo pants or shorts. Maybe something with a pancake lens?" Guessing you will use it more than you can imagine. Sounds like a great trip. Wish you well.

Jenobandito

Wow, I did not expect these types of comments. Stay home, upgrade, take less, stop stressing. Ok. Thanks for trying. I will figure it out.

Jenobandito

I was taking two bodies and two of the same focal lenses if I had a problem. It happened to me before. I could take only one 28-135, but was advised to have two different lenses on two bodies as it was dusty in the bush and not to be changing lenses on the safaris. I could still pare down with one lens, and not take both the 100-400 and the 100-300. I will be taking my cell phone for some shots, and my sister will have the pocket camera. This is a tour group, and it is not so easy to stop as second hand stores as our itinerary is established. On our free time it has been advised to not be out alone looking for stuff. We are just being cautious. Time to ship to the destination is sketchy, as I had a lengthy wait for items from the U.S. to Italy, but the idea was good. Thank you for the constructive ideas. A couple of the comments bordered on snottiness, and all I am doing is asking for advice, not smarty alecness. Upgrading to business class is something I will look into, but the budget may not allow it. Thanks again.

jcboy3

Take the critical stuff in carryon, check or leave behind the rest. So I would say one body, one 28-135 lens, the 100-400, batteries, one charger. As for the computer; it's more efficient to get a bunch of memory cards and a WD Wireless drive, use your phone to control it, and leave the computer behind.

And consider a different airline in the future.

wrangler5 Loc: Missouri

You posited a scenario with very specific constraints which do not leave a lot of available options for people to suggest. There are NO options which would meet your obviously preferred solution - let me take it all in the cabin - within your original parameters of specific airline and seating class, with the limits those impose. Those options which WERE suggested are about all that's left, and after they were offered you then added ADDITIONAL constraints which make some of the options non-starters.

So one wonders - what "types of comments" DID you expect, given the decision box you set up in the first place? It looks like the ones you got pretty well exhaust the options.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

For future consideration. Get yourself a Press Pass (google it). Then watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4zsk8YHgHs

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

That is much more stuff than I take when I travel by personal automobile!! How do you plan to lug all that stuff beyond the airport? My advice is to put together a travel kit consisting of one body, one wide angle lens, one normal lens, and one telephoto lens.

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

Leave one of the 28-135 lenses at home. Take the 100-400 and leave the 100-300 at home. By all means take two bodies, a camera breakdown three days into a $20,000 trip can really spoil your day. You will be required to have your laptop and any lithium batteries in your carry-on, but put all of the other etc stuff in your checked bags. Leave your Kindle at home and read the airline magazine or the newspaper. If this doesn't get you down to 15 pounds then bubble wrap one of your big lenses and stuff it into one of those cardboard tube boxes that good whisky comes in, and put it in your checked bag. Why are you flying with Emirates anyway? British Airways allows you two carry-on bags with a total weight of 101 pounds - all they require is that you can lift them into theoverhead storage without help.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

If you have to check camera equipment, pack it carefully inside a pink "Hello Kitty" suitcase. NO ONE will bother to open it to check for stealable items!