Travel Information
Traveling by airlines within the United States and Internationally is a constantly changing and challenging adventure. Traveling from the United States to other countries, we have encountered many situations that are often frustrating. We have some suggestions for travelers from the United States going to East Africa, Mexico, and Central and South America. Many of these suggestions apply to other countries and domestic travel as well.
Our travel suggestions focus on those people interested in eco-tourism and photography where most of your trip is spent at remote lodges. These are places where you, your personal affects, and especially your camera and video equipment may be exposed to the rigors of the trip.
Airlines and your luggage:
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Different airlines have very different weight allowances for carry-on luggage. Many airlines now only allow one carry-on bag with a maximum weight of 10-13 pounds (4-5 kilograms). So you may not be able to take all of your photo gear as carry-on luggage. This is especially true if you have a large telephoto lens! Be sure to check with each airline well before departure to determine what you can carry-on.
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Checked luggage- Most airlines only allow two (2) pieces of luggage per person as checked. Extra luggage will cost you about $100 per additional bag! Often there are weight limits on checked luggage as well. Again, be sure to phone the airline and ask the details of their checked luggage allowances.
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Will your checked luggage arrive with you??? That is the question. While most of the time it will arrive with you, we have had a few bad experiences. Obviously, it is bad when you spend thousands of dollars to go on a trip to East Africa for 3-4 weeks and the first four days you are without your camera equipment. Yes, that happened to us. Why four days? Traveling to Kilimanjaro airport in Tanzania has its limitations; there are only 3 flights per week from Amsterdam on KLM. So if you arrive on Saturday the next flight is not until Wednesday!!! We have been told by our contacts in Kenya and Tanzania that flights to Tanzania have a poor record for travelers and their luggage. If you fly to Nairobi, there are daily flights, so you may only be without luggage for one day, if it is lost. Check the frequency of flights to your main destination airport to find out how long you may be without your luggage and modify your destination if needed, to avoid problems.
Film and X-ray machines at airports
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Due to increased security on all international flights, the machines that x-ray your luggage have gotten stronger. Never put your unexposed or exposed film in luggage that will be checked since the strongest x-ray scanners are used for checked luggage. Always carry your film onto the airplane with you.
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X-ray scanners of carry-on luggage can potentially be harmful to film. At the security check-in always ask if you can have your film hand inspected. In the United States they often agree. In London, England they rarely agree to hand inspect film and, in Amsterdam, Holland, they do not allow it. However, in Amsterdam they state that their scanners will only affect film with an ISO 1600 or higher. We have not noticed problems with film scanned in London or Amsterdam. However, others traveling through England have claimed they noticed a "hazing" of their film. When traveling through Kenya, Guatemala, Mexico, and Ecuador, you can sometimes get hand inspection of film upon request.
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Digital video tape is not affected by x-ray but potentially could be affected by the metal detectors. So you can pack your tapes in your checked luggage or allow them to be scanned by the X-ray machine with your carry-on luggage.
Camera and video equipment exposure to the elements:
Hot, Dry and Dusty conditions:
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Dust is the bane of the photographer and videographer in most arid areas. However, in East Africa on the typical driving safari, dust is a serious problem. The dust is mostly composed of very fine volcanic particles. Near the soda lakes the dust can include alkali salts that can do serious damage and cause erosion. The fine dust can get into the smallest crevices and, except for a water proof case, the camera bag will not protect your gear in the car. Film can be protected in re-sealable plastic bags (i.e. Ziploc). But cameras and lenses are more difficult. Your vehicle is often on the move and when you see something very special you need to have the camera ready. A leopard in a tree will not wait while you unpack your camera, put on the lens etc. You may need to be ready to point, focus and shoot as soon as the vehicle stops. Hopefully, not all your photo work will be that frenetic. But wrapping your camera in shirt or light jacket may be the best quick fix to protect your equipment from the dust. These items are easily washed and you can comfortably hold them in your lap. A plastic bag may protect the gear a little more, but if you put plastic on your lap you will begin sweating nearly immediately. Be sure to bring along a blower brush to remove the dust off your lenses. Compressed air containers are not allowed on airplanes and they may drive the dust deeper into the equipment. Clean your camera and video gear very well at the end of each day.
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Hot temperatures may not prevent the camera from working and on a short trip the color quality of your film may not suffer too much. However, batteries, such as the AA and flat types, that run your camera's metering, autofocus, motor drive power sources, and flashes will deteriorate quickly in the heat. Frequent use of flash will use batteries at a high rate. So be sure to take extra batteries. If you take rechargeable batteries, do not forget that the voltages in many of countries is not the standard 110 volts AC. You will need to bring a voltage converter plus plug adapters, check with a travel store for these supplies.
Humid-wet conditions:
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SLR and point and shoot cameras often work in high humidity or even if they get a little wet on the outside. But a lot of moisture can short out the electrical system.
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Film is very sensitive to humidity. 25 years ago I once had some rolls of film in a plastic bag which was not totally waterproof. A severe monsoonal rainstorm in Nairobi got all my luggage wet. While the film did not get wet, the humidity from the wet clothes was so great, it caused clouding of the film. Again, the re-sealable (Ziploc type) plastic bags will help, but add some silica gel bags or just poor silica gel into the bag. Be sure to keep the film in the plastic containers. You may need to dry the silica gel as regularly as daily. Buy the kind of silica gel that changes color when wet (usually changes from blue when dry to purple when wet). You can dry silica gel in a standard oven, microwave, or in a metal pot over a fire. Be sure to let the silica gel cool before putting it into the plastic bag, it gets very hot.
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Video cameras are extremely sensitive to humidity. In high humidity they can completely shut down and not tape. Most video cameras have a specific icon that flashes when the humidity threshold has been reached. Often the humidity sensor triggers shut down in the morning because moisture condenses on the sensor. As the camera warms up and air humidity decreases, the camera may begin to function again. In the tropics of Guatemala and Ecuador I often had periods in the mornings when the camera stop working due to humidity. Keep the camera as dry as possible during the night to help prevent moisture from condensing.