The worst part about traveling is traveling

Lesson one: Double check the carry-on requirements before you buy and pack luggage

I found out the day before I leave that my carry on bag won’t fit with Lufthansa. According to their website, the dimensional limits for bags are 22 x 16 x 9 inches, which is barely more than a purse.

My original plan was to travel from city to city with my camera backpack (bottom) inside of my large backpack (top left). For the flight, I was going to carry on my camera backpack and check my (mostly empty) large backpack.

But as it turns out, my camera backpack is too big. I’m using an F-stop Loka and it’s dimensions are 27.9 x 30.5 x 58.4 inches – probably not going to pass.

The last thing I would do is check my camera gear. Including my laptop, I’m taking several thousand dollars worth of electronics and trusting them to baggage handlers is asking for them to be stolen. I can’t bring another smaller backpack because it won’t fit.

Instead, I’m going to take the electronics outside of my camera bag and carry them in a small drawstring workout bag, then put my camera backpack inside of the large backpack and check them as one item. I’ll add some other things in there to cushion it, but I’m going to have to guard it with my life. Starting out my trip with that bag being lost or stolen would not make me happy. I might even tie it to myself – I’m sure I have some extra rope lying around.

Putting all my electronics in that bag means I won’t have room for much else. I haven’t packed yet, but I probably won’t bring extra clothes and pack them all in my checked bags. I hope it makes it.

On a positive note though, I came home from work and found a gift package that my girlfriend Julie made for me. It was a very thoughtful thing for her to do. 🙂