We just returned from an extended trip to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and
Hawaii. We were on 17 different planes over the course of the trip. I carried
my tripod in its own bag which is 26 inches long and has a diameter of 5
inches. No one ever questioned it as a carryon even though it is longer than
acceptable. We were even subjected to extended security inspections at the gate
on a couple of occasions. I did nothing to hide the fact that I was carrying
this particular bag.
I guess that its small diameter made it inconspicuous and/or acceptable. If
anyone ever had questioned it, I would have pointed out that it easily fits in
the back of the overhead bin without really taking up any space that precludes
another bag occupying the same space.
Another point is that it is really not much different from carrying a cane on
board. They are longer than the acceptable size, but never questioned.
David Barber
From: obol-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:obol-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of ;
Mary Garrard
Sent: Monday, January 08, 2018 11:11 AM
To: Amy S
Cc: obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [obol] Re: how to get a tripod to your destination
Thanks everyone for your input on this issue, and the suggestions and insights.
For this trip, we decided to leave the scope at home. Some of the lodges where
we are staying have scopes for guests to use during their tours. For future
trips, I will look for a good setup.
Thanks again, and happy birding!
Mary
On Jan 8, 2018, at 11:05 AM, Amy S <als466@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I had the same problem when traveling to Israel this past fall for the Hula
Valley Bird Festival. I only travel with carry-on, like a good vulture. I
googled travel tripods and came up with a few good possibilities.
Unfortunately, I didn't choose a good one. Here's what I ended up with:
Manfrotto BeFree Aluminum Travel Tripod
<https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1297587-REG/manfrotto_mkbfra4gy_bh_befree_tripod_with_ball.html>
. It's minimum height is 13.4" without the head and would fit into my carry
on bag. I changed the head to this Manfrotto fluid video head
<https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/944774-REG/manfrotto_mvh500ah_pro_fluid_head.html>
.
A few notes to make it all work and some buyers remorse:
* I kept the head and handle detached from the tripod until I got to my
destination. I also removed the eyepiece from my scope and kept that separate
and wrapped in socks for cushioning and to fit better.
* This particular head is rather large and I don't recommend it for
traveling. I didn't see it before I bought it, which was a mistake, because it
was highly recommended by a birder in England who seemed to know the issues
with birding tripod heads. Try before you buy. I like my older Manfrotto fluid
head (20 yrs old, don't know what kind it is).
* The tripod was a little spindly and the legs can fold up and down,
which I wasn't used to. My scope fell over a few times in a high wind because
they weren't locked from going in the up position. Very weird. Most tripods are
not like this. It has a hook to hang a weight to keep it stable, which I used a
few times, but it wasn't always convenient to have my backpack or some other
weight with me.
Sharing this here because I'm a big believer in writing up bad experimental
results as well as good. Another travel tripod I found during my search was the
MeFoto tripod (several models)
<http://www.mefoto.com/products/globetrotter-classic.aspx?CAWELAID=120288260000000018&CATARGETID=120288260000000192&cadevice=c&gclid=Cj0KCQiAyszSBRDJARIsAHAqQ4qB2Sqr2BXn_4KndnOjwj5xiHPKLWfa3DoeOC9WH91pIVmj4paZCXIaAqmREALw_wcB>
. Be careful because some of these may have a head that is integrated and not
changeable. It's hard to tell, but I think most are changeable if you know how.
Good luck and have fun in Belize!
Amy Summerfelt
On Sun, Jan 7, 2018 at 10:09 PM, Thomas Gilg <tom@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I have no tricks to suggest, but want to add that airlines in other countries
can often have even more restrictive limits, so know your weakest weak link.
For 20-60x80mm scope and tripod, I've had no problems with checkin. I just got
back from Pico Bonito Lodge in Honduras.
--tg
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab®|PRO
-------- Original message --------
From: Mary Garrard <springazure1@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: 1/7/2018 10:04 AM (GMT-08:00)
To: obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [obol] how to get a tripod to your destination
Hi everyone, I’m have a dilemma: we want to carry-on our luggage for a short
trip to Belize including a spotting scope and tripod. However, we discovered
the tripod doesn’t fit into regulation carry-on luggage. One of us has a
hard-sided regulation carry-on, I have a soft travel pack that is over
regulation size but squashable to regulation size.
How do all of you traveling birders get your tripod to your destination? We
want to avoid checking it in case it doesn’t arrive and also to avoid having to
wait at the carousel.
Thanks for your input!
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