You'll have heard the news - we are on critical security alert, no hand luggage is being allowed on flights leaving the UK and all electronic equipment must be checked. For lots of people reading this site and planning a summer holiday that will mean a choice between not taking their camera and packing it in hold baggage. I'm not going to dwell on the background to this, just get on with some practical advice. We all hope the heightened state of alert will be over soon but even when it is this article should help you travel safely with your camera.
An important note our lawyers would like us to point out... this is advice offered in the best of intentions, it's not a guarantee that your gear won't get damaged! The only safe way is not to take it with you.
There are really three things to worry about when you check your luggage: damage from X-rays, damage from “impact”, theft. Let's look at these in turn.
Damage from X-rays
Forget about it. Really.
We've all heard the stories about David Attenborough's film being ruined by scanners at Heathrow but that is film. If you're shooting digital then the risk of damage from X-rays is so low that it really isn't going to happen. The X-rays of checked baggage are stronger than those used for hand luggage (presumably that's one of the reasons everything has to be checked at the moment) but all tests show that the risk is negligible. Here's a statement from the International Imaging Industry Association, the transport Security Administration and SanDisk. It says “forget about it”.
Impact damage
This is the big one. You will have seen the “loving care” with which luggage is loaded onto planes and conveyor belts. Even if this was very gentle there's still a big risk that your luggage will fall off a truck, get jammed in a conveyor or get hurled back by another passenger who mistook it for their straw donkey. Realistically you want to pack your gear so that it can withstand a drop of about 8 feet. That's a lot.
Compact and bridge cameras are going to be a lot better off than DSLRs. They have few if any moving parts and if they don't take an impact on their screen they are generally OK. It's worth remembering that in a fall (or rather a sudden stop) the battery might do more damage than anything. When a compact camera comes to a sudden stop, the battery (which in some cases may be half the mass) carries on going and can break through the battery door, which is often made of plastic. The ideal way to transport compacts and bridge cameras is the way the manufacturers do - take out the battery and put it in its original box. If you don't have the original box then many layers of bubble wrap should do the trick. Nip down an office supply shop and wrap your camera up so it looks like a rugby ball then put it in the middle of your luggage. DSLRs are a lot more delicate because they have complicated moving parts - mirrors, shutters and lens mounts can all mess up your day if they get damaged. DSLRs tend to be heavier than compacts and if your luggage comes to a sudden stop then this can become significant. There are also extras like lenses to pack. The best advice is don't put your DSLR in the hold. Really - consider a holiday without it or take a compact. If you must travel with it then the simplest option is to put it in as many parts as possible - remove the lens (and fit the body cap that your camera came with!), take out the battery. Then you can either use the original box or a LOT of bubblewrap.
A hard sided case is also a very good idea - the cases made by Samsonite are a lot more resistant to crush damage (e.g. when someone sits on it) than your average suitcase from the market. If you want to get serious then check out the case from Pelican or the Storm cases from Hardigg. These are both custom made for packing in aircraft holds (Hardigg designed cases that could be dropped from helicopters by the US military - probably best not to ask...). I've had a Storm case for a couple of years and it has taken a fair amount of abuse - on one occasion it did fall out of the back of a pickup truck and my cameras were fine. These cases have two downsides - firstly they are expensive, but then you would expect that from something custom designed to carry electronic gear in harsh environments. Secondly they are heavy. My storm case that is approved for carry on weighs 11 pounds empty. Larger cases can weigh double that. Best get the ones with wheels...
Theft
Airports are pretty secure places but things get stolen. I've certainly heard stories of bags arriving at the destination minus some rather expensive camera equipment. No matter how you pack it, camera gear can be spotted. Either the bag you use, the weight or way it's packed or, if all else fails, the X-ray will give it away.
It's tempting to use locks on your luggage but if they go through the US (and maybe other countries) they will be cut off. That's official policy.
One tried and tested solution is to use cable ties through the locks. Put some spare cable ties on top of your things inside the case. Baggage handlers can still cut them off but if they are feeling kind may use the spares to refasten them. Of course a thief could do the same.
A more recent innovation are TSA approved locks. These work just like normal locks (key or combination) but baggage handlers in the US at least have a set of tools that allows them to open them and relock them leaving the lock undamaged and the case secure.
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