by resonanceimaging » Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:49 pm
My experience carry big overloaded packs on airplanes is extensive due to constant international and domestic travel with tons of camera gear. The strictest I've experienced is in the Congo where I carried 45lbs of gear crammed into a F-Stop 40liter backpack plus a "personal item" which was my laptop bag. The limit was 22lbs total but as wearing the pack the whole time in line and having it tight on my back let me slip through everytime. Keep the bag compressed tight and no problems getting it in an overhead bin on some very small planes. I'm thinking of going for a Unaweep 3900 plus Peregrine/new daypack as they can combine and carry all my gear in the field and the Unaweep can be my carry on and the daypack my personal item walking onto planes.
In the US i have never been asked ever to check my backpack, don't make any eye contact and walk like it weights nothing. In China they ripped my stuff apart but mainly because it was camera gear. But walked through with it all when it was said and done. My experience anyways.