Camera kit insurance o/s travel and general

[Stargirl71]

Hi. I'm travelling o/s in a few weeks with my kit for the first time. Travel insurance max. limits are a bit meh - wondering what others use/recommend for equipment value $10-$12k? I have looked at older posts but can't find anything very recent. Would be good to have something that will cover me when I'm in Oz too (so general cover).

Home contents insurance seems to be an expensive option overall by the time one adds in specified portable items. I've also checked out AON ($292 for $10k which seems the most reasonable so far, but might be replacement with comparable Canon gear only?) and PPIB (waiting on a quote back from them).

Appreciate any suggestions. TIA :)

[Mary Anne]

If you have Private Health Insurance check them out too, as I know Medibank have overseas travel insurance even for valuables like laptops and cameras.

Last time we went OS in 2010 we could not get replacement value insurance on my Cameras/Lenses either, thankfully Hotel rooms had safes and the gear was always with us.
We never left any in the Hire car either one camera went around each of our necks with the lighter lens on, the one heavy lens hubby carried in a bag on his shoulder.

These days with so many different lenses especially longer zoom, different smaller brands of cameras and lenses and of course our mobile phones we do not need to take so many lenses.
Even my bottom of the range iPhone 2020 take such good photos I have a few printed photos in my Lagoon book, and people are surprised when I tell them I took them with my mobile phone.

Not sure if this will help, but you never know.

[Glenda]

If you are going to take all of your kit OS you will probably find you won't need or use a lot of it. Perhaps let us know where you are going members could recommend which lenses to take.

We've just returned from 6 weeks in Canada and, up until Covid have travelled annually OS. I've found three lenses cover all my needs. A wide fast for night and low light or landscapes, 24-70 which is a good walkaround lens and a longer zoom for wildlife or just getting in closer. Also as you want to keep your gear as cabin luggage weight can become a problem nowadays, depending who you are travelling with. Some international airlines weigh your cabin bags others don't. Also domestic flights in some countries have strict rules for cabin bag weights.

[Brian500au]

I think these are two different scenarios. For home I dont insure my camera gear separately from my home insurance but I do have a safe which I lock my gear away when not in use. As for over seas - I am with Glenda on this one - take what you need only and that may depend on where you are going and what you plan to photograph. I always try to keep my gear on me but there have been times where I have had to leave it in a dodgy hotel room - in that case I used a packsafe wire net I locked my bag to the bathroom sink or toilet. Travel insurance does cover some photo equipment - I once dropped a body in a river and insurance covered the repair when I returned.

[ameerat42]

I re-read an old thread on this topic, and have nothing to add specifically on the question of
insurance of gear, except that I have never had any insurance for it. But the closest I would say
is what has been said above: Don't take more than you need on (any, not just OS) trips away,
and keep it "surgically attached to yourself". And take other practical steps to ensure that you
retain possession of your stuff. For damage, I have just been prepared to (swear at myself and)
wear it, but happily, none has happened.

I can attest that twice I have had swarms of young locals targeting me as an obvious "tourist"
and person-handling my stuff, but some firm reaction and some sharp imprecations in the local
language resulted in their desisting. (Note, I'm not claiming any definite cause-and-effect, but
just that it happened like that.) And never forget about pick-pockets!:angry34:

(OK, I've enjoyed exceptions to the rule above when staying with friends or relatives, confidently
leaving some gear in the house while going on an outing, but never in the likes of [h/m]o[s]tels.)

(A bit of a rave...:o)