TRAVELING WITH AN EF 600 F4L IS USM

I will be traveling to Yellowstone later this week and will take my EF 600 F4L IS USM (the "600") with me. How should I transport the 600? Should I pack it in my Pelican 1600 and check it with the airline? Or, should I pack the 600 in the Pelican 1600, then place the Pelican 1600 in a well packed FedEx box and send it to a friend of my in Billings, Montana to hold until I arrive the next day? Your thoughts will be appreciated.

Best regards,

Roman

I take my non-Canon, non-Nikon 600/4 with me in my LowePro Pro Trekker as carry-on. Have never had any problems. If I am on a smaller jet, such as sometimes are used to fly into Jackson Hole, or probably Billings too (but not sure), I do a gate check and again have had no problems knowing that I will pick it up plane side after the flight (but I know some are afraid of gate checking and there probably are horror stories out there of a gate check gone bad). If I had a Pelican with the right padding, I would probably be willing to check it, but with the concern that checked baggage doesn't always make it to the final destination with the passenger.

Before you go with FedEx you probably ought to check with your friend and find out how the local FedEx person delivers stuff. Frankly, I wouldn't use them based on my experience, particularly after reading the thread on FM about what they did to a recent delivery of a 70-200/2.8 (also check the Youtube video of a $400 cell-phone delivery, page 2, for the proper method of tossing expensive electronic gear. )

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/803489/0

Where are you traveling from? There are many options with the ThinkTank Airport security roller being the most popular for domestic travel as a legal carry on. Alternately the Kiboko bag is a lighter weight backpack option. They are both in the NSN store under bags and cases.

If you won't be taking a regional jet, I'd highly recommend the Kiboko bag.

Check out this page showing one scenario of how I pack the airport security...

http://naturescapes.net/docs/index.php/articles/133

I also love my Kiboko bag but when I travel with a lot of stuff the security is what I use because it holds the most stuff and is easier to get around the airport. I still take the Kiboko for feild work in my checked bag in many occasions and also use it when I need a smaller bag or when traveling internationally to places like Africa.

Wow, thats impressive Greg. Just a quick side question, do you think the Airport Security would fit the Canon 800? Its a tight squeeze into the Kiboko, but it gets in there.

Yes absolutely yes.

Dear Greg:

I will be traveling from South Florida to Billings, Montana, departing out of either West Palm Beach of Fort Lauderdale.
Consequently, I am pretty confident that I will be flying on full-size jets.

My main concern is that with a Think Tank Airport Addicted (Vers. 1) backpack loaded with gear, I won't be allowed to
have a second carry on item large enough to protect the EF 600 F4l IS USM (the "600"). The 600 does not fit in my
Think Tank Airport Addicted (Vers. 1). Plus, if airline personnel get into weight issues and decided that a backpack
or bag with all of my gear is to heavy, they may force me to make a choice between foregoing the trip or
checking my backpack or gear bag.

When I went to Jackson Hole in February, I had an EF 500 F4L IS USM placed in my Think Tank
Airport Addicted (Vers. 1) together with my other camera gear. I flew on full size jets to and from Jackson Hole and
had no problems. Once I was in Jackson Hole, I drove over the continental divide to Sheridan and stayed with friends.
Then, I dropped off a rental car and took a commuter jet from Billings, Montana back to Jackson Hole. The commuter
jet was small and would not accommodate a Think Tank Airport Addicted (Vers. 1). Luckily, the commuter
jet was not full, and the flight attendant let me put my backpack on the floor in front of two vacant seats.

How much gear can I fit into an Airport Security bag? Will it hold the 600, two camera bodies (1D Mk III and
1Ds Mk III), battery charger, CF card reader, CF cards, EF 24-70 F2.8L, EF 70-200 F2.8L IS USM, 1.4 MK II TC,
and a couple of filters for the zooms?

Best regards,

Roman:-)


Best regards,

Roman

All those items would fit, along with the 600 (less hood), quite easily in the Security roller or the same should fit into your bag. The weight is another story but I have never been stopped for weight, or even to be weighed, on any domestic flight. I will admit that I fly first class a bit and that getting on the plane early is important to ensure you have an available overhead bin. I avoid regional flights as much as possible. When a regional flight is anticipated I pack the security bag lighter with more padding and gate check it (reluctantly) with reassurance that my bag will not be delivered to the carousel but handed back to me at the gate. If dead set on taking the backpack as well (to use in the field) then pack it in your checked baggage with hoods and other fragile items inside another checked bag (I use hard sided Samsonite suitcases.)

thedigitalbean wrote:If you won't be taking a regional jet, I'd highly recommend the Kiboko bag.

It depends. I have yet to find a regional jet other than the ERJ planes where the Gura Gear Kiboko bag won't fit. Even on an ERJ plane the bag can fit down by your feet.

abiggs wrote:

thedigitalbean wrote:If you won't be taking a regional jet, I'd highly recommend the Kiboko bag.

It depends. I have yet to find a regional jet other than the ERJ planes where the Gura Gear Kiboko bag won't fit. Even on an ERJ plane the bag can fit down by your feet.

Thats very good to hear. Have you gotten much hassle from gate agents when taking the Kiboko on a regional jet? I guess I'm just a little paranoid since if I had the 800 and a 1Ds3 in mine, there's absolutely no way I would permit it to get stowed in the hold (even if it meant missing the flight).

I have sometimes gotten weird looks, but I have never been hassled with carrying on camera gear in a bag that I know will fit in the overhead.