Traveling Successfully with Camera Gear

I am a petite woman and lugging camera gear around can be a big chore for me, especially lifting it overhead in airplane compartments while traveling. You know the scene: a line of tired and frustrated travelers are backed up behind you and you finally heft up a massive suitcase only to find it barely fits – or worse doesn’t fit – and the flight attendant insists you now check your camera bag that is worth more than a new Subaru BRZ straight off the line.

Yes, this happens as it did a couple of years ago to my fellow photographer and travel companion. She had her Pelican case forced into being checked at boarding and we saw it dropped with all contents spilled on the airport tarmac at landing. She received it at baggage in a large bin, camera to lenses to batteries thrown in haphazardly, and a $2,000 rental lens destroyed and multiple other items scratched and lightly damaged. This resulted in both of us going into full on panic attacks as the wedding was the next day. That moment totally sucked.

On that trip, as with all of my other trips taken in the last 8+ years, I had all of my equipment safely stowed in THINK TANK PHOTO cases. In fact, just yesterday, I flew home after a successful shoot for Nature Consortium with my TTP Airport AirStream as my “1 carry on” packed full with DSLR setup and backup including 2 bodies, 5 lenses, 2 speed lights, my Westcott Micro Apollo 2200, Nasty Clamps,batteries galore, and memory cards safe and sound in their Pixel Pocket Rockets, PLUS I had my gigantic 17″ laptop and travel documents safe and sound in the Urban Disguise 60 V2.0 laptop and camera bag as my “1 personal item”.

Yes, this was my CARRY-ON solution and I personally fit both pieces in the overhead compartments without a hitch. My purse (minus my wallet and important personal items I tossed into the Urban Disguise) along with clothing, shoes, gaffer tape, surge protector and other easily replaceable gear was in my one checked bag. I LOVE and swear by this ThinkTank Photo camera gear setup for ALL my assignments when traveling!

To grab this set up yourself, or mix-and-match TTP camera bags, here are the links:
Airport AirStream – https://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/airport-airstream?rfsn=140018.1cb651
Urban Disguise 60 V2.0 – https://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/urban-disguise-60-classic-v3-0?rfsn=140018.1cb651

My full gear list is over at: https://photosister.com/gear-list/

p.s. THINK TANK PHOTO gives all my friends a free gift (like their small Travel Pouch (LOVE), Multimedia Mic drop In, Pro DSLR Battery Holder, Red Whips, Limited Edition Pixel Pocket Rocket, and MORE cool stuff) when you use my affiliate link – thank you from TTP and myself!