Airlines are becoming increasingly picky about enforcing strict carry on weight restrictions. We are all familiar with having to make hard decisions about what photo gear we carry on, what we dare to check and what just has to be left behind. However photographers are not the only ones trying to minimise the weight in their packs. Multi-day hikers have been known to go as far as sawing off the handles of their toothbrushes to shave off every possible gram. Which got me wondering, can photographers apply this 'pack the brush but leave the handle' thinking to make life a little easier at the gate?
I usually keep my gear, ready to shoot, in my favourite camera pack and apart from removing all the whole items I'm happy to check or leave behind, that's pretty much how it gets carried on. So in their 'ready to shoot' state here's an example carry on kit;
| ITEM | WEIGHT | |
|---|---|---|
| Canon 7D w/BG | 1562g | (3.4 lb) |
| Canon 500D | 600g | (1.3 lb) |
| Canon EFS 10-22mm lens | 455g | (1.0 lb) |
| Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 IS L | 1808g | (4.0 lb) |
| Canon EF 100mm f2.8 Macro | 726g | (1.6 lb) |
| Canon EF 500mm f4 IS L | 4400g | (9.7 lb) |
| Canon 1.4x II tele-convertor | 273g | (0.6 lb) |
| Gitzo GT2540LLVL Tripod w/Kirk BH-3 Ball Head and Wemberley Sidekick | 2648g | (5.8 lb) |
| Harddrive | 295g | (0.7 lb) |
| Gura Gear Kiboko 30L pack | 2209g | (4.8 lb) |
That's a hefty 15kg (33 lb). Considerably more than the 7kg (15.4 lb) allowed by most airlines. So what does 'keeping the brush and leaving the handle' mean for a photographer? It means trimming off all those items that are not required to protect the primary item that you are carrying on. That means the lens hoods, feet, bags and filters - the camera batteries, cards, straps and cables - the tripod plates, heads and feet. Here is a break down of how we split things up:
| ITEM | CARRY ON | CHECK | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon 7D | 842g | (1 lb 13.7 oz) | ||
| Canon 7D – 2 Batteries | 154g | (5.4 oz) | ||
| Canon 7D – Battery Grip | 345g | (12.2 oz) | ||
| Canon 7D – CF Card | 9g | (0.3 oz) | ||
| Canon 7D – L Plate | 162g | (5.7 oz) | ||
| Canon 7D – Strap | 50g | (1.8 oz) | ||
| 500D | 500g | (1 lb 1.6 oz) | ||
| 500D – Plate | 47g | (1.7 oz) | ||
| 500D – SD Card | 1g | (0.04 oz) | ||
| 500D – Strap | 49g | (1.7 oz) | ||
| Canon EFS 10-22mm lens – Alone | 420g | (14.8 oz) | ||
| Canon EFS 10-22mm lens – Hood | 35g | (1.2 oz) | ||
| Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 IS L | 1524g | (3 lb 5.8 oz) | ||
| Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 IS L – Hood | 84g | (3.0 oz) | ||
| Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 IS L – Plate | 52g | (1.8 oz) | ||
| Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 IS L – Ring | 116g | (4.1 oz) | ||
| Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 IS L – UV Filter | 30g | (1.1 oz) | ||
| Canon EF 100mm f2.8 Macro | 651g | (1 lb 7.0 oz) | ||
| Canon EF 100mm f2.8 Macro – Hood | 60g | (2.1 oz) | ||
| Canon EF 100mm f2.8 Macro – UV Filter | 14g | (0.5 oz) | ||
| Canon EF 500mm f4 IS L | 3600g | (7 lb 15.0 oz) | ||
| Canon EF 500mm f4 IS L – Cover | 97g | (3.4 oz) | ||
| Canon EF 500mm f4 IS L – Foot | 155g | (5.5 oz) | ||
| Canon EF 500mm f4 IS L – Hood | 282g | (9.9 oz) | ||
| Canon EF 500mm f4 IS L – Plate | 126g | (4.4 oz) | ||
| Canon EF 500mm f4 IS L – Strap | 54g | (1.9 oz) | ||
| Canon 1.4x II tele-convertor – Alone | 242g | (8.5 oz) | ||
| Canon 1.4x II tele-convertor – Bag | 33g | (1.2 oz) | ||
| Lacie 500GB HD | 257g | (9.1 oz) | ||
| Firewire HD cable | 38g | (1.3 oz) | ||
| Gitzo GT2540LLVL Tripod | 1390g | (3 lb 1.0 oz) | ||
| Gitzo GT2540LLVL Tripod – 3 Feet | 78g | (2.8 oz) | ||
| Gitzo GT2540LLVL Tripod – Head Plate | 128g | (4.5 oz) | ||
| Wemberley Sidekick | 580g | (1 lb 4.5 oz) | ||
| Tripod Tools, Allen Keys, Screws | 47g | (1.7 oz) | ||
| Kirk BH-3 Ball Head | 553g | (1 lb 3.5 oz) | ||
| Gura Gear Kiboko 30L pack | 1911g | (4 lb 3.4 oz) | ||
| Gura Gear Kiboko 30L pack – Cover | 76g | (2.7 oz) | ||
| Gura Gear Kiboko 30L pack – Dividers | 219g | (7.7 oz) | ||
| Total | 11998g | (26 lb 7.2 oz) | 3013g | (6 lb 10.3 oz) |
That's a saving of roughly 3kg (6 lb 10.3 oz) or 20% of the original weight. And that could be the difference between taking that extra lens or not. So irrespective of what whole items you decide to carry on or check take a long hard look at the items you are carrying on and see if you can't trim a handle off here or there.
Note: Weights were determined by weighing equipment but may vary from those published by manufacturers. Please use these weights as a guide only.
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