A Cry for Help - 500mm Lens and compatibility with Kenya Airways (UK) 20cm bag limit

[Alan1961]

Kenya Airways has a 20cm max depth limitation on hand luggage and this slightly worries me, so I’m looking for a bag / rucksack which is most compatible with this and compatible with a Canon 500mm and my gear - a 100mm, 17-40L, 5DII and 7D and some bits which cannot go in the hold – iPad, backup photo storage etc. No laptop needed.

After much research I am leaning toward either ….

the new Think Tank Airport Accelerator or …
the Guru Gear Bataflae 32L

However, both bags are 23cm deep and this is still 3cm over the Kenya Airways (UK) allowance of 55*38*20cm.
So … I have a couple of questions, and if anyone has an answer or suggestion on any of them I would appreciate it …

1. Have I missed a quality rucksack/bag which will meet my requirements and more importantly be closer to the Kenya airways 20cm depth restriction?

2. Has anyone used either of the two bags mentioned above and has been asked to squish them into a 20cm sizing frame during check in? I’m wondering if without a laptop if they will actually squish to 20cm without a laptop?

Many thanks for any help or other advice.
Alan.

PS – I have been to Tanzania / Kenya twice before and never been challenged, but I’ve never taken such a big lens / bag before or quite so much gear value. The thought of being asked to check it in fills me with horror! Also note that the size allowance on Kenya Airways (US) is more generous.

[deefadog]

Re: A Cry for Help - 500mm Lens and compatibility with Kenya Airways (UK) 20cm bag li

Hi Alan
Could you perhaps e-mail Kenya Airways with a list of what you want to take with sizes and even pics and see what they suggest.

Chris

[Alan1961]

Re: A Cry for Help - 500mm Lens and compatibility with Kenya Airways (UK) 20cm bag li

Hi Alan
Could you perhaps e-mail Kenya Airways with a list of what you want to take with sizes and even pics and see what they suggest.

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the suggestion and ordinarily I would agree ... but it has already taken 6 weeks to get them to respond to an e-mail.

I started out sending a very polite e-mail each week, then two each week and in the 6th week I sent 4 e-mails and eventually someone in KA forwarded my e-mail to someone else in KA tersely saying "Answer the Passenger" (Not "customer" you will note). Anyway, despite me asking for more info regarding the restraint difference to Kenya US and also asking if there were any other options, because a bag for a photographer in that size is hard to find, - all I got back was a repeat of the web site statement.

I don't hold out much hope for that route anymore. I considered phoning, but any verbal reassurance over the phone may not count for much on the day. Perhaps I'm over worrying it ... but without a solution I will loose sleep over it before I go.

Thanks

Alan