Hi boardies!
I bet someone can help me out - things are getting tighter all the time with this luggage business -
we want to travel with just carry on bags if possible - My goal is to travel light for a change.
im working hard to get liquids down to 3.2 oz and all into a 1 qt ziplock.

I know woman can carry purses and i know in the USA you can also carry a laptop case - my question is about flying internationally - we are flying Virgin Atlantic (first time on that airline) Do you think they will let Dread carry -a carry on -and his not so small - camera/laptop - back pack???

Yep, you are allowed your carry on and one personal bag which includes laptop etc.

Yes you can..You can also have one free checked bag..I think your going to like Virgin Airlines...

i love you guys!

do you use travelers checks?

I take half of my spending money in travelers checks-but usually use my debit card and carry some cash to exchange when I get there..My reasoning behind the checks is: something happens to my atm card(machine eats it) or the atms are out of money,or its get lost/stolen...At least I know I have some checks I can go cash at the cambio (and i something happens to them-suppose to be pretty easy to replace-from what they say) But am not sure about Mexico
RW....Not sure the best way to handle money ?

Im sure someone on the board could tell us...

We use our atm card and take travelers checks for spending money. The big things or a nice dinner credit card. I think Suzen covered everything pretty well.

Huh. What kind of camera bag does Dread have? Hub has one that actually looks like a small rollerboard - all gear (2 camera bodies, 4 or 5 lenses, a couple of flash units and bags of "stuff" plus his laptop fit in there. It rolls. Its a great bag (tell Dread Think Tank is the shizzle) BUT because it LOOKS like a small piece of luggage it could be DEEMED as one.

I would encourage Dread to scale back the camera equipment (I know, he'll kill me but hey - you know from whence I speak, we are the women that travel with photo geeks, lol - they don't need clothes. They MUST have THAT lens with them at all times just in case.) and try to fit it in a smaller case. Hub has something from Loweprowe that he uses to bring a "big boy" down here that actually can be carried like a large "fanny" pack. He brings down one body and 2-3 lenses plus a little bit of stuff. This way, he can bring also a "regular" sized small roller board and no one troubles him.

I carry a small purse so what I do is also carry a small knapsack and tuck that purse in the knapsack when I board. That and my laptop case is my carry on.

Lotions and potions - 3 ozs int he baggy is great but if you go over, spill into HIS baggy. It's per person

Hi, Roots, Don flies a lot for his business & as you know, he's a photog. too. He has it down to a science. He says for Dread to go to Thinktank.com, which is a company that makes bags. Check into the "Airport Security" & "Airport Check-in" bag grouping; he uses these exclusively & they are exactly within the airlines' exact dimensions. Basically, he stuffs a lot of things into his laptop case, which has a sleeve on the back that he slides onto the long handle for his rolling carryon, which serves as his camera bag, and into which he also stuffs a lot of extra things. On a few trips, he has even been known to get just a few clothing & toiletry items into one of these two bags & made it through a two-day trip just using these two bags!

Oh, and BTW, I believe that it's not 3.2 oz. for the toiletry items, but only 3 ozs.!

Jenny and RW - Thinktank ROCKS. When hub was researching his next bag he went to their place (both Loweprowe and Thinktank are in Santa Rosa, a few miles from my house) and they helped him and he helped them brainstorm ideas for the "ideal" camera bag. Both companies make rockin' bags. Hub's small case (what he uses when he's moving around at a gig and what he takes here) was made by Loweprowe and his "rolly" case that holds everything but the kitchen sink was made by Thinktank.

Be prepared ladies - neither are cheap. NOTHING in photography is CHEAP.

Sounds like Dread has a smallish camera case - hubs SOUNDS smaller but hub only brings one body, 2 lenses (really only uses one) and a charger. I carry the laptop case. Now - as far as the baggy - what does Dread HAVE in his baggy? Also, don't be afraid to STUFF the baggy. That's what I do.

Whether it be a pack or purse bags are expensive.