I don't travel much anymore but when I have I make sure to keep my body, lenses and necessary accessories in a small backpack or Think Tank urban disguise 40. You can actually cram a ton of stuff in there and it is small enough that you can take it on any plane. Other stuff I just check if I can't bring it on with my Think Tank carry-on.

When I worked at a tech corporate trainer I shipped everything in Pelican cases. 2 cases, $280,000 worth of computer type of equipment shipped 68 times (FedEx)in a year and only had a charging pack cracked (that was on the bottom and not padded). Great cases and if you take the time with the inserts they will protect everything quite well. Don't look like much but worth the lack of looks if you need to travel a bunch.

kanuck said:
Holly crap this is quite the story. Knowing my luck (especially with airports) I'd be that 10th time.

Sideways, about that 8 foot dead drop I wonder if Pelican cases would save the day? :)

I do like Pelican & Hardigg (now owned by Pelican) cases. I suspect their cases would take the fall without bursting but it's still a huge shock to the gear inside. You'd need really funky padding to absorb the shock - a soft layer, a denser layer and a crushable layer of foam polystyrene like in a motorcyle helmet. I've never seen a case or bag with anything like that. Hmm, quick, off to the patent office ...

Find a friend like Skintbrit to travel with :-)

Cheers

kanuck said:
Holly crap this is quite the story. Knowing my luck (especially with airports) I'd be that 10th time.

Sideways, about that 8 foot dead drop I wonder if Pelican cases would save the day? :)

If my Pelican fell 8 feet on to a runway, they'd have to re-surface! Seriously though, when I have been asked by gate staff to check my camera equipment, I have just explained its importance to my living and it's value, and asked what insurance against loss the airline has, and have always been able to carry it on. Maybe I've been lucky, or am just proficient in sweet talking?

Check out this thread:

http://nikonrumors.com/forum/topic.php?id=5646

You will never want to travel with gear again :-)

Holly crap this is quite the story. Knowing my luck (especially with airports) I'd be that 10th time.

Sideways, about that 8 foot dead drop I wonder if Pelican cases would save the day? :)

Sorry @LoveThe Berry - a locking system on the roller doesn't make a blind bit of difference.

The first rule of air travel is that if someone in baggage handling wants something they'll take it.

It IS nice to be reminded that most folk are good guys though and 9 times out of 10 you'll come through OK, but it's sad when that 10th time arrives ...

In the circumstances I think I'd react just like you. If I wasn't in a position to push the point and insist or move to a later plane, I'd pull the highest value items out and decide whether I could afford to gamble the rest.

It's always worth making lots of noise ! Customer service hate a big scene that draws lots of attention and shows them up. Raise your voice and refuse to hand over your kit for as long as possible. Be an obstacle, don't let them take you off to the side. It might just make them back down.

If you're travelling standby and don't have any booking or right to expect a seat and the advertised baggage allowances then you did all that you could and at least had a strong case to protect your gear in the hold.

I'll never forget waiting for my plane one time in a small airport. I was watching suitcases taken from the hold of a plane being loaded into a baggage truck out on the airfield. They put the bags onto a powered conveyor that lifted them up into the open back of the truck. When the truck was full, the driver just hopped in and drove it away. Ten suitcases that happened to be on the conveyor carried on up and happily crashed straight back down onto the tarmac -an 8 foot dead drop :-)

You've just reminded me to get some more insurance !

You mean your D4? I thought the international version fit under the seat?

framer

Traveling out of the country. Using my ThinkTank roller (international) when all of a sudden, there is a change in planes that will not hold this carry-on and must be checked,

Mad scramble at gate ensues. What gets checked and what is loaded in my arms.
D4s and 70-200 with me, for sure. All other is checked. End result,... Nothing broken or stolen due to locking system on TT roller.

What do you do in this situation?