Is a Camera bag allowed in carry-on baggage?

This might be a silly question to experienced travelers. But as a new traveler for International flights I had a doubt that Is a camera bag allowed in carry-on luggage?

Yes, a camera bag is allowed in carry-on luggage. According to the TSA, digital cameras can be transported in both carry-on luggage and checked luggage. Cameras are sensitive items and you should carry them in the carry-on luggage. Make sure that the camera is wrapped perfectly. Carry extra batteries in the check-in luggage.

It isn’t confusing to take your bag into the airplane. But the problem is taking your camera gear on the flight. As a frequent traveler, one must know how to take care of their camera gear. But as a new traveler, one simple mistake can cost extra charges.

Some airports don’t even allow some gear if they find it offensive. So, you must know which gear to pack in your backpack before traveling. I already researched and wrote an article on ‘Are tripods allowed on airplanes’, you can check it out.

Where To Pack Camera Gear

It wouldn’t be a difficult job to pack your camera in the camera bag and for your hustle-free journey, you can easily pack it inside the carry-on luggage. There are some cases when our camera bag is too big and you cannot pack it inside the carry-on luggage. Then that would be different.

Make sure you have tripods and monopods that can be traveled on airlines. I recently covered an article on Are tripods allowed in airplanes, you can read it for detailed information. I am here to share some extra information on carrying the camera bag inside the carry-on luggage.

If you are a first-time traveler, first you should know about the difference between check-in and carry-on luggage. You can check this article to get more clarity on these words. You can only bring whatever gear you can fit in your overhead-bin-sized carry-on camera bag.

1 Pack your camera gear in the Carry on luggage

Yes, you can pack all your camera gear inside the bag you take. Nowadays, people travel to different countries and record them on their cameras. The ideal camera kit can be a camera, tripod/gimbal, lenses and some memory storage devices.

You can pack all these inside your normal luggage and can take the advantage of skipping one more bag while traveling. You have to know the best ways to pack your camera gear. TSA has cleared that digital cameras can be transported in both carry-on luggage and check-in bags. It is safe to carry them in the carry-on luggage. If the camera bag is in the suitcases, it may get damaged while folding, or moving the bag.

Here is a simple guide on how to pack the camera gear in the carry-on bag. Prepare your gear first and choose the best places to hold all the camera gears in the bag. You can also pack your tripod in this bag, even though tripods are heavy, they are not delicate. So, you need to take care of the joints and tripod head only.

Next batteries: The camera must have batteries and if you are using remote-controlled tripods, then you need extra batteries. Batteries won’t take much space usually, so you can take extra batteries too. But different airports have different rules, so you must ask them before packing in the bag.

TSA does not allow (mostly) lithium batteries and some airports need batteries to be separated from the camera. It’s best to check the rules of the airport. Lithium batteries can become a fire hazard, you must pack them separately but securely to avoid any collision. Pack your batteries in the carry-on bags.

2 Get a TSA Pre-check pass (Not Free)

You can get a TSA pre-check pass which allows you to fast back through the checking process. If you are a regular traveler, you may benefit from this pass. You have to pay for this service. You cannot completely avoid the security check at the airport with this pass but you can make the checking process faster.

A TSA pre-check permits a number of low-risk travelers to go through a more efficient screening process. Usually, the membership costs around $85 for 5 years. However, you can check the price from the websites or you can call the airline support.

Although this makes good sense, it is limited to certain citizens only. If you are a US citizen, you are invited to join the PreCheck pass process. Currently, 56 airlines accept the TSA precheck.

Do you have to show your camera to the airport security?

Yes, you have to show your camera to the airport security officers and the camera gear should be held in a separate bin. Usually, any electronic device that is larger than a cell phone needs to be checked with airport security. Even before security asks you to take it out, you can take it out on your own.

Can you contact the TSA for this query?

Yes, you can ask them via Twitter and they will respond within hours. Ask all your queries a few days before your date of traveling and get clarification. Here is an example of how you can ask such questions.

Do DSLR camera lenses need to be removed from carry-on bags?

As per TSA, camera lenses don’t need to be removed from carry-on bags for screening. You can keep them in the bag but you have to take the camera out if it is larger than a cell phone. Usually, camera lenses don’t need to be removed but this may not be applicable in airlines.

Conclusion

You already came to know about the fact that how much luggage you can take inside the carry-on luggage. The camera bag is allowed inside the carry-on luggage and you must focus on other luggage. If the purpose is only to travel and come back within few days, then you might not have a full load but if you want to stay for a long time then definitely you need to decide which to put on carry-on and checked bags.