What is the best way to take scope, tripod and binnies when travelling by commercial airlines? Is it best to carry the scope and binnies as hand luggage and pack the tripod in the main bag to be put into the hold and thus in the event of damage/loss, only the tripod gets it.
I would appreciate some advice on this.
Thanks.
Colin
Colin
I have travelled by air many times and have always carried my bins in the hand luggage, in fact on a few occasions, on my flight out, I have actually gone through with them hanging from my neck and they haven't been weighed. My scope and tripod are split between two cases as I always take my camera equipment with me as hand luggage as well. The scope, for me, would be too much weight with the other hand luggage I need to take. Now that my camera appears to be U/S I might consider taking the scope with my hand luggage when I next go abroad, that is if my camera still isn't working.
Does all that make sense??
I used to try and take my optical gear as hand luggage, 'pod in the hold..... a lot of that was my mistaken belief that the holds were uncompressed and would blow the seals on nitrogen filled scopes/binos. I'd still feel happier with the scope beside me (fragility?), but the binos can definitely go in your suitcase.
Perhaps Steve can enlighten us..... though hand luggage restrictions seem to vary from carrier to carrier, rarely enforced with much vigour.
Andy B