Interesting review on the Think Tank bag.
I wonder how many people would be willing to pay a truly premium price (say, $500-$800) for a bag similar to the International, that weighs ~5 pounds. I think you might be able to do it with titanium struts, kevlar sail material, and relatively thin closed-foam padding.
When I was traveling to the Middle East a lot, I made the mistake of buying a "store" brand bag with wheels -- but then when I got to where I was going, I had to do some "off-roading" with it. Just a few hundred yards at a time, but over rough concrete and pitted tarmac. In the six weeks I was there, I broke both the wheels and the handle, and wound up having to carry it until lI could get it replaced. Really good skate-board quality wheels are critical in a bag like this, if you think you migth off-road at all...
Somehat OT, Michael, if you have occasion, you might write a note about how the other equipment (like the Hassy) held up and handled in the Antarctic. Any problems?
JC
Full Version: Bag junkies
I have a piece on how everyone's gear (all 45 photographers) stood up to the trip.
Some interesting anecdotes. Coming in a week or two.
M
Some interesting anecdotes. Coming in a week or two.
M
Multiple bags, multiple strategies
In addition to Michael's baggage management strategies, I have my own additions and variants:
Instead of a photo vest, I use a jacket from Scott eVest Scott eVest . Scott eVest was originally just a maker of vests, but they've added jackets and other clothing. I use a full-size jacket with zip-out fleece liner from Scott with a huge number of pockets; sleeves zip off to convert jacket to a vest. It attracts less attention than a photographer's vest. I have even carried a wide-screen laptop in the large pocket across the back of the jacket onto a tiny puddle-jumper plane with no carry-on space with nobody noticing. I just have to be careful not to sit on the laptop.
If you put your tripod in your checked baggage, be sure to put the tripod head in your carry-on. If the airline loses your checked bag, tripod legs are easier to replace from a local camera shop than your favorite tripod head with Arca-Swiss mounts and clamps.
If the hard-sided Pelican case or hard-framed rolling bag weighs a lot when empty like the ThinkTank Intl, use it to check clothing and non-critical gear into the luggage compartment instead of carryon, and carry on your important gear in a soft, light weight bag (like a Moose Peterson bag) to save the carry-on weight allowance for gear. Then when you arrive at the destination airport, swap the camera gear back into the hard/rolling case for local transport/storage.
You could also just use a lightweight Moose Peterson soft-side bag Moose Peterson Bags and roll it on one of those collapsing/folding luggage wheel carts and pack the cart into your checked baggage when your arrive at the airport.
In addition to Michael's baggage management strategies, I have my own additions and variants:
Instead of a photo vest, I use a jacket from Scott eVest Scott eVest . Scott eVest was originally just a maker of vests, but they've added jackets and other clothing. I use a full-size jacket with zip-out fleece liner from Scott with a huge number of pockets; sleeves zip off to convert jacket to a vest. It attracts less attention than a photographer's vest. I have even carried a wide-screen laptop in the large pocket across the back of the jacket onto a tiny puddle-jumper plane with no carry-on space with nobody noticing. I just have to be careful not to sit on the laptop.
If you put your tripod in your checked baggage, be sure to put the tripod head in your carry-on. If the airline loses your checked bag, tripod legs are easier to replace from a local camera shop than your favorite tripod head with Arca-Swiss mounts and clamps.
If the hard-sided Pelican case or hard-framed rolling bag weighs a lot when empty like the ThinkTank Intl, use it to check clothing and non-critical gear into the luggage compartment instead of carryon, and carry on your important gear in a soft, light weight bag (like a Moose Peterson bag) to save the carry-on weight allowance for gear. Then when you arrive at the destination airport, swap the camera gear back into the hard/rolling case for local transport/storage.
You could also just use a lightweight Moose Peterson soft-side bag Moose Peterson Bags and roll it on one of those collapsing/folding luggage wheel carts and pack the cart into your checked baggage when your arrive at the airport.
QUOTE (dnheller @ Mar 1 2007, 10:12 PM)
Multiple bags, multiple strategies
If the hard-sided Pelican case or hard-framed rolling bag weighs a lot when empty like the ThinkTank Intl, use it to check clothing and non-critical gear into the luggage compartment instead of carryon, and carry on your important gear in a soft, light weight bag (like a Moose Peterson bag) to save the carry-on weight allowance for gear. Then when you arrive at the destination airport, swap the camera gear back into the hard/rolling case for local transport/storage.
If the hard-sided Pelican case or hard-framed rolling bag weighs a lot when empty like the ThinkTank Intl, use it to check clothing and non-critical gear into the luggage compartment instead of carryon, and carry on your important gear in a soft, light weight bag (like a Moose Peterson bag) to save the carry-on weight allowance for gear. Then when you arrive at the destination airport, swap the camera gear back into the hard/rolling case for local transport/storage.
Like that idea. Never occurred to me. Most of my flights involve only one change of planes, so the stuff wouldn't get knocked around too much; wrap them in protective foam wraps to keep them apart...it's a concept.
JC
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