Tan, If your budget will stretch for it before the GFM trip, get yourself a Doskocil or Pelican hard case. They are dustproof, waterproof, just about everything proof. They can go through the baggage handler's barrage no sweat. I have a Doskocil case which is roughly the same size as a Pelican 1550 case. The pull-apart foam inserts hold your gear like a glove. Mine also accepts a decent sturdy padlock, not one of those pissy little suitcase padlocks that a three year old could bite off.
I use a Lowepro Phototrekker as my carry on bag (sans camera gear), and check all my gear through the checked luggage in the hard case. I paid about 250.00 for mine, but this was some years ago. The prices are probably scary by now. Here's a shot of it with most of my gear ready to go! www.heritageservices.com.au/images/_IGP0171.jpg The empty slot is where my *ist D with battery grip slots in. Cheers Shaun Dr. Shaun Canning Cultural Heritage Services 11 Lawrence Way Karratha, Western Australia, 6714 0414-967644 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.heritageservices.com.au -----Original Message----- From: TMP [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2004 5:02 PM To: Net [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: transporting my kit... I am a little worried about bringing my kit overseas.... When I fly within Australia, I generally don't have any problems as I take my Lowepro Nova 5 as carry-on luggage, and my laptop in my Targus Laptop backpack, also as carry-on luggage. Then I usually take one suitcase with my makeup kit, tripod, clothes etc in it. My suitcase usually weighs in at around the 27kg mark, my camera bag around 8kgs and my backpack around 7kgs. However... Just reading the international allowances for Qantas, and I am only allowed to take ONE piece of carry-on luggage and it can't exceed 7kg in weight! I am also allowed TWO checked in luggage pieces which may weigh up to 32kg (70lb) each. So, NOW I have a problem! My suitcase will be fine. I'm not taking my makeup kit, so that will bring the weight down and it will easily be within the 32kg mark. And I had planned to bring my camera bag in another suitcase, so that it was "disguised" and hopefully would be safe on the conveyor belt. Then I was just going to take my laptop/backpack on board with me as carry-on, and also just put my *istD in the backpack "just in case". So, it all should have been ok. BUT, my hubby's friend is a baggage handler for Qantas and he showed me today how he literally picks the suitcases up from the truck thingy, and THROWS them over his shoulder onto the next trucky thingy to transport them. They then get THROWN onto the conveyor belt, sometimes from as far away as 2 metres! He kind of swings it around to give it momentum and then just throws it on there! OMG, I was so stunned! The thought of all of my babies being thrown around like that, despite the fact that they will be packed within TWO padded bags, well, it scares me to death! SO, I've been looking at TAMRAC and Lowepro backpacks that fit both a camera kit and a laptop in them, and that fit within the carry-on size requirements, BUT with a 7kg limit, that would be impossible. My entire kit, in a backpack, with a 3.3kg laptop, would probably weigh in at almost double that! The only other thing that I can think of is to actually dispense with my camera bag completely, and bubble wrap my kit and stow it in individual pieces amongst my clothes etc in the suitcases, just taking my laptop backpack on board as carry-on (with the *istD as well), and hope for the best. All of the bags that I have been looking at area US auctions and it would be impossible for them to get here in time now anyways, and the bags that I am looking at are around the US$130 mark, but the same models sell for well over AUD$350 here! I was thinking that maybe, I could stow my stuff away in my suitcase on the way over, and buy a case via Ebay and have it delivered to tv, so that at least I will have a bag to carry everything in together whilst I am at GFM, and then just try my luck out for the journey home? I was wondering what you will be doing Cotty, Jostein etc? And also what those who have done international travel in the past have done? It is kinda hard as I actually have to bring over 2 weeks worth of clothes etc with me, as well as extra jackets etc for warmth at GFM, so I do need to take quite a bit of stuff. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated... TIA, tan.
