Specialised hand luggage

I may be on a fools errand here, but, does anyone know if any luggage
manufacturer has yet launched any new items to fit the new (UK DfT) hand
luggage size rules? Specifically, a bag capable of carrying a laptop *and*
an SLR camera body with two lenses. I'm not even sure that these 4 items
will fit in the size limitation but I asked in several camera shops
yesterday and drew a complete blank.

If such a case does not exist any suggestions what to do? My thinking is
to buy something like a peli or storm case and either check it in (very big
deep breath) or send in advance using someone like UPS or FedEx.

Graham Harrison wrote:
I may be on a fools errand here, but, does anyone know if any luggage
manufacturer has yet launched any new items to fit the new (UK DfT)
hand luggage size rules? Specifically, a bag capable of carrying a
laptop *and* an SLR camera body with two lenses. I'm not even sure
that these 4 items will fit in the size limitation but I asked in
several camera shops yesterday and drew a complete blank.

If such a case does not exist any suggestions what to do? My
thinking is to buy something like a peli or storm case and either
check it in (very big deep breath) or send in advance using someone
like UPS or FedEx.

My Lowe-Pro Rolling Compu-Trekker AW Packpack fits easily within those specs
(UK specs are 56cm x 45cm x 25cm) with cm to spare on all the but last one
(25cm).

It's suitability depends on your laptop, however. I have a Sony SZ, which
is quite small, but it makes for an abslutely fantastic traveling camera
case.

Here's a look at it:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search
Short link:
http://tinyurl.com/y2g39l
Here's the LowPro site for it, including GREAT pictures showing it's
carrying capability.
I LOVE this bag:
http://lowepro.com/Products/Backpack...rekker_AW.aspx
I also carry a Low-Pro Orion hip bag as my "personal item" but if you only
need a body, a laptop and two lenses, (and if you're only allowed ONE carry
on ITEM (no personal item)...you'd have room to spare in this bag.

In today's travel world, folks who need laptops are well advised to think
SMALL and fast, rather than LARGE adn anything. There are a number of VERY
fast and capable laptops now that will make you wonder why you ever lugged
those monster-screen laptops around...

-Mark²

--
Images (Plus Snaps & Grabs) by Mark² at:
www.pbase.com/markuson

In message , at 01:05:40 on Sat, 13
Jan 2007, Mark² remarked:
Graham Harrison wrote:
I may be on a fools errand here, but, does anyone know if any luggage
manufacturer has yet launched any new items to fit the new (UK DfT)
hand luggage size rules? Specifically, a bag capable of carrying a
laptop *and* an SLR camera body with two lenses. I'm not even sure
that these 4 items will fit in the size limitation but I asked in
several camera shops yesterday and drew a complete blank.

If such a case does not exist any suggestions what to do? My
thinking is to buy something like a peli or storm case and either
check it in (very big deep breath) or send in advance using someone
like UPS or FedEx.

My Lowe-Pro Rolling Compu-Trekker AW Packpack fits easily within those specs
(UK specs are 56cm x 45cm x 25cm) with cm to spare on all the but last one
(25cm).

That's the problem (with most bags like this). And the official
dimension might be 25cm for the *airports*, but the low cost *airlines*
claim to accept only 20cm.

It's suitability depends on your laptop, however. I have a Sony SZ, which
is quite small, but it makes for an abslutely fantastic traveling camera
case.

Here's a look at it:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=details&Q=&sk
u=424405&is=REG&addedTroughType=search
Short link:
http://tinyurl.com/y2g39l

I bought an almost identical bag from Debenhams (for the same sort of
reasons) and it said it was "approved" [whatever that means]. However,
it turned out that it would have to be squashed a lot to meet even the
25cm limit, and had no chance of meeting 20cm, so I returned it to the
store. It was cheaper too: £60.

I also carry a Low-Pro Orion hip bag as my "personal item" but if you only
need a body, a laptop and two lenses, (and if you're only allowed ONE carry
on ITEM (no personal item)...

Which is what most Europe places *say* (it's just the American airports
that still have a rule of "1 carry-on, plus handbag plus plus plus ...")

you'd have room to spare in this bag.

In today's travel world, folks who need laptops are well advised to think
SMALL and fast, rather than LARGE adn anything. There are a number of VERY
fast and capable laptops now that will make you wonder why you ever lugged
those monster-screen laptops around...

Indeed, and my solution to the OP's problem is to have a laptop computer
that will fit *upright* into one side of a briefcase, along with any
papers also long side vertical, leaving the other 'side' for an "SLR
style" camera with the lens pointing down.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 01:05:40 on Sat,
13 Jan 2007, Mark² remarked:
Graham Harrison wrote:
I may be on a fools errand here, but, does anyone know if any
luggage manufacturer has yet launched any new items to fit the new
(UK DfT) hand luggage size rules? Specifically, a bag capable of
carrying a laptop *and* an SLR camera body with two lenses. I'm
not even sure that these 4 items will fit in the size limitation
but I asked in several camera shops yesterday and drew a complete
blank. If such a case does not exist any suggestions what to do? My
thinking is to buy something like a peli or storm case and either
check it in (very big deep breath) or send in advance using someone
like UPS or FedEx.

My Lowe-Pro Rolling Compu-Trekker AW Packpack fits easily within
those specs (UK specs are 56cm x 45cm x 25cm) with cm to spare on
all the but last one (25cm).

That's the problem (with most bags like this). And the official
dimension might be 25cm for the *airports*, but the low cost
*airlines* claim to accept only 20cm.

It's suitability depends on your laptop, however. I have a Sony SZ,
which is quite small, but it makes for an abslutely fantastic
traveling camera case.

Here's a look at it:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=details&Q=&sk
u=424405&is=REG&addedTroughType=search
Short link:
http://tinyurl.com/y2g39l

I bought an almost identical bag from Debenhams (for the same sort of
reasons) and it said it was "approved" [whatever that means]. However,
it turned out that it would have to be squashed a lot to meet even the
25cm limit, and had no chance of meeting 20cm, so I returned it to the
store. It was cheaper too: £60.

I just measured my bag when full...including my laptop, and it made it
within the 25cm spec.
You might want to try this identical bag, since an "almost identical" bag
may well miss, even if it appears nearly identical. As it stands now, I've
got it filled and in front of me, and it's in.



--
Images (Plus Snaps & Grabs) by Mark² at:
www.pbase.com/markuson

In article , Graham Harrison
writes
If such a case does not exist any suggestions what to do? My thinking
is to buy something like a peli or storm case and either check it in
(very big deep breath) or send in advance using someone like UPS or
FedEx.

A Peli type case would work, but bear in mind that couriers will treat
anything that 'looks' rugged roughly. We have had instruments
transported in a foam lined Peli case broken because it was subject to
shock whereas instruments wrapped in nothing more than a plastic sheet
arrived working and unmarked. I do not recommend this if you value use
of your equipment.

Perhaps you could make a less protective bag just for carrying the more
venerable and valuable items to and from the aircraft and pack your
gadget bag in your suitcase with some of your clothes inside it so that
it does not take up much room.
--
Ian G8ILZ
There are always two people in every pictu the photographer and the viewer.
~Ansel Adams

In message , at 02:54:35 on Sat, 13
Jan 2007, Mark² remarked:
I bought an almost identical bag from Debenhams (for the same sort of
reasons) and it said it was "approved" [whatever that means]. However,
it turned out that it would have to be squashed a lot to meet even the
25cm limit, and had no chance of meeting 20cm, so I returned it to the
store. It was cheaper too: £60.

I just measured my bag when full...including my laptop, and it made it
within the 25cm spec.
You might want to try this identical bag, since an "almost identical" bag
may well miss, even if it appears nearly identical. As it stands now, I've
got it filled and in front of me, and it's in.

I didn't really need a new bag. The issue with that form factor seemed
to be that the pouches on the front were only just within the 25cm when
empty, and putting anything in them would have bulged outside. There was
also quite a substantial frame on the bottom (holding the wheels etc)
which meant that the main section of the bag didn't really squash much
if you pushed on the pouch area. But if it works for you, that's fine.
--
Roland Perry

On Sat, 13 Jan 2007 06:53:17 -0000, "Graham Harrison"
wrote:

I may be on a fools errand here, but, does anyone know if any luggage
manufacturer has yet launched any new items to fit the new (UK DfT) hand
luggage size rules? Specifically, a bag capable of carrying a laptop *and*
an SLR camera body with two lenses. I'm not even sure that these 4 items
will fit in the size limitation but I asked in several camera shops
yesterday and drew a complete blank.

If such a case does not exist any suggestions what to do? My thinking is
to buy something like a peli or storm case and either check it in (very big
deep breath) or send in advance using someone like UPS or FedEx.


Already exists. I have a back pack in which the main part is for an SLR body
and a few lenses and other bits. The smaller part I put my laptop, as that
part isn't padded I put bubble wrap between the outside and the laptop. There
is plenty of room in the camera part for the laptop power pack.


--
Lansbury in Oregon
www.uk-air.net
FAQs for the alt.travel.uk.air newsgroup

"Graham Harrison" wrote in message
...
I may be on a fools errand here, but, does anyone know if any luggage
manufacturer has yet launched any new items to fit the new (UK DfT) hand
luggage size rules? Specifically, a bag capable of carrying a laptop
*and*
an SLR camera body with two lenses. I'm not even sure that these 4 items
will fit in the size limitation but I asked in several camera shops
yesterday and drew a complete blank.

If such a case does not exist any suggestions what to do? My thinking is
to buy something like a peli or storm case and either check it in (very
big
deep breath) or send in advance using someone like UPS or FedEx.


I use a Zeroshock sleeve for the laptop (about £15 from PC World) then put
that inside a rucksack. The pc seems to have been well protected after
using it for a couple of years. It is like these: http://shinza.com/

If such a case does not exist any suggestions what to do? My thinking
is to buy something like a peli or storm case and either check it in
(very big deep breath) or send in advance using someone like UPS or
FedEx.

A Peli type case would work, but bear in mind that couriers will treat
anything that 'looks' rugged roughly. We have had instruments
transported in a foam lined Peli case broken because it was subject to
shock whereas instruments wrapped in nothing more than a plastic sheet
arrived working and unmarked. I do not recommend this if you value use
of your equipment.

I usually pack a hard case inside a large suitcase. The camera is in
the Pelican, and the Pelican is wrapped in a towel, inside a
suitcase. I'm not usually worried about damage, but loss is always a
fear.

-Joel

Joel M. Hoffman, PhD
http://www.lashon.net/JMH/

On Sat, 13 Jan 2007 01:05:40 -0800, "Mark²" mjmorgan(lowest even
number wrote:

My Lowe-Pro Rolling Compu-Trekker AW Packpack fits easily within those specs
(UK specs are 56cm x 45cm x 25cm) with cm to spare on all the but last one
(25cm).

Lowepro makes nice bags, I like my TopLoader.

I saw the Tenba bags in person at MacWorld in SF last week and was
very impressed with the design, construction, and value of their
product line. Browsing their site I see that they can make custom
cases:

http://www.tenba.com/custom-cases/10000.asp

They make a nice backpack (Shootout Large Backpack):

http://www.tenbagear.com/products/2000_01_shootout_lg_bk.asp

that holds a large laptop plus quite a bit of camera gear (including
lenses up to 500mm). It comes close to fitting the above specs, but
it's a 7 CM too deep at 42W x 51H x 32D. However... I bet they could
customize this bag to be thinner by removing all the backpack straps
and all the extra pouches on the front. (Their small backpack is only
28D so they are within 3 cm of fitting with that model.) You might
want to ask them if it is possible for them to get this pack down to
25cm deep. They might decide that this is a product they need to fit
into their product line and work with you to make one for you as their
proof of concept item. They might also be able to make one within
20cm deep with some careful placement of the laptop, so that where
camera gear overlaps the laptop is where you place smaller items and
where it has the full depth of the case is where you would place your
camera body and/or larger lenses.

jc

--

"The nice thing about a mare is you get to ride a lot
of different horses without having to own that many."
~ Eileen Morgan of The Mare's Nest, PA