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Seeking your advice: Travelling with Leica M...


Saloti

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Question:

 

What do I have to do with regard to packing & insurance while travelling with my

peli 1510 case containing 3 M-bodies, 7 lenses and some other stuff ?

 

You can´t take this into the airplane-cabin, and what is about insurance ?

 

I really appreciate advices from experienced travellers.

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Lothar:

 

If there is one piece of advise I can give you is to always carry your gear with you into the cabin and never check it in.

 

Whenever I travel within the US or abroad, my gear consists of 3 M8s, 1 M7 and 1 MP along with a 21, 35, 50 and 75. All that gear easily fits into a Glass Taxi, made by Think Tank Photo (Professional photography equipment - camera bags, camera cases - from Think Tank Photo) and about the same size as a regular backpack.

 

My business liability insurance covers all my equipment and a $2,000,000 policy costs around $800/year. While my insurance policy will cover any damage/lost if I were to check the gear with the rest of my luggage, I can't arrive to a foreign country days before a client's wedding without any equipment. Think about it, you can easily buy a brand new wardrobe upon arrival to your destination but you may not necessarily find replacement gear.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Cheers,

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As Riccis said, don't check your camera gear. It probably won't be at the other end. You do need insurance, here in the US you can get specific insurance like Riccis or get a rider to your homeowner's to cover the equipment. I don't know how you would get coverage in Germany. Take photographs that include serial nrs.

 

The Pelican 1510 is designed to be a carry-on. Is it now too big?

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Lothar -

 

Never, never ever check valuables or medications. Always carry them on. Completely rethink how you will pack your gear. If you must have the Pelican case later, pack clothing in it to check, and switch things around once you're at your destination. Don't be surprised if your clothing is rifled through once it's checked in the Pelican case.

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Guest noah_addis

Just to reinforce what others have said, don't ever check your gear (or film!) with your baggage. Carry it on or you're at risk of losing it.

 

Last time I traveled with film I took 3 M bodies and five lenses. I wrapped each of the bodies in a domke lenswrap. I split the lenses into my two larger ones and three smaller ones and wrapped each of the two sets with a large domke wrap (line up the lenses back to back and wrap them to make a tube.)

 

I then put 100 rolls of tri-x in a small northface backpack, put the three bodies and two 'tubes' of lenses in the top and I was ready to go. I packed my empty domke satchel in my checked baggage for once I arrived.

 

This one carry-on could hold all of my photo gear plus a book and other stuff. It fit under the seat.

 

I've never had a problem carrying gear this way and I like the fact that my bag doesn't look like a fancy camera bag.

 

I have camera insurance that includes international coverage, and I strongly recommend you get some kind of coverage since you're bringing so much gear. You could get a rider on your homeowner's policy, but without one you certainly won't be covered for professional photo gear.

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... Pelican case later, pack clothing in it to check, and switch things around once you're at your destination....
What I would have thought.

 

Don't be surprised if your clothing is rifled through once it's checked in the Pelican case.
Didnt expect this though. Where have people struck trouble?
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Rob -

 

So far we've not had trouble, but we always meet people in our travels who do. For example, in Botswana we met a couple from Denver who had their valuables (cameras, binocs, jewelry) in checked luggage, and it all disappeared someplace between Denver and Jo'burg. They went on a quick shopping spree before their safari, but had to settle for inadequate gear. He has since bought the Panasonic equivalent to the V-Lux, loves it and rues that he didn’t buy it in Jo’Burg before going on to Botswana. In Borneo another man kept his camera gear with him but checked its spare batteries and battery charger. Uh huh. He only caught one day’s worth of photos before his remaining battery went flat. His disappeared between Heathrow and Kuala Lumpur.

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Question:

 

What do I have to do with regard to packing & insurance while travelling with my

peli 1510 case containing 3 M-bodies, 7 lenses and some other stuff ?

 

You can´t take this into the airplane-cabin, and what is about insurance ?

 

I really appreciate advices from experienced travellers.

 

Mildly ironic as the peli 1510 is called a carry-on bag... it weighs 6.17kg all by itself...

 

As others have suggested, check the peli-case and carry the camera gear on in a cabin friendly bag. I pull the insert out of whatever bag I plan to use when i get there, and stuff that into my cabin-sized backpack with all my gear inside. There are any number of cabin size bags around (lowepro spring to mind) that you could use.

 

If you're staying in a hotel that has a room safe, leave the peli-case behind and take a decent (not too big) camera backpack, and a smaller shoulder bag. When you arrive, put the stuff you're not using in the room safe, I can easily fit two bodies and 6 lenses in the typical safe - so you should be fine.

 

To avoid weight checks, I typically put some of my camera gear in the backpack, and the majority in my hadley pro (2 bodies, up to 6 lenses). They always weigh the backpack, and ignore the hadley because it looks small. I put the other stuff like ipod, earphones, waterbottle etc in the hadley as well. It can pay to carry one of your cameras with heaviest lens around your neck, to reduce the apparent carry-on weight. If you really have too much weight, buy something at the airport and put some stuff in the shopping bag... it's bad for business to stop you taking items purchased at the airport onto the plane ;)

 

In the UK, Glover & Howe Insurance provide camera gear insurance with up to 60 day overseas travel coverage. It's not cheap, but it's way cheaper than standard travel insurance. Your gear is also covered if checked in, in case some security issue forces you to check any of it.

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I thank all of you for the valuable comments.

 

Yes, it is much more intelligent to take the stuff into the cabin,

in a back pack, the peli case is too heavy.

 

I will contact my insurance for coverage, thanks again to all of you.

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To follow on to what others have said, Think Tank makes a backpack that works specifically with the 1510: Professional photography equipment - camera bags, camera cases - from Think Tank Photo

 

I have one, and it works. If the airline balks at me using the 1510 as a carryon, I just pull the Ultralight out of the case and take that aboard instead (gate check the 1510, and it usually shows up first at baggage claim). For some reason, they don't have a problem with me taking the Ultralight on board, even though it isn't that much smaller than the 1510.

 

If you have to check the 1510 with all the gear in it, use locks on both of the latches, and hope for the best. Arrange insurance cover well before you go, I haven't run into any ticket agents lately who are willing to sell me any on the spot.

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As everyone said - never ever ever ever ever check photo gear in. I always carry with me on a Lowepro bag , if doesnt fit rethink your lens/bodies usage. Just dont check them in.

 

Also, get some insurance - I-ve spent a few thounsands on gear, its not a 100 a year that is going to kill me. Stealing, breaking or damaging the gear without any compensation might :)

 

Enjoy the trip !

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