Airport and Tripod

MartMax

Hi all,

I have a Manfrotto 190 tripod and will be off to Italy next month. I'm wondering if it's possible to carry the tripod as carry-on luggage. Will be it a security check nightmare? It is only short trip so I wish to travel just with a backpack. Hate the idea checking in the luggage. Any other ideas?

Cheers

Ricky91t

I just came back through stansted today,signs evenywhere saying "1 piece of hand luggage" everywhere,i had my gear bag and a laptop case carried both up to the security put them through security and carried them off gear bag on my back and laptop bag on my shoulder,I did how ever have a backup which was enough space in my sisters bag for my laptop i think thats the best thing to do,Carry it in your hand all the time go through security and if they insist put it in the gear bag till you're out of sight.
Worked for me

Stephen

Most airports/airlines allow 1 piece of hand luggage plus 1 "personal item" - the personal item being something like a laptop case, camera bag, woman's handbag, etc. Heathrow is a notable exception. Those bastards won't make any exceptions. Last time I traveled with a tripod I just put it into my checked in baggage. That said it was a dirt cheap velbon tripod that would be no big loss if it got broken. It did, however, come out intact

redrob13

You won't be allowed take it as carry on. While the info provided by DAA doesn't specifically mention tripods, it does list walking poles, sporting bats and snooker cues as items which aren't allowed ... I'd imagine they apply the same logic to tripods.

I know when I was flying out of Dublin last year I had to put it through the "Bloody Awkward Sized Luggage" channel

soccerc

redrob13 wrote: »

You won't be allowed take it as carry on. While the info provided by DAA doesn't specifically mention tripods, it does list walking poles, sporting bats and snooker cues as items which aren't allowed ... I'd imagine they apply the same logic to tripods.

I know when I was flying out of Dublin last year I had to put it through the "Bloody Awkward Sized Luggage" channel

No problems bringing both a tripod and monopod thru Dublin, Luton, Faro or Riga airports recently as hand baggage.

decsramble

Stephen wrote: »

Most airports/airlines allow 1 piece of hand luggage plus 1 "personal item" - the personal item being something like a laptop case, camera bag, woman's handbag, etc. Heathrow is a notable exception. Those bastards won't make any exceptions. Last time I traveled with a tripod I just put it into my checked in baggage. That said it was a dirt cheap velbon tripod that would be no big loss if it got broken. It did, however, come out intact

Yeah Heathrow is a pain, I hate travelling through it. Security allow 1 bag and 1 bag only. Even duty free bags from other airports are counted.

Thoie

decsramble wrote: »

Yeah Heathrow is a pain, I hate travelling through it. Security allow 1 bag and 1 bag only. Even duty free bags from other airports are counted.

At one stage I used travel through Heathrow 2-4 times per week. And I hated them. I was generally travelling with laptop bag, handbag and small suitcase. I invariably ended up checking in the suitcase, but had no particular desire to check in either my handbag or laptop bag. The people in yellow t-shirts would ensure that you only had one bag (and asking stupid questions like "can you put your handbag in your laptop bag?" - um, no, otherwise I wouldn't need two bags). As soon as you'd get past them, security would come along and ensure that you separated stuff out as much as possible, and remove laptop from bag etc.

I took to travelling with a large black plastic sack in the front pocket of my laptop bag. As I approached the yellow t-shirts I'd put my handbag and laptop bag into the black plastic sack, thereby obeying their "one bag" rule. Then I could remove them both and fold the sack away in the queue, and put things out separately on the belt - as per security instructions. The first time I did it, I just took out the laptop and left everything else in black plastic sack. I was told by security that they didn't want my handbag and laptop bag in together.

Morons.
/rant

To be slightly on topic, I've only travelled with a tripod once, and it had to go through oversized baggage.

peter1892

While the info provided by DAA doesn't specifically mention tripods, it does list walking poles, sporting bats and snooker cues as items which aren't allowed ... I'd imagine they apply the same logic to tripods.

This is true. I was travelling back to Duiblin from Bergamo a few years ago & wasn't allowed to take my tripod on as hand luggage. I checked it through & it arrived safely, but it was checked as a separate item (in it's own bag).

OP - wrap it up well & put it through as checked luggage.

BanzaiBk

Flew with Ryanair a fortnight ago and they wanted me to check my Gitzo, I ended up giving it to a relative to take home. I was chancing my arm in fairness, the guy at the desk said security wouldn't leave it go through. As it happened I witnessed a man verbally abuse one of the security officers as I was gaining access to the departure lounge. Heading to Holland on Friday with Ryanair again, defintely not going to bother bringing it.

MartMax

Thanks all.

Now it means I need a tripod case, solid and sexeh. I think I will have it checked in on its own than taking a chance losing a good tripod.

I haven't travelled via Heathrow for few years now since they have tighten the security so badly. Funny thou, the last time I flew via Heathrow on a biz class - they had very minimum security check. Unless it has changed now.

Ricky91t

Stephen wrote: »

Most airports/airlines allow 1 piece of hand luggage plus 1 "personal item" - the personal item being something like a laptop case, camera bag, woman's handbag, etc. Heathrow is a notable exception. Those bastards won't make any exceptions. Last time I traveled with a tripod I just put it into my checked in baggage. That said it was a dirt cheap velbon tripod that would be no big loss if it got broken. It did, however, come out intact

Well maybe they are beginning to spread it out to other airports

mopi

Quoting http://www.heathrowairport.com

If your airline allows it, you may take more than one item of hand baggage through security control.

There's quite a bit more on the website. The rules changed (yet again) a few months back though there are still a few UK airports with the 'one bag' rule.

Stephen

Hopefully that's correct. The last time I traveled through Heathrow was December 2007, and they certainly wouldn't budge on the one-bag rule back then. If you were transiting through the airport with duty free stuff from somewhere else you had to arrange for your checked baggage to NOT be checked all the way through to your final destination, claim your baggage, go through customs, pack the duty free stuff back into the bag and go back through security again :mad:

pansyflower

Now it means I need a tripod case, solid and sexeh. I think I will have it checked in on its own than taking a chance losing a good tripod.

I travelled Ryanair last summer with my Manfrotto 190 tripod in my one checked-in case.

MartMax

thanks again lads.

can anyone suggest a good tripod case possibly padded and suitable as check-in luggage? seems that this time the tripod will be the only item i'll not be carrying on the plane.