| Author | Thread |
|
|
01/22/2006 12:44:58 PM · #1 |
Can I carry on a tripod, a camera bag, and my overnight bag?
Or is my tripod seen as the latest stealth terrorist technology?
Anybody know for sure?
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 12:54:04 PM · #2 |
Not sure, I would imagine you can...someone will fill you in...
Personally, I'd rather stab someone with a pen or a pencil than try using a tripod as a weapon, but that's just me.
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 12:56:44 PM · #3 |
No on the tripod. Depending on the TSA screener you get it may be considered a "club".
Checked baggage is cool. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 12:56:46 PM · #4 |
A good tripod is way too expensive to use as a weapon. Plus, on a crowded airplane a good heavy tripod would be hard to swing at appropriate velocities :-)
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 01:00:23 PM · #5 |
When I take a tripod, I usually pack it in my roll-on along with my clothes. I've had no issues boarding with the rool-on, a camera bag, and a small laptop bag. The normal rules for carry-on size still apply, but a camera bag is normally not counted toward the number of carry-on items. I have not tried carrying on the tripod separately, and in fact I bought a tripod that woudl fit in a roll-on specially for travel.
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 01:03:34 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by kirbic:
When I take a tripod, I usually pack it in my roll-on along with my clothes. I've had no issues boarding with the rool-on, a camera bag, and a small laptop bag. The normal rules for carry-on size still apply, but a camera bag is normally not counted toward the number of carry-on items. I have not tried carrying on the tripod separately, and in fact I bought a tripod that woudl fit in a roll-on specially for travel. |
Just what I did. As long as it's packed, you shouldn't have a problem. I was questioned in Denver when the x-ray showed a 'screwdriver'. The screwdriver turned out to be the handle of my tripod.
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 01:17:25 PM · #7 |
thank you all - flights in two hours, I knew I could count on the good (hilarious) folks at DPC.
My client wanted to fly me to california to finish a project they started way too late (video for a sales conference). I told them only if I could stay another day for shooting - and they thought that was only fair! Cool clients!
So off to the beach for me.
I appreciate it.
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 01:25:27 PM · #8 |
You know what they say, "life's a beach"! Have fun!
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 01:38:15 PM · #9 |
| I usually just check mine. I have it in a Manfrotto case with zip closure ans lock. Never had any problems. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 02:15:05 PM · #10 |
| I always carry mine on. It is in a soft bag (borrowed from a portable folding chair). It's a rather large tripod/head combo, being about 4' in length folded. Never had any kind of problem. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 02:21:25 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by jemison:
I always carry mine on. It is in a soft bag (borrowed from a portable folding chair). It's a rather large tripod/head combo, being about 4' in length folded. Never had any kind of problem. |
I do the same thing, only my tripod is smaller, a Bogen 3001 with an RC322 head.
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 03:08:43 PM · #12 |
| Most places it's not so bad, but there are a few airports that are really anal about the 1 bag, 1 personal item limit. I once had a screener (at PDX) hold up the line while she forced me to put my purse inside my backpack before she would let me in. I had a laptop bag as my 3rd item. The three combined were less than half the size of one of those rollaboad suitcases, but apparently having them as separate entities was a major security threat. Might be worth strapping your tripod to one of the other bags. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 03:14:35 PM · #13 |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 03:22:21 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by digitalknight:
Can I carry on a tripod, a camera bag, and my overnight bag? |
No. Two of them should be checked luggage.
Under ICAO international rules, you're allowed one piece of carry on luggage to specified max dimensions. The danger risk in an evacuation is just too high.
People get all uppity about not being allowed to carry all of their possessions into the cabin ... they'd be the first to sue the airline because the aisles filled up with bulky and dangerous items (like a tripod) and caused people to pile into a big heap and fry in the fire.
Brett
Message edited by author 2006-01-22 15:25:40. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 03:26:13 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by KiwiPix:
Originally posted by digitalknight:
Can I carry on a tripod, a camera bag, and my overnight bag? |
No. Two of them should be checked luggage.
Under ICAO international rules, you're allowed one piece of carry on luggage to specified max dimensions. The danger risk in an evacuation is just too high.
People get all uppity about not being allowed to carry all of their possetions into the cabin ... they'd be the first to sue the airline because the aisles filled up with bulky and dangerous items (like a tripod) and caused people to pile into a big heap and fry in the fire.
Brett |
The size limits I understand, but the number of items? There's a reason why everything has to be stowed during take off and landing, and nothing is ever allowed in the aisle. It's ridiculous that someone can roll on a giant suitcase full of things that aren't breakable and/or wont be used during the flight, but I can't carry a camera bag, purse and laptop. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 03:37:02 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by KiwiPix:
Originally posted by digitalknight:
Can I carry on a tripod, a camera bag, and my overnight bag? |
No. Two of them should be checked luggage.
Under ICAO international rules, you're allowed one piece of carry on luggage to specified max dimensions.
|
You're allowed one personal item and one carry-on. Camera bags (depending on the size, obviously) can be considered personal item. The personal item needs to be able to sit under the seat, I believe, while the carry-on can be stored above. Of course, airlines can reduce the amount of permitted items at their discretion. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 03:43:31 PM · #17 |
Rules do vary internationally, but for the most part, you're either allowed one or two carry-on items. Normally, a purse or briefcase is not counted against the number of carry-on items. A camera bag is also not usually counted, since checking such equipment is very risky for the passenger and problematic for the airline. For domestic flights within the US, what this means is that you may carry on one small bag with your clothing, etc., and a camera bag, and "personal item", that is, purse, etcetera.
It's usually a much more effective use of space to stow several smaller items than one larger one. The exception to this is when a roll-on bag of the "ideal" dimensions is put into the overhead bin the long way. The space is used to maximum efficiency when such bags are used and packed well.
Another complication has arisen with the increased use of smaller aircraft, the so-called "regional jets" on many domestic US flights. These aircraft have much smaller overhead bins that do not accommodate roll-on bags. The solution has been for the airlines to "gate check" bags which are dropped at the end of the jetway by the passenger at boarding, and are returned to the jetway at the arrival point and picked up there.
For those who travel alot, checking luggage has become a major PITA. Bags that are locked can have the locks destroyed by TSA, since they may need to inspect the contents (all checked baggage is subject to inspection). This has increased the incidence of theft from baggage, which has always been an issue. For this reason, I put nothing of any real value in checked baggage.
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 03:44:12 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by kearock:
The size limits I understand, but the number of items? There's a reason why everything has to be stowed during take off and landing, and nothing is ever allowed in the aisle. |
Unfortunately, all regulations are based on the known fact that the bins will not stay closed, even in a very hard landing.
I have to say that making you put your purse away was just silly though. You had three items anyway (Camera, Laptotp and purse), not two and I guess the purse was the easiest and smallest thing to stow somewhere. How big was the purse?
If you know the regulations, why turn up with three items and expect to get away with it? We don't understand why people keep doing this and then create a scene at the gate when they're asked to comply.
That's before we get into the weight implications of all of these extra items. Each passenger is assumed to weigh 170lbs including carry-on luggage. All checked baggage is weighed and so its real weight is known. Every extra piece of carry-on then is making the aircraft heavier than the pilot & despatcher think it is. That increases the amount of runway needed for both takeoff and landing plus the amount of fuel loaded
Brett (who has been a licensed airline despatcher and is a pilot) |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 04:06:10 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by KiwiPix:
Originally posted by kearock:
The size limits I understand, but the number of items? There's a reason why everything has to be stowed during take off and landing, and nothing is ever allowed in the aisle. |
Unfortunately, all regulations are based on the known fact that the bins will not stay closed, even in a very hard landing.
I have to say that making you put your purse away was just silly though. You had three items anyway (Camera, Laptotp and purse), not two and I guess the purse was the easiest and smallest thing to stow somewhere. How big was the purse?
If you know the regulations, why turn up with three items and expect to get away with it? We don't understand why people keep doing this and then create a scene at the gate when they're asked to comply.
That's before we get into the weight implications of all of these extra items. Each passenger is assumed to weigh 170lbs including carry-on luggage. All checked baggage is weighed and so its real weight is known. Every extra piece of carry-on then is making the aircraft heavier than the pilot & despatcher think it is. That increases the amount of runway needed for both takeoff and landing plus the amount of fuel loaded
Brett (who has been a licensed airline despatcher and is a pilot) |
The purse was tiny and was originally in the backpack, but I had it out so I could stash my ID when she was done checking it. Would have been back in before I got through the secondary line to get to the Xray machine anyway. I now keep my wallet in my camera bag when travelling.
And there's no way a purse, small camera bag and laptop is heavier than one of those stupid rollaboards. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 04:12:18 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by kearock:
And there's no way a purse, small camera bag and laptop is heavier than one of those stupid rollaboards. |
That's very true but keep turnging up with three cabin-missiles and you'll keep getting turned back. It becomes a personal choice of how you want to play it.
Brett
Message edited by author 2006-01-22 16:13:04. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 04:22:20 PM · #21 |
In the USA, the TSA sets the rule thus:
"Carry-on baggage is a small piece of luggage you take onboard the airplane with you. You are allowed one carry-on in addition to one personal item such as a laptop computer, purse, small backpack, briefcase, or camera case."
( //www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_1052.xml )
Thus if one showed up with three things, the screener was well within their rights to make you put one thing inside another.
However, please note that a "camera case" is specifically considered a "personal item," so it's well within the traveler's rights to bring a small rollon suitcaise and a camera case. Don't expect, however, to be able to bring a briefcase or laptop bag, camera case, and a suitcase.
As far as a tripod is concerned: There's nothing in the TSA's guidelines that prohibit it, so you should be OK. There's also nothing that specifically permits it, so there's always the chance that a zealous TSO might take issue. Your call on that one, but I would take it in my roll-on suitcase. The TSA rules specifically instruct you to pack anything fragile in your carry on, so you could always argue that you were worried about the legs being snapped in half or otherwise damaged...
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 04:46:18 PM · #22 |
Originally posted by KiwiPix:
Originally posted by kearock:
And there's no way a purse, small camera bag and laptop is heavier than one of those stupid rollaboards. |
That's very true but keep turnging up with three cabin-missiles and you'll keep getting turned back. It becomes a personal choice of how you want to play it.
Brett |
I had it all packed as two things. I just had the purse out of the backpack to get to my ID, and it was pretty much blatently obvious that was the case. I just couldn't believe she made me repack it in front of her rather than during my wait in the next line, as it held up the first line.
I don't mean to sound bitter about all of this. I know she was just doing her job. It just really gets to me because I've had multiple experiences where I've gotten stuck with both my small carry-on and personal item under the seat in front of me (and consequently no leg room) because there were so many of the giant rollaboards on the plane. In my mind one giant rollaboard seems like a much bigger safety hazzard than a camera bag and small purse, were the bins to open and things to go flying. I've seen rollaboards so big the people can't even lift them into the bin without help. It just seems a little ridiculous when it's so easy to check something like that. Sure, luggage does occasionally get misplaced. I've had my fair share of that, but they always comp you or get it delivered to your doorstep the next day (even when my bag went all the way to Hawaii without me). But the minute risk that you bag might get misplaced seems miniscule compared to the annoyance and discomfort caused to the other passengers when a bunch of giant suitcases are rolled into the passenger cabin. Not being able to bring three items wouldn't bother me so much if people weren't allowed to bring things 50x the size of a purse. |
|
|
|
01/22/2006 04:57:40 PM · #23 |
Keep in mind that roll-ons have to meet a certain size restriction as well. Business travelers often use roll-ons as their main bag (no checked luggage). I personally never check baggage unless I have to; the risk of losing clothes and items I need for my job is too great. The 30-minute penalty at my destination to pick up luggage is also many tmes an issue.
The risks and hassles of checking baggage may seem minor if you travel rarely, but for those of us who travel several times a month, it's a big thing.
BTW, Roll-ons properly stowed in an overhead are much less prone to flying out than randomly-stacked smaller items, should an overhead bin come open in flight. In all my years of traveling, I've only seen one overhead bin come open.
|
|
|
|
01/22/2006 06:15:16 PM · #24 |
I managed to get onboard 3 flights carrying my custom tripod...
;-) |
|
|
|
01/23/2006 04:34:55 AM · #25 |
Next time I hear on the news that security forces were up against well armed rebels, I will know what they mean.
|
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 09/10/2025 04:29:32 PM EDT.
