What should you pack for an astrophotography trip when you fly?

For an astrophotography trip by air, keep the camera, lenses, memory cards and every spare battery or power bank in your carry-on, and pack the tripod wherever your airline allows. Spare lithium batteries must stay in the cabin under FAA and IATA rules, with their terminals covered. Everything else on this list is about arriving with working, dry, charged gear.

Carry-on: what stays with you

• Camera body and lenses. A wide, fast lens is the usual choice for the Milky Way.
• Memory cards, in a case. Bring more than you think.
• Spare camera batteries and power banks. These are not allowed in checked bags (see below).
• Phone with your offline maps and Sky Map already downloaded.
• Small star tracker, if you use one; its battery follows the same rules.
• Red headlamp.

Lithium battery rules (keep it simple)

These come from the FAA PackSafe page and IATA’s passenger guidance:

1. Spare lithium batteries and power banks: carry-on only. If your cabin bag gets gate-checked, take them out and keep them with you.
2. Protect the terminals: original packaging, tape over contacts, a battery case or a pouch.
3. Size: lithium ion up to 100 Wh is generally fine. 101 to 160 Wh needs airline approval, maximum two spares. Over 160 Wh is generally not allowed for passengers.
4. Airlines can be stricter. Some limit how many power banks you carry or ban using them on board. Japan, for example, changed its in-flight power bank rules in 2026 (MLIT). Check your airline and route.

The Wh rating is printed on most batteries; if not, volts × amp-hours = Wh.

Checked bag: the bulky stuff

• Tripod (unless your airline lets it in the cabin).
• Warm clothes: dark-sky sites are often high or remote, and you stand still for hours.
• Dew heater strap or lens cloths, chargers, cables.

How to protect camera gear on a flight

• Pad lenses and the body; remove the lens from the body if space is tight.
• Silica gel packs help against condensation when you go from a cold night into a warm room. Let the camera warm up in a closed bag.
• Note serial numbers and take photos of your gear before you leave.

Before you leave home

Check the Moon phase and the weather for your nights, and download offline maps: many dark sites have no signal. I build Sky Map, so weigh this suggestion: its core sky map works without internet, and the AR view shows where the Milky Way’s constellations are over your horizon when you point the phone at the sky. The stargazing trip checklist covers clothing and safety.

Related: back up night photos from your phone, plan a Milky Way photo night.

Sources: FAA PackSafe, Lithium Batteries (faa.gov), IATA “Safe Travel with Lithium Batteries” and passenger lithium battery guidance (iata.org), Japan MLIT press release on new power bank rules, 2026 (mlit.go.jp), checked 2026-10-27.