Since last week’s foiled terrorist plot the British Airport Authority has taken the measure not to allow passengers to bring any carry on items onto any aircraft leaving the United Kingdom. How long this will last is anybody’s guess.
This is certainly an inconvenience to all passengers but even more so for those of us who are photographers. I always take my camera equipment on board when flying, not wanting it to get damaged or stolen if placed in the aircraft hold. Now, however, it is a necessity that my gear gets lumped in with the rest of the bags.
The only possible way to survive this is to put your gear in a hard case. The best in my opinion are Pelican cases. Made of hard plastic and either lined with foam that can be shaped to fit equipment or with velcro dividers that can be configured for most camera kit. There are a variety of sizes ranging from small ones able to carry limited kit up to large cubes for large format cameras.
By the time this is posted I will have found out first hand how well the Pelican stands up as I am off on assignment for two weeks and had to buy a Peli case at the last minute.
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Bear in mind also that many insurance companies will not honour their policies unless cameras are stored in a hard case when being transported in the hold.