Flying with ALL my camera equipment, advice & ?'s

11/14/2005 11:36:03 AM · #26

Originally posted by Chiqui:

At the risk of being showered with rotten tomatoes, with such a bag, you'll probably be OK checking it with the rest of your luggage. I've done it :)

June

Yes, you can and everything will probably be OK, but in addition to the risk of some baggage handler that's having a bad day induced damage, you also are now open to that bag being lost. If you have all of your gear in that one bag and you are going on an important trip, that might be somewhat less than satisfactory.

I do what the pros do, carry on enough gear to get the job done and check the rest. For most of us, that means carrying on our camera bag.

11/14/2005 11:52:15 AM · #27

"How would you like your bag falling on your head during turbulence?"

30lbs is really not a lot. (My laptop bag, with portable printer, accessories, cables, book, etc. weighs fairly close to 30lbs. when fully loaded but is just a backpack so it easily fits.)

And those carry-on bins are supposed to handle much more than that. Biggest problem with those things opening up is a) they were not closed properly. You'll now notice that on many airlines you are not allowed to close them. They ask you to keep them open. Then a steward walks down the plane closing them all.

11/14/2005 12:04:07 PM · #28

Originally posted by theSaj:

Hmmm, try this: Take a hard sided case and load it with 30 lb of rocks,sit down and have a friend hold it 3ft or so above you then drop it on your head. When you wake up, tell us again how "30lb is not that much."

While the flight attendant may initially close the compartments, they don't run around making sure they are latched securely every time a passenger opens one up in-flight. Do everyone a favor, put heavy stuff under the seat. There are also compartments for garment bags, you can put heavy items on the floor in there as well and pick them up on your way out.

11/14/2005 12:21:02 PM · #29

Originally posted by "Spazmo99":

It's about design specs. Try dropping a 30lb crate on the 10th floor of a skyscraper. OMG....it went *thud*.

Try dropping a quarter on a house of cards...neigh...a dime...OMG the cards all fell down!

If the holds are designed for it...than they're designed for it. I've flown quite a bit. Never seen much of a problem. If you're worried. Check and make sure the compartment over your head is indeed closed and locked securely.

Besides, in that heavy turbulence you've probably already banged your head on the ceiling (Which is immovable and thus equivalent much heavier than 30lbs.)

----

Most of the floor space is for smaller carryon and personal items. Purse, laptops, etc.

And if all else fails you can always take Spazmo's advice... "If at first it doesn't fit, get a bigger hammer." ....(see signature)

Message edited by author 2005-11-14 12:21:58.

JRalston

11/14/2005 12:24:31 PM · #30

Thank you all for your great advice. We STILL do not have our plane tickets LOL We are supposed to leave around the 20th of December. That is the military for ya ;o) I honestly hope it doesn't come down to buying another bag/case being that I just purchased this one. Hopefully we will know which airlines soon.

mesmeraj

11/14/2005 12:27:37 PM · #31

If you simply call the airline and let them know your predictiment, they will help you work it out. Airlines are actually extremely accomodating, if you give them warning in advance to work things out. If you yell and scream at them at the counter, it is a whole other story hahah.

11/14/2005 12:31:10 PM · #32

Originally posted by theSaj:

Originally posted by "Spazmo99":
Hmmm, try this: Take a hard sided case and load it with 30 lb of rocks,sit down and have a friend hold it 3ft or so above you then drop it on your head. When you wake up, tell us again how "30lb is not that much."

It's about design specs. Try dropping a 30lb crate on the 10th floor of a skyscraper. OMG....it went *thud*.

Try dropping a quarter on a house of cards...neigh...a dime...OMG the cards all fell down!

If the holds are designed for it...than they're designed for it. I've flown quite a bit. Never seen much of a problem. If you're worried. Check and make sure the compartment over your head is indeed closed and locked securely.

Besides, in that heavy turbulence you've probably already banged your head on the ceiling (Which is immovable and thus equivalent much heavier than 30lbs.)

----

Most of the floor space is for smaller carryon and personal items. Purse, laptops, etc.

And if all else fails you can always take Spazmo's advice... "If at first it doesn't fit, get a bigger hammer." ....(see signature)

While your extremes of dropping a case from 10 stories or a coin on a house of cards are not relevant to this, dropping a 30lb case on a human head is exactly what we're talking about.

On a recent flight, I saw a heavy bag fall from the overhead when it was opened and hit a woman, who was seated, in the head, she was clearly dazed.

As far as bumping your head on the overhead bin, you should be wearing your seatbelt, even when the seatbelt sign is not illuminated, just for that reason. That's how most injuries occur from turbulence.

You're right, it is about design specs, the human head and brain are not designed for such impacts. That's why helmets were invented.

I really think you should try my proposed experiment, you might learn something. Make a video too, maybe you could win $10K on America's Funniest Home Videos.

Message edited by author 2005-11-14 12:46:49.

11/14/2005 01:25:07 PM · #33

However, as addressed previously...you can't fit full size carry-on under seat. It's designed for personal items.

As such, the overhead compartments are designed for larger size items. And yes, there may be an argument to be made that overheads should not be accessible on flight.

The overhead compartments are designed to hold a 30lb item. Obviously, removing said item over someone's head and dropping it is not going to be a comfortable experience.

Question when you "...saw a heavy bag fall from the overhead..." was it when someone "removed" said bag or right when it was opened. Which seems a bit more doubtful as all the overheads I've seen are flat. Even a 5lb object falling a few feet onto one's head can cause effect. In fact, my 70-200mm lens falling on someone's head would likely inflict as much or more damage than my 25-30lbs computer backback. Because it's mass to volume is in fact much more. Secondly, such a large bag as the photo backpack being mentioned is not going to simply fall out of the overhead as it is flat, weighty and on on a flat surface. Unless it was being withdrawn there should be very minimal risk. (Unless the plane were to bank or turn....for which the "Please remain seated and belted" state is implemented.)

We can't live our lives as paranoid freaks restricting every kind of behavior. There is a risk in simply living. There are reasonable risks. (Properly stowing a bag in the overhead compartment.) and unreasonable risks...(driving on the wrong side of the highway for example).

*shrug*

The risk is more so a moron trying to take the bag down and out of the compartment. As such I'll go in favor with our fellow DPC'er not being a moron. And simply advise that he waits to remove his bag until all other seated passengers under the compartment have exited the area.

*shrug*

11/14/2005 02:29:28 PM · #34

Originally posted by theSaj:

Question when you "...saw a heavy bag fall from the overhead..." was it when someone "removed" said bag or right when it was opened. Which seems a bit more doubtful as all the overheads I've seen are flat. Even a 5lb object falling a few feet onto one's head can cause effect. In fact, my 70-200mm lens falling on someone's head would likely inflict as much or more damage than my 25-30lbs computer backback. Because it's mass to volume is in fact much more. Secondly, such a large bag as the photo backpack being mentioned is not going to simply fall out of the overhead as it is flat, weighty and on on a flat surface. Unless it was being withdrawn there should be very minimal risk. (Unless the plane were to bank or turn....for which the "Please remain seated and belted" state is implemented.)

We can't live our lives as paranoid freaks restricting every kind of behavior. There is a risk in simply living. There are reasonable risks. (Properly stowing a bag in the overhead compartment.) and unreasonable risks...(driving on the wrong side of the highway for example).

*shrug*

The risk is more so a moron trying to take the bag down and out of the compartment. As such I'll go in favor with our fellow DPC'er not being a moron. And simply advise that he waits to remove his bag until all other seated passengers under the compartment have exited the area.

*shrug*

The bag fell when the compartment was opened. Stuff moves around in those compartments. I can only assume that it was placed on top of other bags and shifted so that it was leaning against the bin door.

You are assuming that a heavy bag is always loaded onto the bottom of the overhead bin. You may do so, but it is not always that way. I have seen other bags and cases fall when the overhead door is opened as well, I can't believe that is a unique scenario.

The risk may be small compared to driving the wrong way down the freeway, but it is there and you ignore those risks at your peril.

JRalston

11/14/2005 02:31:32 PM · #35

Would it make you feel better if I put my bag above my own head? LOL!!!

Message edited by author 2005-11-14 14:31:59.

11/14/2005 03:00:25 PM · #36

Originally posted by "Spazmo99":

You are assuming that a heavy bag is always loaded onto the bottom of the overhead bin.

Actually, I'm assuming such a large bag is not going to leave much room for another bag below it.

;)

11/14/2005 03:22:47 PM · #37

Originally posted by theSaj:

Originally posted by "Spazmo99":
You are assuming that a heavy bag is always loaded onto the bottom of the overhead bin.

Actually, I'm assuming such a large bag is not going to leave much room for another bag below it.

;)

There is a difference between large and heavy, don't mistake the two.