What's your holiday rig?

[JeremyS]

My travel kit is a Tak FC 76DCU, ScopeTech Zero altaz head and Manfrotto tripod. 
The OTA (2 halves), finder, EPs etc are carried in my ThinkTank Airport Accelerator backpack as shown by Stu above.

 

[F15Rules]

On 04/08/2022 at 11:11, SuburbanMak said:

I did briefly consider trying to squeeze the 10" Revelation Dob in but couldn't really leave one of the kids behind...

...because??🤔😁😎

Dave

[F15Rules]

On 05/08/2022 at 08:36, badhex said:

This is approximately the setup, although I've replaced the tripod with a Gitzo (still the same size). This has the AZ-GTi in the top right compartment, but it can just be swapped out for the mount zero. 

...such a well packed suitcase!👍

And great to see you've packed a couple of floats (bottom left compartment) to do a spot of sea fishing as well a nice Thermos flask ( centre pocket) for hot drinks to keep you warm!👍😂

Dave

[JeremyS]

I might have found a minimalist EP set for the Tak FC 76DCU in travel mode (1.25-inch):

Tele Vue NZ 3 to 6, APM SZ 7.7  - 15.5, Tak ER 28

[Stu]

3 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

I might have found a minimalist EP set for the Tak FC 76DCU in travel mode (1.25-inch):

Tele Vue NZ 3 to 6, APM SZ 7.7  - 15.5, Tak ER 28

That will work well Heremy. I do something very similar with Nag Zoom, Leica Zoom and 24mm Panoptic 👍

[Stu]

On 04/08/2022 at 11:11, SuburbanMak said:

I did briefly consider trying to squeeze the 10" Revelation Dob in but couldn't really leave one of the kids behind...

That sir, is what roof boxes are for….. 😱

[JeremyS]

Another option for holiday travel when I don’t want to carry a scope: Canon image stabilised bins:

 

[tomato]

Here’s mine, needless to say imaging was not high on the list of holiday activities.

[ED Splitter]

23 hours ago, Highburymark said:

Some lovely travel kits in this thread.
I’m currently in Menorca with the following:      
TV85, PVS-14 night vision eyepiece.    
TV Plossls - 55mm/67mm, 32mm.    
Panoptic 24, Delite 18.2, 11.    
Baader zoom, VIP barlow. Takahashi TOE 3.3mm. All fitted easily into cabin baggage on EasyJet flight. 
Really useful to have a zoom for travel, and the Baader zoom is a great all-rounder - fun zooming in on globular clusters.

Wonderful to have dark skies again.
First night bagged M13, M92, M4, M10, M12, M9, M14, M107, M22, M28 and four non-Messier globulars. M31, M110, M8, M16, M17, M20, M11, and Saturn.

Did they make any request for you to check the bag? 

[ED Splitter]

3 hours ago, JeremyS said:

My travel kit is a Tak FC 76DCU, ScopeTech Zero altaz head and Manfrotto tripod. 
The OTA (2 halves), finder, EPs etc are carried in my ThinkTank Airport Accelerator backpack as shown by Stu above.

 

Very nice. Just added that mount to my wish list. 

[F15Rules]

I don't usually do "pack and go" astronomy when on holiday etc.. but as we are holidaying in the Hebrides (Bortle 2 skies when clear) in a few weeks, I really want to take a scope with me: we have a fair sized SUV car for just the two of us, so I'm planning to fold the seats down and take this set up with me..

Vixen SP102 on SP mount in altaz mode on Tak tripod which, although very light is also very sturdy and folds up well.

Eyepieces: 

Baader Zoom 8-24mm, Carton Japan 28mm (Erfle, I think), Morpheus 17.5mm and WO 1.6x Barlow nosepiece.

This will give me from 35x up to 200x in the Vixen.

For the second week we will be in a cottage in an isolated part of Mull so I can leave the setup, er set up for the week👍.

I'll also take my trusty Vixen 8x32 roof bins for wildlife and sky scanning..

Just hope for a few clear nights..

Dave

Edited August 6, 2022 by F15Rules
Additional text info

[russ]

I also don't usually take a scope on holiday but we stayed in Snowdonia last year and after getting clearance from the boss, I packed my son's SLT mount and Celestron C6 ota. Been amazed how well this combo works and it has now become my full time easy setup kit. 

[badhex]

4 hours ago, F15Rules said:

 Thermos flask ( centre pocket) for hot drinks to keep you warm!👍😂

Don't forget the sugar! 

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, F15Rules said:

I don't usually do "pack and go" astronomy when on holiday etc.. but as we are holidaying in the Hebrides (Bortle 2 skies when clear) in a few weeks, I really want to take a scope with me: we have a fair sized SUV car for just the two of us, so I'm planning to fold the seats down and take this set up with me..

Vixen SP102 on SP mount in altaz mount on Tak tripod which although very light is also very sturdy and folds up well.

Eyepieces: 

Baader Zoom 8-24mm, Carton Japan 28mm (Erfle, I think), Morpheus 17.5mm and WO 1.6x Barlow nosepiece.

This will give me from 35x up to 200x in the Vixen.

For the second week we will be in a cottage in an isolated part of Mull so I can leave the setup, er set up for the week👍.

I'll also take my trusty Vixen 8x32 roof bins for wildlife and sky scanning..

Just hope for a few clear nights..

Dave

Hah, so you’d thought you’d sneak a third handle in, Dave. Nice touch.

Can’t have too much of a slo-mo thing.

[Stu]

32 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Can’t have too much of a slo-mo thing.

😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😱😱😱😱😱

[badhex]

Speaking of slowmos, I heard about the Borg single-arm fork mount the other day which could be a good option for travel kits. At 0.7kg even smaller and lighter than the Mount Zero and I understand it's good for up to about 2.5kg payload for astro. 

Looks a bit like a 1970s central heating timer though

Edited August 6, 2022 by badhex

[F15Rules]

2 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Hah, so you’d thought you’d sneak a third handle in, Dave. Nice touch.

Thanks Jeremy, the scope thinks of the bottom pair as her "twin set" - and she never goes out without them

Dave

[F15Rules]

1 hour ago, badhex said:

Speaking of slowmos, I heard about the Borg single-arm fork mount the other day which could be a good option for travel kits. At 0.7kg even smaller and lighter than the Mount Zero and I understand it's good for up to about 2.5kg payload for astro. 

Looks a bit like a 1970s central heating timer though

Aaw..how sweet is that??

It's made me feel all "fluffy bunny"!🤗🐇

Dave

[SuburbanMak]

On 04/08/2022 at 21:14, wimvb said:

During  summer holiday I dust off my 22” spherical kit. It has an integrated tripod with wheels on two of its legs. I exclusively use it to view the coalsack. An ideal instrument for star parties.

Brand: Weber

Woah! 

[SuburbanMak]

8 hours ago, Stu said:

That sir, is what roof boxes are for….. 😱

I tried but couldn’t fold his legs into it

[SuburbanMak]

@Stu there was some competition for roof space… 

Nice solar session apres kayak today, 5 active groups meandering across the disc and some nice faculae + 2 of the four teenagers vaguely interested which is a win.  
Also can make a recommendation for Tarquin’s Cornish Gin.  If this high cirrus clears there might be some observing later  

[ollypenrice]

The trick is to grow old, retire into a permanent holiday under good skies and pour a lot of non-portable concrete!

😁lly

[AstroGS]

Travelled to Greece with a:

RedCat51

AZ-GTi

ASI533MC

Guidescope and ASI290mm

AsiAir Plus

Optolong Filters

Extension pier + weights + cables

Bought a tripod while there and left it with my friend (next time I’m here I will use it again) 🙂

 

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by George Sinanis

[gorann]

This is what I brought to a south Pacific Island, just before COVID happened. A Canon 300 mm f/4 with an ASI071, sitting on a star adventurer. The whole kit with tripod weighed 8 kg. The lens is only 1.2 kg (not much for what is a flat field Apo with 75 mm aperture).

I made a thread about the trip:

 

[tomato]

Love the tripod set up in the sand.