How to Travel With Your Camera Gear

Author: Harry Guinness / Source: howtogeek.com

Travelling with your camera gear can be a difficult time for photographers; just ask Michelle Frankfurter, who recently lost $13,000 worth of gear after her carry on was gate checked on an American Airlines flight. There are just so many ways your gear can get broken or go missing.

Let’s look at how to travel with your gear as safely as possible.

Don’t Bring More Than You Need

While it’s tempting to cram every lens you own into your bag just in case you need it, it’s a terrible idea. The less gear you have with you, the less you will have to look after and the easier it will be to keep everything safe. Only bring the gear you need.

Before you go, honestly think about the kind of things you’re planning to photograph. If you’re going on a city break, bring what you need to get some street photos. Off on an outdoors trip? Take a wide-angle lens and shoot some landscapes. In either case, leave the big telephoto at home. Limits are even good for your photography.

My go to travel set up is my Canon EOS 5D Mark III and a 17-40mm f/4L. It’s flexible enough to shoot everything from landscapes to environmental portraits and a simple one lens set up is the easiest thing to look after. If I’m only going for a few days, I don’t even bring my battery charger.

Keep It In Your Carry On

Never ever put your camera gear in your checked luggage when you’re flying. If you’re a professional who’s travelling for work with a multi-camera set up in locked Pelican cases, it’s one thing, but for 99% of people, it’s an absolute no-no.

You can travel with your camera sitting loose in any old backpack but it’s asking for trouble. Instead, I’d recommend you get a camera bag with a removable camera storage compartment that’s smaller than 15 x 12 x 8 inches so that it qualifies as “a personal item” on pretty much every airline without you having to argue your case. This way, your gear is safe in your bag and, if you’re forced to gate check your bag (more on that later) or put your bag in storage under a bus, you’ll be able to remove your camera gear and keep it under the seat in front of you.

My go to travel bag is my f-stop Ajna (it seems to be unavailable at the moment) with a Small Pro ICU. For most people, I’d recommend the f-stop Guru UL 25 L Bundle or the Loka UL 37 L Bundle if you need something bigger. As long as you don’t stuff them too full, they’ll meet most airlines carry on baggage requirements without difficulty, and the ICUs will qualify as personal items.