Travel and Packing

[Hess]

Happy New Year!

The New Year finds me traveling with our local college to to shoot their men's basketball games and pressers on the road.

I have the usual gear except lights.

I'm trying to figure out how to pack lighter and smarter.

I have to bring a camera, laptop, batteries, wireless etc.

I also have some other stuff that gets shipped to each venue they play in and then sent back to me.

Lugging my gear thru the airport sucks and I get those mean looks from people when I go thru security because I use 5 bins for my stuff.

I have one of those folding luggage carts which helps go from Point A to Point B, but that is a pain sometimes.

I get really nervous when I have to gate check my bigger bag.
I got into an argument with a flight attendant who asked "if it's that fragile, just take it out of the bag".

I can't seem to find a good rolling case that is carry on sized for my gear.
Any thoughts?? Ideas??

Let me know,
Thanks as always and have a great 2014!!

Hess

 

[The Thing on The Sticks]

look into the pelican 1510 cases they are wheeled with a collapsable handle just like a suitcase and are supposed to be the largest allowable carry on size. If you are worried about weight you might also check the port brace version, which has the same dimensions give or take a half inch but is as I understand it a thiner polymer and therefore lighter.

 

[Tv Shooter]

If you're shipping part of the gear, ship it all. Using 5 bins at TSA? You're carrying on way to much stuff. Camera with battery and laptop for carry on, put everything else into checked baggage or ship it with the rest of the stuff.

And getting into arguments with flight attendants….you're gonna lose. I watched a guy from another crew get into an argument once over his gear…he has a camera, laptop bag and a Live U. Needless to say, none of that stuff nor the photog were on the plane when we left the gate.

 

[Run&Gun]

The flight attendants WILL win. On the plane, they are the law, so to speak. They are responsible for safety in the cabin and they have the power to remove your carry-on baggage and you. I watched a couple with a service animal have to get off the plane because one of the flight attendants deemed the dog too big(the other flight attendants and passengers around them had no problem with it. It came down to the flight attendant getting out "the manual").

I'm with Richard, the only thing you should be taking in the cabin with you is the camera and laptop(I never flew with a battery on the camera because I used a carry-on JUST barely big enough for the camera w/lens attached). I would ship EVERYTHING else to/from the venue or hotel.

 

[Hess]

Thanks for the great advice.

I'll look into shipping more of my stuff, I also have to pare down a lot of the "little" things I bring for those "just in case emergencies"

Be well and have a great 2014!!