.
OK I'm male!
I like my gadgets!

I am now getting to the point where my equipment is greater than my carry on allowance.
My booked in as hold luggage is always well below allowances, a few clothes for padding around tripods & the like.

I'm looking towards having a proper case for gear as booked in hold luggage. Pele case or the such?

Does anyone use a dedicated camera case?
Or do you carry it all in the cabin?

How safe is a dedicated photographic case with baggage handlers as hold luggage?

I once had a rucksack pilfered at Johanesburg, but then a rucksack is easy to break into.

Kipper Beware!

Cameras, lenses, electronics and other sensitive devices are NOT covered by the airlines' lost or damaged luggage policies. (And have you seen how handlers toss around these bags?)

Only check in items you can afford to have broken or lost - or have independently insured.
Or, horror of horrors - downsize some of that junk!

Junk?? Junk?? ;0)

Kipper - I flew to Kenya this year and took as little hand luggage as possible with me as I had my corset on as I was flying about 3 weeks after my spine operation and could not carry heavy stuff with me. I placed my camera plus equipment in my suitcase which went in the hold of the plane. When I landed in Nairobi and unpacked when I got the the hotel for the 1st night - someone went through my luggage, removed the camera and chargers - but left the camera bag!!! Take your camera on board with you as hand luggage!

That was my problem as well Cody but I'm wondering about a proper photographic flight case for carrying the camera traps.
It is to good a chance for advertising footage to miss & last year iI could have set a few up & left them for a couple of days as I'm sure I missed a lot by moving just 2 traps around.

I'm getting a lot of response from my African trap results & there is a vast market here in Europe as well as Asia & Africa for these cameras.
I have just sent two to India & have enquiries from Russia & Costa Rica.

My main camera, I carry on, along with binoculars & a couple of lenses but my camera bag is full.

How do the professionals carry all their gear safely?

As carry-on luggage requirements are always changing, why don't you call your airline's customer relations people and ask them about getting your equipment in the cabin?

I've seen professional photographers get on my flights to Africa and they always bring their equipment with them in the cabin. Of course, there has to be available room. Several years ago I started chatting up some professional photographers at the gate while waiting to board the plane with huge metal boxes full of equipment. They said they were waiting for everyone to board the plane before they got on board. I went ahead and got my seat and found out they were allowed to bring the over-sized luggage - but - waiting to board last - the cabin ran out of room for their equipment!! They had to catch another flight!

I've had some electronic equipment over the years go missing in checked baggage. I now check only things I can afford to lose, and carry on binoculars, and cameras in a camera bag and a back pack.

(Sorry about demeaning your equipment, was only joshing - I'm sure it's lovely.)