Air travel can be filled with uncertainty, and more so with camera gear. I’ve traveled domestically in the United States and internationally as well, learning a few strategies along the way. I’ll share some of these tips to help you fly with photography equipment a little easier.

Get Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check

Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Sweden.

Los Angeles, CA at night, U.S.

Abandoned aircraft at night.

Global Entry provides expedited U.S. customs screening for international air travelers when entering the United States. As a bonus, Global Entry members also receive TSA PreCheck benefits as part of their membership. TSA PreCheck provides expedited security screening benefits for flights departing from U.S. airports. This typically means you don’t have to empty all the contents in your bag, among other things. Sound good?

Pack Your Essentials in Your Carry-On Luggage

An amazing abandoned plane, not likely to carry passengers or anything else again. Night photo with handheld light painting during the exposure.

I frequently do not check any luggage at all, preferring to carry it with me if I can. And I never check my photography gear. My camera gear is always by my side.

I had a trip to Iceland by way of Sweden, where the airlines lost my luggage… both on the way there and back! The only reason I found my lost luggage in Iceland was because I searched the Keflavík Airport for an hour, eventually finding it sitting in a corner by itself. On the way back, another airline lost it again. It took me three weeks to get it back. I’ve had my luggage lost for three days on the way to Morocco as well. Bear in mind that it’s not if they lose your luggage, but when.

Because of this, I would recommend that you never check your camera gear.

Also, I’d recommend carrying anything that you deem essential with you in your carry-on bags. When I am determining what else to include, I think, “What would I absolutely need if the airlines lost my luggage?” For many, you might choose to bring eyeglasses, medication, a toothbrush, toothpaste, underwear, paperwork, documents, and so forth.

When considering camera gear, you should include anything that you would deem crucial for your photography. I’m a night photographer, so this means a tripod, lots of batteries, LED flashlights for light painting, wide angle lenses, intervalometers, cables, chargers, and, if it’s cold, photography gloves and a balaclava.

Memory Cards

PGYTECH CreateMate High-Speed Card Reader Case for holding my cards safely as well as reading them.

Memory cards are so important that I am dedicating a sub-section to them. Your memory cards are critical, particularly if they contain the photos you have taken. This goes double if you are photographing for a client. Therefore, they should always be with you. I use a PGYTECH CreateMate High-Speed Card Reader Case to hold my cards, but really, any secure, waterproof case or holder should do.

Since both my cameras have dual SD slots, what I often do is carry one set of cards with me, and keep the other set of cards somewhere else. If I have a laptop or other device with me, I frequently back them up on that device as well.

Choose a Camera Bag That Fits Under the Seat

WANDRD PRVKE 31L camera backpack. It’s capable of holding two large DSLRs, 2-3 lenses, lights, and accessories while still fitting underneath most airline seats.

The space underneath a seat differs from airline to airline. But it is often about 17 x 10 x 9″, as is the case with United Airlines as of this writing. I’ve traveled with a Tenba Solstice 20L backpack (6.69″ x 9.45″ x 18.5″) and now, a WANDRD PRVKE 31L backpack (19 x 12 x 7″). Both of them fit underneath every airline seat I’ve used.

The Tenba Solstice 20L camera backpack (discontinued) is capable of holding two large DSLRs, 2-3 lenses, and much more while fitting underneath most airline seats.

Fitting your camera backpack underneath the seat has several advantages:

You don’t have to worry about battling everyone else for overhead compartment space.

People are less likely to go through your gear or mistakenly take your backpack.

You can easily access various items that you might keep inside, such as your iPad, earbuds, Kindle, medication, or whatever.

If you do store your camera gear in the overhead compartment, I would recommend using small locks. You want to deter people as much as possible from meddling with your belongings, after all. As an additional deterrent, I once stuck “official-looking” hospital labels on my backpack that said “Urine Samples,” although I must confess I was doing this more for a laugh.

A Word About Weight

Weight for carry-on differs between airlines. Some airlines don’t specify weight for carry-on items. Others have a weight limit of 25 pounds.

International flights also vary by airline, but often have a lower standard weight limit, frequently 15–22 pounds (7–10 kg).

As always, you should check with your airline far in advance of your flight, and plan accordingly. If I were to fully load my WANDRD PRVKE 31L backpack with all of my various LED lights, a hefty Pentax K-1 DSLR and Nikon D750 DSLR (discontinued), a large Pentax 15-30mm lens, and a hefty but smaller Irix 15mm f/2.4 lens, everything would weigh 23.6 pounds (10.7 kg). However, when I travel overseas, I typically don’t bring all of that. It would likely be between 15-18 pounds.

Coats Do Not Count as Personal Items

And coats have pockets. And pockets can hold lots of items that you don’t have to put in a bag or count as baggage weight. Do with this information what you will.

Although I haven’t used this strategy very much with camera gear other than with memory cards and chargers, I have freed up significant space in my backpacks by, well, first of all, wearing a coat instead of stashing it in my luggage, and then using its pockets for items such as gloves, balaclavas, scarves, and beanies.

Be an Early Boarder

Board the plane as quickly as you can when they call your zone. If you are truly concerned about not having enough space for your camera, you can always nicely talk to the airline personnel behind the counter and see if they can accommodate your needs. Please note that I said “nicely.” Barking at airline personnel rarely does you any favors.

Sometimes, it might be prudent to explain that you have expensive equipment. Again, remember to ask nicely.

If you don’t ask airline personnel nicely, you never know what can happen to you!

If you become a member of the airline, they may offer special boarding privileges, particularly if you pay a little extra for them. And some airlines have credit cards that offer these special bonuses.

Utilize Your Personal Bag for Additional Items

Typically, you’re also allowed a personal bag—such as another small bag, purse, or tote bag—as well as the camera bag you’re carrying on. If you need to, you can store other camera equipment in here, such as an extra lens, chargers, or similar accessories. We all know that unexpected situations can arise, especially on the way back, and space can become limited. We frequently bring back more than we began with, whether those are gifts or other items. A personal bag can help out a little with any of this.

‘I Have A Lot of Lithium Batteries…’

Planes are frequently full. And it’s possible that as you are preparing to board, one of the flight personnel will stop you and say, “Sorry, all the overhead compartments are full. You’ll need to check your bag.”

You can first explain that you have a lot of fragile camera equipment, and that you’re concerned that it’ll be damaged. Usually, this is enough. They may try to help you or find another compartment to store your backpack (unless, of course, you have a backpack that fits underneath the seat!).

If that doesn’t work, try to look as down in the mouth as possible (which won’t be difficult) and say, “I have a LOT of lithium batteries…” Place the emphasis on “LOT” and trail off. The employee will know that these are not generally allowed in checked baggage, especially when they are loose, and determine that the time and hassle are not worth the trouble. In all my travels, I’ve only needed to use this phrase once. But it did work. They’d rather move on to someone else who has hoodies or gifts in their backpack than someone who has a bag full of lithium batteries.

A Quick Word About Storing Batteries

EBL 18650 batteries stored in case so the terminals do not touch.

Your batteries need to be stored properly for safety reasons. This means either storing them in their respective devices or using special organizers or cases so that it is impossible for the contacts to touch. They should never be stored loose in a Zip-Loc bag, bouncing around and banging into each other. Furthermore, should you ever be forced to check your bags, it will be easier for you to take out the batteries.

And Now, a Disclaimer

As you might guess, these tips may not work 100% of the time. You might still have airport security go through your bag. Size and weight requirements might change. Employees may not be sympathetic to how fragile your equipment is.

But what you want to do is stack the odds in your favor. It’s better to have your essentials with you than not. It’s better to have camera bags that fit underneath most seats than not. And it’s better to be able to stuff things in your coat pockets than not. Fortune favors the prepared.

What Tips Do You Have?

No article can be comprehensive with traveling tips. If we sat a small group of travelers down together, we could probably write a small book on tips about traveling with camera gear.

For instance, I didn’t mention creating a detailed list of all equipment, including serial numbers, to help in case of loss or theft; obtaining travel insurance; choosing reasonably discreet-looking camera bags; placing sensitive gear in plastic bags for extra protection against moisture; using AirTags, tracking cards, or tracking devices with your equipment; leaving non-essential items behind (especially if they are easily obtainable at your destination) to reduce weight and stress; and other tips.

What tips do you have? Share them in the comments!