The Airport Takeoff by Think Tank
Think Tank sent over one of their highly sought after roller bags – the Airport Takeoff
Quick Specs
Holds up to two pro or regular size DSLR bodies with or without lenses attached
Holds up to 300mm f/2.8 and other assorted lenses
INTERNATIONAL and USA domestic carry on size
Quickly deployable/concealable backpack straps
Front cable & lock to secure laptops
Features
Holds up to two pro or regular size DSLR bodies with or without lenses attached
Holds up to 400mm f/2.8 (tight with lens cap) and other assorted lenses
INTERNATIONAL and USA domestic carry on size
Quickly deployable/concealable backpack straps
Front cable & lock to secure laptops
Lockable zipper sliders
Compatible with Think Tank Artificial Intelligence 15 and 17 laptop case
Holds 15″ laptops and some 17″ laptops
Front cable & lock to secure laptops
Lifetime Warranty
Think Tank Airport Takeoff Rolling Backpack
awesome, i’ve always wanted to see one in action…i may pick one up later! thanks!
Wow. Fly-ass promo! Great job, Olivia.
Sweet! I assume that it’s compliant with carry-on size restrictions?
Also, how does it compare to the LowePro Pro Roller series?
Yes, this is a carry-on size bag. I don’t own the LowePro Pro Roller series so I can’t really say, Mike.
Olivia… what tripod is that you have there? I’m looking for something that packs super small but functional for my Canon T2i.. Thx for all the cool stuff!
I was shooting static shots so I grabbed a small photo tripod, you can see a quick review I did on it HERE. As for a small tripod for your T2i, a small tripod and fluid head might be sufficient for you CLICK HERE. What type of shooting will you be doing?
Thanks for the reply Olivia…. I am working on an adventure motorcycle documentary series.. so all my gear will be on my motorcycle.. so I have to pack small. I use a Manfrotto clamp + RAM mount to clamp to my bike as a stationary tripod but have found for this feature I need to have a real tripod, I’ll be very upset with myself if I don’t use one for setting up some of the riding shots.
My camera gear on the trip is T2i w/CarrySpeed LCDVF, Sigma 30mm & Canon 17mm-85, Canon Vixia HF100 w/ wide-angle+Rode mic, GoPro Hero2 with mics for rider-to-rider audio recording, Zoom H4n for background/interview w/Sennheiser ew112p G3 lavs, so every square inch is a challenge.. but fun!
Now.. what’s left is a decent small tripod!! We will be riding crossing creeks, get rained on, camping off of the bikes, sand, dirt.. you name it.. this trip is about 1,000 miles. If I can min height about 20″ that will be huge!
If you have any recommendations.. just let me know.. I’ll check out that Manfrotto 700! Have fun at NAB!! Love your site.. just sayin!
Basher, thanks for reading along.. you’re trip sounds epic! Check out this tripod fluid head combo.. CLICK HERE
Really nice overview. Think Tank makes such nice stuff. I must have five or six different bags and accessories. I actually need something like this to consolidate all of my gear and love that it’s a pack as well. Pricey but worth it. Their stuff will last forever.
I got this back for about a year now and its really great especially if you want to bring a lot of gear.
Hi Olivia,
Thanks for the comprehensive review
I have some questions.
I estimated that my gear weighs around 10kg including the weight of the Takeoff. It looks great when using it in the airport or along flat roads.
However, when I reach a location and
have to do some shooting while walking the streets, I have to put it on my back for fear of leaving it unattended while I shoot, so the question is, is the
padding for your back adequate for a couple hours of shooting(especially waist area and where the handle is)?
Have you had any problems checking in when the carry on limit is 7kg? I have heard that you are less likely to be stopped for checks when you carry a backpack as opposed to using a rolling bag. Just wondering how this bag works for you when travelling.
Thanks again.
@gnohz I personally have not been stopped due to weight limitations at any of the airports here in the US. I can’t know for sure if the 10kg vs 7kg will grant the airport to make you check your luggage. The extra padding certainly helped me when I was carrying this bag, however since I’m pretty small (47kg) I don’t carry too much weight on my back for extended periods of time. The waist area was pretty padded when I folded over the fabric that holds the shoulder straps tucked into the bag itself. Also, since you probably have a longer torso than me, the bag may fit you more nicely. Overall, I think it’s nice roller bag and when occasion calls, the backpack feature comes in handy.
Thanks a lot for your reply Olivia. This sounds good enough for me! I’ll be getting one very soon. I need to make sure to keep an eye on the bag when I take my hand off from the handle as I am already used to having both hands free when using a backpack!
I guess the only smaller things I need to deal with are one less side pocket and lack of front pockets, but I’m sure I’ll work around them somehow.
Thanks again and all the best