Hello Shaun, I'm curious about this - considering getting a Pelican case myself. Wouldn't the rough handling (such as a toss of the case onto a conveyer belt) still be hard on the equipment? I realize this is better than no protection, but is the foam that good that the camera gear feels no impact?
Thanks for your thoughts, Bruce Sunday, May 16, 2004, 3:02:40 AM, you wrote: SC> Tan, SC> If your budget will stretch for it before the GFM trip, get yourself a SC> Doskocil or Pelican hard case. They are dustproof, waterproof, just SC> about everything proof. They can go through the baggage handler's SC> barrage no sweat. I have a Doskocil case which is roughly the same size SC> as a Pelican 1550 case. The pull-apart foam inserts hold your gear like SC> a glove. Mine also accepts a decent sturdy padlock, not one of those SC> pissy little suitcase padlocks that a three year old could bite off. SC> I use a Lowepro Phototrekker as my carry on bag (sans camera gear), and SC> check all my gear through the checked luggage in the hard case. SC> I paid about 250.00 for mine, but this was some years ago. The prices SC> are probably scary by now. SC> Here's a shot of it with most of my gear ready to go! SC> www.heritageservices.com.au/images/_IGP0171.jpg SC> The empty slot is where my *ist D with battery grip slots in. SC> Cheers SC> Shaun SC> Dr. Shaun Canning SC> Cultural Heritage Services SC> 11 Lawrence Way SC> Karratha, Western Australia, SC> 6714 SC> 0414-967644 SC> [EMAIL PROTECTED] SC> http://www.heritageservices.com.au SC> -----Original Message----- SC> From: TMP [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] SC> Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2004 5:02 PM SC> To: Net [EMAIL PROTECTED] SC> Subject: transporting my kit... SC> I am a little worried about bringing my kit overseas.... SC> When I fly within Australia, I generally don't have any problems as I SC> take SC> my Lowepro Nova 5 as carry-on luggage, and my laptop in my Targus Laptop SC> backpack, also as carry-on luggage. Then I usually take one suitcase SC> with SC> my makeup kit, tripod, clothes etc in it. My suitcase usually weighs in SC> at SC> around the 27kg mark, my camera bag around 8kgs and my backpack around SC> 7kgs. SC> However... SC> Just reading the international allowances for Qantas, and I am only SC> allowed SC> to take ONE piece of carry-on luggage and it can't exceed 7kg in weight! SC> I SC> am also allowed TWO checked in luggage pieces which may weigh up to 32kg SC> (70lb) each. SC> So, NOW I have a problem! My suitcase will be fine. I'm not taking my SC> makeup kit, so that will bring the weight down and it will easily be SC> within SC> the 32kg mark. And I had planned to bring my camera bag in another SC> suitcase, so that it was "disguised" and hopefully would be safe on the SC> conveyor belt. Then I was just going to take my laptop/backpack on SC> board SC> with me as carry-on, and also just put my *istD in the backpack "just in SC> case". So, it all should have been ok. BUT, my hubby's friend is a SC> baggage SC> handler for Qantas and he showed me today how he literally picks the SC> suitcases up from the truck thingy, and THROWS them over his shoulder SC> onto SC> the next trucky thingy to transport them. They then get THROWN onto the SC> conveyor belt, sometimes from as far away as 2 metres! He kind of SC> swings it SC> around to give it momentum and then just throws it on there! OMG, I was SC> so SC> stunned! The thought of all of my babies being thrown around like that, SC> despite the fact that they will be packed within TWO padded bags, well, SC> it SC> scares me to death! SC> SO, I've been looking at TAMRAC and Lowepro backpacks that fit both a SC> camera SC> kit and a laptop in them, and that fit within the carry-on size SC> requirements, BUT with a 7kg limit, that would be impossible. My entire SC> kit, in a backpack, with a 3.3kg laptop, would probably weigh in at SC> almost SC> double that! SC> The only other thing that I can think of is to actually dispense with my SC> camera bag completely, and bubble wrap my kit and stow it in individual SC> pieces amongst my clothes etc in the suitcases, just taking my laptop SC> backpack on board as carry-on (with the *istD as well), and hope for SC> the SC> best. SC> All of the bags that I have been looking at area US auctions and it SC> would be SC> impossible for them to get here in time now anyways, and the bags that I SC> am SC> looking at are around the US$130 mark, but the same models sell for well SC> over AUD$350 here! SC> I was thinking that maybe, I could stow my stuff away in my suitcase on SC> the SC> way over, and buy a case via Ebay and have it delivered to tv, so that SC> at SC> least I will have a bag to carry everything in together whilst I am at SC> GFM, SC> and then just try my luck out for the journey home? SC> I was wondering what you will be doing Cotty, Jostein etc? And also SC> what SC> those who have done international travel in the past have done? SC> It is kinda hard as I actually have to bring over 2 weeks worth of SC> clothes SC> etc with me, as well as extra jackets etc for warmth at GFM, so I do SC> need to SC> take quite a bit of stuff. SC> Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated... SC> TIA, SC> tan.
