Traveling questions - no specific location

Monophoto · Jan 9, 2007

I will be traveling by air next month and am planning to take along my LF kit. The question relates to the tripod - I know it will have to go as checked luggage, but I am curious about how folks have done that.

Some of the obvious options include:

1. Pack it up in an ordinary canvass tripod case.
2. Use a larger suitcase, and put the tripod inside, wrapped carefully in underwear.
3. Construct a rigid box from 1/2" plywood. My estimate is that the box itself would weigh 12-15 pounds, so the total package would be somewhere short of 20 pounds.

I have done (1) successfully although I was very anxious about the tripod actually getting to the destination. I have also done (2) several times, but with a larger suitcase there is an issue of total weight, and I had one experience where the airline insisted on charging me an overweight premium.

Thoughts?
:confused:

eddym · Jan 9, 2007

I'll tell you what I do, and also what suggestions I have heard that sound good. I use a heavy duty tripod case that I bought at B&H some years ago. I carry the tripod and sometimes a light stand, if I expect to need one. Then I pack my underwear, a sweater, and/or other clothing in the case for padding. I've never had any damage yet, but you never know. The case has a clear plastic-covered slot for a business card, and I insert mine there, as it has my address, phone #, cell, etc. I lock the zippers closed with plastic electrical wire ties to prevent accidental unzipping. TSA folks will cut them on occasion, but not always.
Good ideas that I have heard:
1) Buy a pvc pipe large enough in diameter to accomodate your tripod. Glue a cap to one end and a threaded adapter to the other, and a threaded plug to fit in the adapter. Lock the threaded plug with duct tape. Indestructible.
2) If you have a lot of gear to ship, buy a Golf Guard:
http://www.golfguard.net/golfguarddeluxe.html
They are quite reasonably priced and designed to protect golf clubs from baggage handlers.

David Henderson · Jan 9, 2007

No. 2

Airlines are becoming much more restrictive about the total weight of checked baggage, as well as the weight of individual bags. On most airlines I've used the limit on overall weight is far more onerous because its increasingly being seen as a revenue opportunity. So you need to minimise total weight, which requires avoidance of extra bags/boxes which just add weight. Further there's less chance of one bag going missing than one of two.

If your head is irreplaceable or valuable, carry it on if you can.

bill schwab · Jan 9, 2007

David Henderson said:
Airlines are becoming much more restrictive about the total weight of checked baggage, as well as the weight of individual bags.

I get around this when I can by using a Skycap. Give the guy a 10... or even a 5 while he's writing me up and he usually lets me slide with a warning. Better than an overweight baggage fee. It has worked many times for me.

Bill

Curt · Jan 9, 2007

I put my tripod in a Samsonite hardside with TSA locks so I can lock it and TSA can lock and unlock to inspect if they want. The locks are of course TSA approved meaning they have a master key. I put the tripod in diagonally and wrapped in clothes. The suit case is really tough and can be tossed around and believe me they toss them around. It met the max weight on my last over seas trip and had no trouble at all, carried on the cameras lenses etc.

TheFlyingCamera · Jan 9, 2007

two solutions-

a: carbon-fiber tripod with at least three-section if not four-section legs.

b: take the head off, and pack the legs and the head separately in the suitcase.

I've not had a problem with this method yet. With 4-section legs, I can get my tripod in even a fairly small suitcase without taking up too much room for other things like clothes. The carbon-fiber keeps the weight down so I don't run afoul of the overweight baggage charges.

photomc · Jan 9, 2007

another solution I have read about, but have not used myself is to use one of the hard golf club cases. the tripod will fit in there without a problem and from what I have read, the club bags are not as restricted as other items. just another possiblity.

eddie gunks · Jan 14, 2007

i put the tripod in my checked bag. i do this on international flights also. in the US i ship a lot of my gear by the post office. i ship it GPO to myself. works great. thats how my 8x10 got to zion.

eddie

PhotoJim · Jan 16, 2007

David Henderson said:
Further there's less chance of one bag going missing than one of two.

That's true, but if you have only one checked bag and it gets lost by the airline, you've lost everything except what you have on your person and in your carryon bag. If you have two bags and one gets lost, you have some of your stuff, at least.

The British Royal Family travels on separate aircraft even when going to identical destinations, for this very reason - at least, members who are in proximity in the succession to the throne do so. Charles' sons never travel on his flight, because if it goes down and kills them all, that changes the succession a lot.

Kilgallb · Jan 17, 2007

If you are going to a major Hotel, Fedex the gear ahead of time to your Hotel. This works for me. Usually the hotel will have the package in your room waiting.

wclavey · Jan 25, 2007

Kilgallb said:
If you are going to a major Hotel, Fedex the gear ahead of time to your Hotel. This works for me. Usually the hotel will have the package in your room waiting.

I have done this alot, and it works, but call the hotel and make sure they will accept a FedEx addressed to you in advance of your arrival. My son was a competitive ice dancer and skated for Team USA. We would ship his good skates FedEx and he would pack an old practice pair in his luggage (prior to TSA relaxing the 'no sporting gear that could be weapons" rule...). We did this numerous times a year. Some hotel chains would not accept the FedEx shipment unless we were already checked in; some took it fine in advance. It's worth the simple call to confirm and not be surprised when you get there only to find they sent it back.

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