Travel Tips For Photographers   Boyd Norton

Useful Information to Help You Get From Point A to Point B

With the Least Hassle

It’s tough these days traveling by air (and how else can you get to Borneo or Africa?). For photographers, airline regulations and airport security make it especially difficult. Your check-through bags may be lost or delayed and you don’t want to have vital equipment in them. The key thing here is this: have all your essential equipment in one carry-on bag. I know, that ain’t easy but it is vital. Some airlines may say that they allow two carry-ons, but don’t count on it when you get to check in. (Also, and this is important, on overseas flights your U.S. airline may say you can have two carry-ons, but a partner airline that you're connecting to overseas may limit you to one.) The main point is, go on line to check the rules for each carrier you might be on and print those rules to bring with you - so you can show an agent if you've complied with those rules.

Probably the best way to carry your gear is with a rolling backpack – a backpack with wheels for rolling around airports. I like the LowePro packs for their durability and light weight and their good design for space. Make sure you pick a model that fits the general airline requirements for carry-on bags. By the time you get equipment stuffed into the bag, it may have the density of a black hole and you may be pushing or exceeding the weight limitations. So, to get around that I recommend wearing a photo vest as well. You can stuff a lot of items into all the pockets and you won’t get hassled because it’s part of your clothing. So what if you look like the Pillsbury Doughboy?

What goes into the carry-on? Two camera bodies (I sometimes put a third spare, wrapped in bubble pack, in my check-through bag. All the lenses you plan to use. (If you insist on bringing a monstrous telephoto lens, like the 600mm f/4, you will have to have your own strategy for dealing with it because it will take up most of the space in your carry-on. I’d suggest packing it in a special case like the Pelican, insure the hell out of it, and take your chances on checking it through.) All the memory cards you plan to use. Any portable hard drives and/or laptop. (I prefer using the rugged Epson P-5000 portable hard drive - actually two of them for redundant backup. The large viewing screens and zoom features are superb and allow me to do quick assessments of pictures, including histograms. Moreover, the two of them together weigh much less than a laptop.) Camera batteries. Battery charger.

Carry-on bag:

·         Camera bodies

·         Stomach medications (cipro, antacids, anti-diarrhea pills)

Check-through bag(s):

·        Clothing appropriate to the region, including rain gear, warm parka, etc.

General advice for travelers to Malaria-endemic areas

 All travelers to malaria areas of the world are advised to use an appropriate drug regimen and personal protection measures to prevent malaria.  Travelers should be informed that regardless of methods employed, malaria still might be contracted.  Malaria symptoms can develop as early as eight days after initial exposure in a malaria-infested area and as late as several months after departure from an area, after preventative medication has been completed.  Travelers should understand that malaria can be treated effectively early in the course of the disease, but delay of therapy can have serious or even fatal consequences.  Individuals who have symptoms of malaria should seek prompt evaluation as soon as possible.

There are three different medications that are currently being prescribed to prevent malaria.  They are Larium (mefloquine), Doxycycline and Malarone (atovaquone/proguanil).  Discuss these with your doctor to determine which one will be best for you. Keep in mind that there are advantages and disadvantages to each. For example, some past clients taking Doxycycline have experienced sensitivity to sunlight with sometimes severe and painful consequences. If you use this drug, wear long sleeved shirts and a hat at all times.

 Everyone agrees that the best way to avoid malaria is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes!   The mosquito that carries malaria only feeds after dark (dusk to dawn), with 10 PM to 2 am being their most active time.  Use insect repellent containing DEET at night for any parts of your body that are not covered by clothing or bedding.

Note: You will not be able to donate blood to the general population for at least 3 years after taking medication for malaria prevention.  Please consider donating blood before your trip, if that is important to you.

 The Centers for Disease Control website for travelers is www.cdc.gov/travel. The website also has a very good list of where to get yellow fever vaccinations.

 Battery Restrictions (This is straight from the TSA website safetravel.dot.gov)

Effective January 1, 2008, you may not pack spare lithium batteries in your checked baggage – that is, the baggage you give to the airline for handling.

• Spare batteries are the batteries you carry separately from the devices they power. When batteries are installed in a device, they are not considered spare batteries.

• You may not pack a spare lithium battery in your checked baggage

• You may pack spare lithium batteries in carry-on baggage – see our spare battery tips and how-to sections to find out how to pack spare batteries safely!

• Larger lithium metal batteries have over 2 grams of lithium. You may not carry any of these. These larger lithium metal batteries are not used in consumer devices.

  • Almost all lithium metal batteries are non-rechargeable batteries which are disposed of once the initial charge is gone

• larger lithium ion batteries have over 8 grams equivalent lithium content for any number of lithium ion batteries (about 100 watt-hours)

  • Lithium ion batteries are rechargeable batteries, such as those found in laptop computers and cell phones

• You are allowed up to 2 larger lithium ion batteries, in addition to any regular lithium ion batteries, such as cell phone batteries, or most laptop computer batteries.

• For a lithium metal battery, the limit on lithium content is 2 grams per battery.

  • Almost all lithium metal batteries are non-rechargeable batteries which are disposed of once the initial charge is gone

• Up to 8 grams equivalent lithium content for any number of lithium ion batteries (about 100 watt-hours)

  • Lithium ion batteries are rechargeable batteries, such as those found in laptop computers and cell phones

• Up to 2 other lithium ion batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of up to 25 grams, (about 300 watt-hours), in addition to any batteries that fall below the 8-gram threshold.