Unable to post without odd formatting. System required a non-empty post. My apologies.
Wayne Peterson.
Wayne Peterson.
Jeremy,
The Hex Key / Allen Wrench (both terms are used here) goes into the duffle, which is also checked. But you raise a great point about what’s permitted in the cabin. To cut off the cable ties when I arrive, believe it or not I use a pair of toenail clippers that have no pointed file, and whose jaws open wide enough to bite off the nylon cable ties. I’ve never had those questioned by the TSA here when they are in my on-board bag. And getting past the cable ties is the only challenge to getting into my bags on arrival.
Wayne
Kevin,
I’ve had very good success using a method very similar to yours.
To save my back, I switched to a Think Tank Airport Takeoff v.2.0 as my primary bag several years ago. It’s a smart design and rolls effortlessly. And I check that bag several times a year. It switches from rolling bag to backpack easily. And I hacked the bag by carrying the necessary hex key to remove the wheels and use the axels to attach it to a Kelty backpack waist belt, making carrying the whole bag much easier by moving the weight from my shoulders to my waist.
Like you, I use cable ties to secure the zippers in a fashion that discourages theft but is no problem for the TSA. But inside the bag I leave a laminated card on top of the gear, thanking the TSA for their efforts, asking that they secure the bag again with new cable ties (provided), and including my contact information for good measure. The bag has been inspected many times, and the TSA leave their standard notice card inside when they do. But several times, I’ve had handwritten thank you notes added to the standard notice card by TSA staff who appreciated being appreciated.
On board, I carry a Think Tank Photo Urban Approach 15. That small backpack accommodates everything that needs to go on board with me: batteries, SD cards, inflight pillow, noise cancelling earphones, the books I’m currently reading, snacks, and my 15-inch MacBook with it’s powerpack and cords. I pull the padded dividers out of the main compartment of the small backpack while flying, and put them back in if I am doing a serious hike and want to haul something lighter than my primary bag. I can change the configuration day-to-day depending on what I want in the backpack. While flying, the removed dividers go into an end pocket of the rolling duffel I use for clothing and everything except my tripods. The tripods travel together in a separate, checked case.
This arrangement lets me travel with three checked bags, and a back-friendly backpack while actually in flight. For me, it’s the rule rather than the exception. And it consistently works to safely get my gear where I’m going and to save my back in the process. An added bonus: the Urban Approach fits under every airline seat to date, keeping me out of the battle for overhead storage.
Kevin, I waited a bit before offering comment. I wanted to give you a little time to get your sea legs. Brilliantly done! The site and fast-forming community is fabulous. The content is already spot-on, and with no sign of ethereal navel-gazing either! Cheering for you and your team. –Wayne
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“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow know what you truly want to become.” – Steve Jobs
This quote from Steve Jobs, as well as the support of family, friends, and loyal followers from many years are what inspired me to create this new website that is dedicated to photography. There are a lot of websites featuring photography. Many are good; in fact, many have been created and run by friends of mine. That is probably what I like most about photography. You make a lot of friends with whom, more than anything else, you share a passion and love for photography in many ways.
photoPXL was created around a dinner table with friends. This site will be about the community of photography, a place where young and old alike can share their stories, learn about the art and craft of photography, and gain an understanding of what it takes to Enhance Your Vision.
photoPXL will publish articles about photography and look at the many types of cameras we use to take photos, ranging from smartphones to medium format systems. We’ll explore the many options for processing your images and focus on the art of printing. I’ve always felt the process of making a photograph wasn’t complete until I could hold it in my hands. Color profiles, papers and types of printers will be reviewed, plus so much more.
One of the most exciting features of the new site will be building a community using photographer profile pages. This will be a place where you can share your images with other readers and see what others are doing with theirs. There will also be a forum where you can ask questions and share your knowledge, further developing the sense of community.
We will not only feature articles, reviews and opinions, but will also have a YouTube channel with numerous training and technique videos.
On the main site, look for more visits with some very well-known photographers where we’ll share their vision in our series “Shooting with the Masters.” There will be exclusive, behind the scenes segments where we’ll bring you things you haven’t seen before.
Photography for me has always been personal. I can be really serious sometimes, working to catch a certain image, but no matter what I never forget to have fun. I want this site to mean the same thing for you and be a place where you can come and experience many photography-related topics and have fun while doing so.
All in all, you’ll be Enhancing Your Vision.
Please sign up today. We will not only notify you when we launch photoPXL.com but will also keep you posted on the progress we are making on creating this site.
Joining me in this adventure is long-time friend and videographer Chris Sanderson. Chris’s insight, creativity, skill and passion have been invaluable in propelling me forward on this journey. Debra, my wife, will be sharing her unique vision and artistic view as well as handling workshops and so much more. Michael Durr is one of the more creative and fun videographers I have ever met. We are fortunate to have him as part of the team. Plus, we will have many articles from a wide range of well-known and maybe not so well-known photographers. There is so much talent out there.
We are working hard to not only create content but also to build a robust site that can be expanded upon over time. Something dynamic, and evolving.
I truly hope you will join us in creating this new community. We look forward to your collaboration, contributions and guidance along the way.
Kevin Raber
[email protected]
Owner, CEO, Publisher
