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Tripod Case for Airline Check-in

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JStratmann

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I will be flying next month within the continental U.S. and will be taking my tripod (Manfrotto 190XPROB-3). Unfortunately I won't be able to place the tripod into our luggage.

Would appreciate recommendations on a tripod case capable of safely and securely holding the tripod and attached camera head. Again, this will be checked baggage.

Thanks!
 
you've noticed most all tripod cases are soft or at best have lots of padding.

That's nothing for a good baggage handler who can destroy your tripod and leave the case looking daisy fresh. I still wonder how they manage to melt things, but I digress.

You need a hard case - and I've found these work pretty well:

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3741729&cid=CSE:BingShopping
Lots of other sources, any good sporting goods or even amazon probably.

There are some that are even less, and definitely more. The ones with the "egg carton" type foam are the easiest to configure, and will hold your tripod securely. I guess if you plan to use it a lot then go check out the things for the best clasps, feel etc.

Pelican makes really good softer cases , and they also make rifle cases - but very pricey.

Also on the upside is people tend to leave you alone when you're carrying one. :)
 
I cannot fathom why you cannot pack your cloths around it in a regular suitcase or roller bag. That is what I do & my tripod has always arrived safe & sound and the clothes don't seem to mind the company
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Warren
 
Since you are going to have to pay to check the tripod, and you are going to have to buy a tripod case, why not buy a suitcase that is big enough to fit your tripod? The cost for a new suitcase can't be that much greater than the cost of a tripod bag plus the baggage fees for a round trip flight. I, too, always pack my tripod in my suitcase .... and I have a huge (7' tall when extended) Gitzo. Plus it saves the fees for checking an extra bag.
 
You would be surprised at how well your tripod will fit in a suitcase with the head removed. I do this when I have to pack my tripod in a Pelican case enroute to a river trip. The head is really an awkward item with knobs everywhere. Pack it in your undies !!

I have to take 2 Pelican cases 1 for my backpack an 1 for my camera ( Sinar ) & I really don't want to send a third case.. Good Luck and make many good images.

Bob
 
Like CameraCarl said, buy yourself a bigger suitcase. Besides lower overall cost your tripod is somewhat hidden from the baggage handlers when its wrapped in cloths in your suitcase so less likley to be stolen. Stuff gets stolen out of checked bags all the time. In fact all always take my ballhead off and put that into my carryone as thats expensive. Legs go into main suitcase hidden in the cloths as best as possable.
CameraCarl said:
Since you are going to have to pay to check the tripod, and you are going to have to buy a tripod case, why not buy a suitcase that is big enough to fit your tripod? The cost for a new suitcase can't be that much greater than the cost of a tripod bag plus the baggage fees for a round trip flight. I, too, always pack my tripod in my suitcase .... and I have a huge (7' tall when extended) Gitzo. Plus it saves the fees for checking an extra bag.
Click to expand...
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http://www.pbase.com/dc9mm
 
I've packed my tripod in one of my bags many times - on long flights and vacations.

I've also been arriving for a job and it can be a bit unprofessional to dig through your bags, pull your wife's undies off of your ball head and tell somebody "take this, this and - uh, it's here somewhere - yeah, this to the shoot. Oh, need a paper bag for all that?"

I like my gear packed up and looking good when making an entrance, whether I'm carrying it or it's there waiting for me.

But, I'm funny that way.
 
As the previous poster noted you need to be aware of your arrival plans. I always go a day early so I don't have that problem - Yea Right!! Noticed the Airline arrival times ?

When I plan a river trip I do not want to get on the river for 10 days without a tripod, so I arrive 3 -4 days early so everything can catch up & I can catch my breath! I have seen to many people arrive just in time & it then takes them half the trip to get in the rhythm

Also if you do much traveling consider a tripod for your trips that will fit in your luggage - consider how often will you use all 7 feet of your tripod ?

Another thing I do is to use a Linhof Quick release system on my tripod.

My Sinar, with a Linhof plate, will then mount quickly & when I want to use my digital I have a Really Right Stuff quick release & pan head mounted on a Linhof plate.

Try to simplify & make things do more than one task so you have less to worry about & to lose. You can then spend your time photographing - after al isn't what the trip is for?

This may be more than the tripod case you asked for, but I thought I'd pass it on in case it might be of use.
 
You asked when a 7 foot tripod can be useful. Here are a few:

I'm 6'1" tall so I never have to stoop over to use my tripod, even when I am shooting birds in flight overhead, or mammals on rocky cliff faces.

I use a step stool and the tripod to get up high enough to do broad landscapes of prairies in bloom.

I can shoot over hedges and brush alongside the road.

I can stand on the edge of a river or cliff, extend one leg an extra foot or two and not have to bend over to get the shot (at the risk of falling which I might do if I had to stand hunched over).

And when I don't need the height, it collapses to about 28 inches.
 
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