Packing for Safari to Kenya - What Kit To Take?.

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Packing for a 2 week safari and beach holiday in Kenya at the moment (8 Day Safari & 6 Day Beach, last time I did this trip I only took a bridge camera as was nagged into "Not packing the kitchen sink", so went the other way and only took the bridge camera. Results were fine but feel so much more could have been achived if I had access to my normal kit,

So I have just pulled out the smaller of my 2 kit bags and crammed in as much gear as I think I will use. (Size wise its fine for carry on - but weight wise :D hohum).

Using a Tamrac Cyberpack 6 - I have managed to cram in

5D MKII Gripped - fitted with 70-200L f4 IS (My standard lens on this body)
7D - fitted with 100-400L (My standard lens on this body)

+ Sigma 12-24 (For UW Landscapes)
+ Canon 24-105 (For Landscapes)
+ Sigma 105 Macro (For any nice flowers etc)
+ 580EX Flash Just in case!)
+ Extra Batts Filters etc + Netbook for backing up images from cards!

Weight wise it is way way over the carry on limit, so if I leave it like this and get stopped at check in I will be shoving lens in every pocket I have to bring down the wieght.

What do you think, should I risk it or am I just going over the top and should I jetison some of the kit before I go!

kit2.jpg
 
Ha Ha I will be interested in the replies to this question. ;)
I shall be going on an 8 day trip in September. At present I have a Lowepro vertex 200 with a
7D 17/70 2.8/4.5
10/20 sigma
EF 70/200 2.8L
150/500 sigma
EF 100 2.8 macro
some lee filters
spare EOS 30D body
batteries etc
Whilst the bag is carry on size like you the weight is well to say the least HEAVY:lol:
So come on guys some help required here;)
 
Lose the 5D and 70-200 and i reckon the Sigma 105 Macro too.......you'll save yourself a whole heap of weight .....and also be able to take it on the plane as carry on.
 
neilos100 said:
Lose the 5D and 70-200 and i reckon the Sigma 105 Macro too.......you'll save yourself a whole heap of weight .....and also be able to take it on the plane as carry on.
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But if I lose the 5D MKII - I am losing a body - Don't like travelling without a backup body,

also the 5D MKII and 70-200 is my main use kit I reckon 70% of the shots I take will be between 70-200,

the 7D and 100-400 is just for those long reach shots that the 70-200 cannot match (The 100-400 giving 160-640 on t he 7D) a very small % of the shots I take will be with this (Getting in on the harder to reach wildlife etc)

Yes the macro could go but will only save 300grammes
 
I have been to Kenya 3 times (albeit working, not for pleasure :( ) and i have never had any carry-on luggage weighed (with Kenya Airways & BA), but that doesn't mean they wont check yours I suppose :(
I must say, it I was you i'd struggle to narrow it down, but then i'm not quite as blessed with as much kit as you ;).
Do you really need to take the 70-200L? you have the 24-105, and the 100-400 to cover you through all those Focal Lengths. Also, I suppose you could just take 1 body and the bridge as an insurance incase anything untoward happens.

Don't know how much use you'll get from the flashgun, but the best time for safaris are dusk and dawn, so maybe it'll come in useful for a bit of fill-in.

where are you going on the coast? Mombassa?
 
On my many trips to Kenya BA and kenyan (work travel :()I have not had mine weighed, but I have heard that internal flights are quite strict out there.
 
Graham_P_Clarke said:
On my many trips to Kenya BA and kenyan (work travel :()I have not had mine weighed, but I have heard that internal flights are quite strict out there.
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Yeah, flying Nairobi to Mombassa and back was fairly stringent, i remember going through atleast 4 metal detectors, and they manually searched my main luggage whilst i was waiting for check-in, but i can't remmeber if they weighed my hand luggage. :thinking:
 
My carry on bag is often full of lenses, bodies, laptop etc. and overweight and I have never had it weighed, I try not to make it look heavy though. A college did recently get pulled with his think tank roller on a KLM flight out of Venice and ended up having to stuff a load of gear in his hold bag, subsequently all his CF cards vanished by the time he got to Copenhagen!

If the bag doesn't look heavy I would still risk it though!


P.S. where is the tripod going to go?
 
Hi
Nothing on the kit, but do take great care regarding dust. The dust in the parks is like an orange talcum powder and it gets everywhere. I would take plenty of soft bags in which to contain your kit even inside the main rucksac and keep everything covered when not in use.
 
Hi there, from previous experience flying I haven't had my carry on weighed, most operate a policy as long as it fits a specific size and you can place it in the overhead storage unaided your grand.

As for what to take, I'd leave the 7D + 70-200L at home, you might lose a body but that's a lot of excess weight your taking bro. My 2 cents.
 
My wife flew out of the UK to South Africa on Emirates a couple of days ago. They weighed her hand baggage - mostly photographic gear - and she was well over the limit but she got away with it because she never gets close to the limit for checked bags.

It seems to be pretty arbitrary in SA. Sometimes they weigh hand baggage, other times they don't, and that applies to most of the airlines. Some people reckon you have a better chance of getting away with it if you walk up to the check in counter, stick the big bag(s) on the scale and nonchantly lift your 20kg backpack onto the counter with one hand, saying "Oh, and my backpack. I'll just carry it on".

On thing to be careful about. Travellers report getting through check in and security, and flight crew telling them that their hand baggage is too big/heavy for the cabin and has to go into the hold. This is usually a scam, and the bag will be rifled in transit. This is Africa, and the departure and arrival airports will blame each other. I advise clients to argue, and if they won't give way, make a big issue of writing down the flight crew member's name, and transfer the most valuable hand luggage to your pockets and so on. Split it with friends if you're travelling together.
 
Cheers Guys

Yes I know about the dust in the parks - done it before and its a PITA at times trying to keep anything dust free!

In a way I agree about the 70-200, may leave that behine and put the 24-105 on the 5D body as a main lens as suggested. Will cut down on lens changes for anything needing a wide.

I travel UK to LAX every 2 weeks for work and sometimes have "Discussions" with the Staff there over heavy carry on's with cameras in depends on the airline,

As for this trip we are spending some time at the Neptune Palms on Danai Beach (Been there several times before), then 3 nights In the Masai, followed by 5 nights in Voi, Nugulia and Amboseli

All stuff we have done before, but without lugging £1000s in kit!.

Looking forward to it and thanks for the comments,

Def thinking about dumping the 70-200 sob sob ! my razor sharp super lens!
 
Without reading the rest, I'd say dump the 70-200 as the 100-400 isn't far off the 70mm. Plus maybe drop the 105 as well. I think landscape and wildlife will be big on the agenda where as macro for me would be more of a 'nice to have'.

Sounds like an amazing trip :D
 
Richard Peters said:
Without reading the rest, I'd say dump the 70-200 as the 100-400 isn't far off the 70mm. Plus maybe drop the 105 as well. I think landscape and wildlife will be big on the agenda where as macro for me would be more of a 'nice to have'.

Sounds like an amazing trip :D
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:agree:
looking at the places you are going to, you are going to be greeted with large animals and stunning landscapes, there will be the odd interesting flower/plant/insect, but i'm sure the 12-24 will be able to handle that. :)

I've been to Masai, Voi, Amboseli, but not Nugulia that I remember. Masai is amazing if you've not been before. can't remember there being much in Voi, although we just passed through and only stopped for (a rather dodgey "chicken"-based) lunch :lol:

You know Amboselli isn't a million miles away from Mt. Killimanjaro if memory serves...:thinking: i hope you are going there too. I stayed in an awesome game reserve right in the Killi National park. it was fantastic. Think that was on the Tanzanian side technically.

Wish i was going back there again.....:( one day...

Don't forget the Malarone ;) i'd be more worried about Malaria than excess baggage :lol:
 
I'd take the lot. Nothing worse than missing a great shot because you didn't have the right lens. I went through Nairobi six times over the last few years. Yes, security is very strict (all luggage is scanned before you even get into the airport). But I've never had my carry-on weighed. Part of it is social engineering - be pleasant and friendly and make the bag look as if it isn't heavy.

If the worst does happen then wearing a photographer's vest can help. Mine has pockets large enough to hold almost all of my gear.
 
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