When professional photographers travel on assignment, they ship many lenses in special, individual bags and have assistants on the ground to help manage all the gear along the way. Amateur photographers don’t have that luxury.

When you travel for photo fun in Botswana, you’ll be looking at a carry-on weight restriction of 11 pounds, among other challenges. The bag you select for your camera gear is key. Invest in a sturdy camera bag that holds the essentials and nothing more; this will allow you to squeeze into your seat on an eight-seat plane and save your shoulders from the bag weight.

The Lowepro ProTactic 450 fits two pro-DSLR bodies, a 100-400mm f/4 lens, a 24-70mm f/4 lens, lens filters, laptop, hard drive, memory cards, remotes, and all your gear into a compact bag, tough enough to be in the bush and smartly flexible inside to accommodate a multitude of needs. Two external access points let you quickly draw your cameras out of the bag for shooting.

Do your best to keep your bag weight down, but realize you’ll likely be closer to 30 pounds, even carrying only basics. If you smile and do you best to stay light, you're likely be okay taking the bag on the plane. Find the bag that’s right for you and your gear well before your trip—and then you won’t have to give it a second thought on safari.

Safari Photography: 10 Tips for Capturing Wildlife

Join a National Geographic photo editor in the wilds of Botswana and get her tips for snapping the best images of African safari animals.