SO this is what I’m up to the next two days, packing for my Asia tour! Airlines are getting stickier about heavy carryons – Druk Air is 11 lbs!! So’s Bangkok Airways to Cambodia. sigh. It’s just hard to let some of this go into the checked bag, but really it comes down to just having your basic kit with you on the plane so you can photograph when you get there, right? So I’m whittling it down, down, down, and it is STILL not 11 lbs. Nor will it be, no way with 2 bodies, three lenses, straps, ballhead, batteries and charger and the bag to carry that in.
Speaking of bags, my friends at Think Tank Photo are having a 20% off blowout-sale on their Modular and Skin Cases and Pouches.
And when you spend over $49.50, you get a great new selection of a free gift: In addition to the Pixel Pocket Rocket, Cable Management 10, and Security tag, they now can also select a LARGE Lens Drop In, RU Thirsty, Whip it Out, Skin 50, Skin 75 Pop Down, Skin Double Wide, Skin Strobe, or a Skin Chimp Cage.
Check out the product sale here:
So my likely 12 lbs. of gear will go inside my Speed Racer or Speed Freak, and the total weight will be somewhere around 16-18 lbs. I’ll have offloaded into my vest, to be ready.
I will say that the bags of choice for me have been the Think Tank Photo Speed Racer and Speed Freak – they are terrific for working out of when on location doing travel photography. they are streamlined, really functional and well-made.
Are you not taking a laptop at all? Holy crap! I don’t think I could do that… but you know me.
Well put, Alan! ha ha. It’s kinda scaring me, too, but the 11 lb limit on carryon on Druk Air and Bangkok Air to Cambodia has really put us all in a head-spin. If they stick to that and weigh our stuff, we ‘toast” as they say. So as long as this works at least 1 dozen times before I leave, I’m going with this plan. I can see my images and I can post using my ipad, even, so it should be fine. eeeeeeekkk….
Thanks, Bob – yes, I bring a flash but I check it – nobody ever steals a flash!! And I’m doing this trip with my iPad, a ColorSpace Hyperdrive, and two externals, for backups. The iPad is for my presentation to the group, the hyperdrive the main download and the other externals the backup. It works – I’ve run it in Guatemala as a test, and again here around town, and it will be a lighter way to go with that, thank goodness! But to travel without a spare camera body? Yikes, I couldn’t do it. Of course, my iPhone or my Lumix could be the ‘spare’, but I like having two cameras to work with, one with a short lens, one with a longer lens, to be at the ready, and I use a Black Rapid double strap so I really walk around ‘light’ that way, no big bag on my hip or shoulder..
What is your main camera currently? I know you had blogged about a GH1 I think? or something like that? Anyway, it can be interesting to travel internationally without dealing with the schlepp factor but having what you need with you. Good luck on your plans, too!
This is a tough situation. I have never brought a backup body on a flying trip. Driving trips (and then have never used). Do you use your flash much? Your flash stand? Is one of you bringing your laptop? If so, download the manuals to it and leave the paper ones behind.
I am in the process of acquiring a smaller system myself, because I have several foreign trips planned. Good luck!