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How much gear is too much when flying to other countries?

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ChrisMT said:
Hello,

As many others, I, for convenience, usually carry one body (FX DSLR) and two or three lenses on longer trips. If two, for example a 24-120 zoom and a 35 prime.

But my problem regards the size of the carry-on load on planes. Flying in Europe, I usually use a Thule backpack as a carry-on, which also holds a laptop an iPad and some other stuff. It measures 30 x 22 x 52 cm (11.8 x 8.7 x 20.5 in). I’m now deciding on the larger Mindshift Rotation 34, which is 34 x 58 x 26 cm (13.4” x 22.8” x 10.2). But I’m afraid that would stretch the limits for carry-on. Any experiences or thoughts about what usually works when you are entering the plane?
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Any backpack would work. I have seen ridiculously large ones, and they are still allowed in the cabin. The concern is whether they would fit in the overhead bins.

Just by the look of this one, it is tall but not wide enough. I carry a non-camera backpack with my camera bag inside it plus some other stuff like noise-canceling headphones (but NC earbuds work well also), some small necessities, etc. When I get to my destination, the backpack stays in the hotel and I go out with my camera bag only.
 
ChrisMT said:
I’m now deciding on the larger Mindshift Rotation 34, which is 34 x 58 x 26 cm (13.4” x 22.8” x 10.2). But I’m afraid that would stretch the limits for carry-on.
Click to expand...
I live in Europe (England at the moment) but lived and worked in several different European countries. Thus travelled a lot by air. Allowances do vary a bit from airline to airline but in general 55 x 40 x 20 cm is accepted. Some carriers accept bags up to 25 cm wide and some do not accept more than 35cm tall.

Your proposed 34 x 58 x 26 bag definitely seems antisocially large to me. Frankly the sight of people bringing a large carry-on bag and then in addition handbags; bumbags; plastic carrier bags and so on annoys me.

I suggest instead of bigger luggage leave some kit at home. Note as well that if there isn't space on the aircraft your cabbin bag may end up in the hold, like it or not.
 
Yes, that's a good way of organizing it too, and I usually use a shoulder bag if going to a city. On other destinations, I try to do some hiking if possible, and then the backpack needs to be photo orientated, so to speak. Thanks for the comments!
 
David Lal said:
Your proposed 34 x 58 x 26 bag definitely seems antisocially large to me. Frankly the sight of people bringing a large carry-on bag and then in addition handbags; bumbags; plastic carrier bags and so on annoys me.
Click to expand...
Speaking about annoyances, imagine arriving to a different continent, might be even in the middle of the winter with your checked in bag lost/sent to who knows where, and you have to spend a few days with your carry on only. That happened to me more than once. Since then, I carry everything in the cabin for a week trip; and will take a larger suitcase and check it in for longer ones. Most business travelers ("business" does not mean businessmen necessarily) do this, air companies know it but they do not want to alienate them and let them do it, even if it stretches their rules.
 
Hmmm, second thoughts there... (I saw your comments after I answered JACS). I don't find the Thule very large (and avoids other bags onboard) but you might be right about the Mindshift. The problem is there is no store nearby, or in Sweden at all in fact, where I can have a look at it (is it possible to push it together etc.). Have to think this over - thanks David.
 
J A C S said:
Speaking about annoyances, imagine arriving to a different continent, might be even in the middle of the winter with your checked in bag lost/sent to who knows where, and you have to spend a few days with your carry on only. That happened to me more than once. Since then, I carry everything in the cabin for a week trip ...
Click to expand...
Yes, arriving at night in a snow-covered destination without one's luggage has happened to me too and since the last time that happened I always have some kind of spare clothing in the hand baggage.

40 years ago there was a popular song Ich hab noch einen Koffer in Berlin [I still have a suitcase in Berlin]. I was working in Stockholm or Amsterdam at the time and this song used to pop into my head unbidden while waiting, hopefully, at the carousel for my luggage to appear.
 
ChrisMT said:
The problem is there is no store nearby, or in Sweden at all in fact, where I can have a look at it (is it possible to push it together etc.). Have to think this over - thanks David.
Click to expand...
Ah, you are from Stockholm I see. Lovely country and city - I enjoyed my time there.
 
ChrisMT said:
Hello,

As many others, I, for convenience, usually carry one body (FX DSLR) and two or three lenses on longer trips. If two, for example a 24-120 zoom and a 35 prime.

But my problem regards the size of the carry-on load on planes. Flying in Europe, I usually use a Thule backpack as a carry-on, which also holds a laptop an iPad and some other stuff. It measures 30 x 22 x 52 cm (11.8 x 8.7 x 20.5 in). I’m now deciding on the larger Mindshift Rotation 34, which is 34 x 58 x 26 cm (13.4” x 22.8” x 10.2). But I’m afraid that would stretch the limits for carry-on. Any experiences or thoughts about what usually works when you are entering the plane?
Click to expand...
I think most European airlines [check on their web page] use a maximum of 115cm for the three dimensions added, 34+58+26=118 , but check-in staff mostly does not look too closely. So if you walk up with the bag casually hanging of a shoulder [weight is also a point], not bulging at the seams that should work
 
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Carey Brown said:
1x body, 20+ MP
1x telephoto lens, equiv 24-105mm 'ish
1x small flash head
1x "Pocket" camcorder
lightest laptop I can afford (Lenovo X1-Carbon)
Click to expand...
For me, this would be a huge amount of gear!
Carey Brown said:
Not perfect for everything but close enough.

One trip when I did try to carry everything I boxed it all up and shipped it ahead of me.

--
Photos at http://inasphere.com
Click to expand...
--
-------------------------------
My Flickr stream:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottkmacleod/
 
Last edited:
After many years of travel, all I want to do is travel lighter.

It's not just that it's getting harder to keep luggage below size/weight limits. I do not travel alone, and travel partners do not like to stay in one place very long for the amount of time required to justify some types of gear. For example if a situation might require lens changes, tripod setup and takedown, long or multiple exposures, setting up strobes, on a normal vacation type trip I may be with people who don't want to stand around waiting while I manage all that. A lot of people just want to take their phone pic and move on already, and you find yourself constantly lagging behind the group and frustrated that they already want to get back in the car...

With security generally higher everywhere, if I want to visit some museums or sights I may be required to check my bag at the desk before entering. I do not like to leave expensive equipment behind in a lightly guarded room near the front door. It is easier to have a small bag or equipment I can just leave slung over my shoulder so I don't have to check anything, just go in and enjoy the place.

On many trips 98% of the photos are just trip documentation with no potential for "art". This is what made me switch to an RX100 as main travel camera, but today a good phone will do as many pros will tell you. The RX100 fits in my pocket but is very competent with the option of manual exposure and focus, and the 20MP raw images make great prints. I do carry a compact full frame too, but it stays out of sight (from thieves) in a small bag unless a photo opportunity is very special. Then I will ask if we can stay in one spot for a couple minutes so I have time to get it right, and the nice camera comes out.

The more gear you bring the more time you need to justify bringing it. If you are going to bring a tripod, strobes, filters, very specialized lenses, and a whole load more then you need to extend the trip by the time needed to actually make use of all that crp. Like if it would have been a 5-day vacation, I seriously think if that is also going to become a photography trip it should become a 7 or 10-day trip.

If it is going to be one of those "whirlwind tours" of like 1 or 2 nights in each location with packed daily itineraries, I would say screw it and travel light. One good camera, one good lens. You won't have time to settle down and set up in one place for very long. Be a photographer, not a technician.

If you must be a technician, one thing that has worked best for me is up to 1 week in 1 location. Then there is time for days when I go off by myself with my full frame, travel tripod, and second lens, and spend whatever time I want on a single shot.
 
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J A C S said:
David Lal said:
Your proposed 34 x 58 x 26 bag definitely seems antisocially large to me. Frankly the sight of people bringing a large carry-on bag and then in addition handbags; bumbags; plastic carrier bags and so on annoys me.
Click to expand...
Speaking about annoyances, imagine arriving to a different continent, might be even in the middle of the winter with your checked in bag lost/sent to who knows where, and you have to spend a few days with your carry on only. That happened to me more than once. Since then, I carry everything in the cabin for a week trip; and will take a larger suitcase and check it in for longer ones. Most business travelers ("business" does not mean businessmen necessarily) do this, air companies know it but they do not want to alienate them and let them do it, even if it stretches their rules.
Click to expand...
The airlines can do it because there's normally plenty of bin space over Business Class - especially on international flights with lie-flat seating. Fewer seats per linear foot of plane will do that. The airlines don't like bringing carry-on luggage forward from economy, though I've seen them do so selectively.
 
MarkInSF said:
J A C S said:
David Lal said:
Your proposed 34 x 58 x 26 bag definitely seems antisocially large to me. Frankly the sight of people bringing a large carry-on bag and then in addition handbags; bumbags; plastic carrier bags and so on annoys me.
Click to expand...
Speaking about annoyances, imagine arriving to a different continent, might be even in the middle of the winter with your checked in bag lost/sent to who knows where, and you have to spend a few days with your carry on only. That happened to me more than once. Since then, I carry everything in the cabin for a week trip; and will take a larger suitcase and check it in for longer ones. Most business travelers ("business" does not mean businessmen necessarily) do this, air companies know it but they do not want to alienate them and let them do it, even if it stretches their rules.
Click to expand...
The airlines can do it because there's normally plenty of bin space over Business Class - especially on international flights with lie-flat seating. Fewer seats per linear foot of plane will do that. The airlines don't like bringing carry-on luggage forward from economy, though I've seen them do so selectively.
Click to expand...
I did not mean business class. I travel for "business", but I am a poor scientist, and my funding agency covers economy only.
 
I would say better to pack very little. Photography is one of the main joys of travel for me, but that doesn't mean that I need to pack a lot of gear. I'd be taking a mid-range zoom (hopefully one that goes out to 24mm equivalent) and maybe a compact prime or two for low light situations and maybe for using as a kind of "one focal length" walk around type thing as street photographers do. Other than that maybe just batteries, a charge and a mini-pod. Many times where I'm wanting to get a shot in low light, with a slow shutter speed, I just set the timer and put the camera on something - a park bench, ,mailbox, windowsill, etc. A mini-pod can sometimes be useful for this and is small enough that it's worth packing. If you're not likely to be using a laptop for processing the photos as you go or anything else, I'd leave that at home too and just bring a few memory cards...

I just find most of the photos that I take and the best ones are in the range of a mid -range type zoom, and I'm not often using shallow DOF either to where a prime would be more useful. As long as you realize that one lens can do most of what you want, you're not going to miss the rest very much. Better to have less to carry and less to worry about.
 
graybalanced said:
After many years of travel, all I want to do is travel lighter.

It's not just that it's getting harder to keep luggage below size/weight limits. I do not travel alone, and travel partners do not like to stay in one place very long for the amount of time required to justify some types of gear. For example if a situation might require lens changes, tripod setup and takedown, long or multiple exposures, setting up strobes, on a normal vacation type trip I may be with people who don't want to stand around waiting while I manage all that. A lot of people just want to take their phone pic and move on already, and you find yourself constantly lagging behind the group and frustrated that they already want to get back in the car...

With security generally higher everywhere, if I want to visit some museums or sights I may be required to check my bag at the desk before entering. I do not like to leave expensive equipment behind in a lightly guarded room near the front door. It is easier to have a small bag or equipment I can just leave slung over my shoulder so I don't have to check anything, just go in and enjoy the place.

On many trips 98% of the photos are just trip documentation with no potential for "art". This is what made me switch to an RX100 as main travel camera, but today a good phone will do as many pros will tell you. The RX100 fits in my pocket but is very competent with the option of manual exposure and focus, and the 20MP raw images make great prints. I do carry a compact full frame too, but it stays out of sight (from thieves) in a small bag unless a photo opportunity is very special. Then I will ask if we can stay in one spot for a couple minutes so I have time to get it right, and the nice camera comes out.

The more gear you bring the more time you need to justify bringing it. If you are going to bring a tripod, strobes, filters, very specialized lenses, and a whole load more then you need to extend the trip by the time needed to actually make use of all that crp. Like if it would have been a 5-day vacation, I seriously think if that is also going to become a photography trip it should become a 7 or 10-day trip.

If it is going to be one of those "whirlwind tours" of like 1 or 2 nights in each location with packed daily itineraries, I would say screw it and travel light. One good camera, one good lens. You won't have time to settle down and set up in one place for very long. Be a photographer, not a technician.

If you must be a technician, one thing that has worked best for me is up to 1 week in 1 location. Then there is time for days when I go off by myself with my full frame, travel tripod, and second lens, and spend whatever time I want on a single shot.
Click to expand...
IMHO, except for the larger-sensor, the RX100xx does not offer any more than a cell-phone, (except very expensive price). And while "small", it then becomes hard/slow to handle.

I suggested either the FZ1000 or RX10-IV because both offer many-many additional options & features that can enhance a travel-experience.
 
J A C S said:
MarkInSF said:
J A C S said:
David Lal said:
Your proposed 34 x 58 x 26 bag definitely seems antisocially large to me. Frankly the sight of people bringing a large carry-on bag and then in addition handbags; bumbags; plastic carrier bags and so on annoys me.
Click to expand...
Speaking about annoyances, imagine arriving to a different continent, might be even in the middle of the winter with your checked in bag lost/sent to who knows where, and you have to spend a few days with your carry on only. That happened to me more than once. Since then, I carry everything in the cabin for a week trip; and will take a larger suitcase and check it in for longer ones. Most business travelers ("business" does not mean businessmen necessarily) do this, air companies know it but they do not want to alienate them and let them do it, even if it stretches their rules.
Click to expand...
The airlines can do it because there's normally plenty of bin space over Business Class - especially on international flights with lie-flat seating. Fewer seats per linear foot of plane will do that. The airlines don't like bringing carry-on luggage forward from economy, though I've seen them do so selectively.
Click to expand...
I did not mean business class. I travel for "business", but I am a poor scientist, and my funding agency covers economy only.
Click to expand...
Yeah, most companies won't anymore. I fly Business Class on long flights (and some shorter ones), and almost everyone up there is a well-off tourist. I'm too tall and too creaky to fit in economy anymore.
 
We don't do a lot of flying so aren't used to what some airlines might tolerate vs what the figures on their web pages say. This last trip to Europe we were a bit concerned as different legs were different aircraft but might have been "partner" lines planes, too. (There seemed to be no small number of people who clearly stretched the limits and a few seemed to have some at the gate problems, too)

OTOH, with 2 of us and planning on both carry-on and checked, we had two people's allocations to deal with the necessarily carry-on, a fair amount of which was shared when it came to the camera and electronics, so batteries, chargers, adapters, laptop and power supply and the like.
 
It's not a particularly fun camera to use, unlike a number of my other 1" Enthusiast compact cameras (zs100, g7x, among others) but my RX100 M6 nails Focus almost every time whenever I'm tracking action with it. I will bring one of my other cameras when I want something compact for low light situations, but as a casual Snapper that I can make adjustments to and put in my pocket, it's a fantastic option.

I have multiple brands of full frame, apsc, and m43 gear, but as we have younger kids and space is usually at a premium, so sometimes when we travel, all I'm bringing is a g7x for it's fast wide lens, and an RX100m6, or zs100 for telephoto. No need to worry about swapping lenses or bringing multiple bodies and lenses. Besides, we want to enjoy the experience more than worry about juggling camera gear.
 
Richard B99 said:
tbcass said:
Richard B99 said:
Only rules Im aware of are for forbidden items in carry on or checked bags (e.g lithium batteries, ).
Click to expand...
Almost everything electronic has lithium batteries these days so how do they enforce that?
Click to expand...
I guess you don’t fly much or haven’t checked the TSA / airline restrictions when you have checked in. Might be worth a few minutes of your time. Even carrying a bottle of water through security is restricted currently.
Click to expand...
Depends which country you’re in and where you’re flying.

The last time I flew I boarded without any checks whatsoever.

S
 
Wingsfan said:
It's not a particularly fun camera to use, unlike a number of my other 1" Enthusiast compact cameras (zs100, g7x, among others) but my RX100 M6 nails Focus almost every time whenever I'm tracking action with it. I will bring one of my other cameras when I want something compact for low light situations, but as a casual Snapper that I can make adjustments to and put in my pocket, it's a fantastic option.
Click to expand...
I personally own an RX100 VII and think it’s a bit of a dog - slow startup time, bad bokeh, fiddly controls, dim lens.

Much of the time, I use my phone instead.

I have plenty of experience with the camera, having just completed a 10-month trip around the world with it.

I much prefer shooting with my old GM5, but unfortunately I’ve worn it out.

S
Wingsfan said:
I have multiple brands of full frame, apsc, and m43 gear, but as we have younger kids and space is usually at a premium, so sometimes when we travel, all I'm bringing is a g7x for it's fast wide lens, and an RX100m6, or zs100 for telephoto.
Click to expand...
I’ve thought about doing this too - I don’t shoot telephoto much, and the RX is small enough to carry for the rare times I shoot beyond 100mm while I can use a better-handling camera for shorter focal lengths.

S
Wingsfan said:
No need to worry about swapping lenses or bringing multiple bodies and lenses. Besides, we want to enjoy the experience more than worry about juggling camera gear.
Click to expand...
--
-------------------------------
My Flickr stream:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottkmacleod/
 
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