Building a safe deposit box in the back of your car.

[c_d5]

Anybody ever thought of building a safe deposit box in the trunk of

your car? Sort of a place to leave your backup equipment safely if

you shoot by yourself.

[jack_fisher1]

They'll steal the car. Did mine once.

 

JF

[mike dixon]

Why not simply put your stuff in the trunk? Most automotive theft is accomplished by breaking a window to steal items visible inside the car or to steal the car. I don't think you're adding much additional security by adding another box inside the trunk. I had someone break into my car once to steal change from the console while about $1000 worth of camera gear was in the trunk.

[c_d5]

What if you drive a sports utility in which the trunk space is visible. Hopefully in the parking lot, they won't steal your car while you are shooting the wedding.

[Jerry_]

You could find a white cooler --- paint "human remains" and a Red Cross symbol on the side and top. Leave it in plain view...with your back-up gear inside. It's doubtful any dummy would steal it (that is if he or she can read.)

[gary_woodard]

Rottwiellers (sp) tend to work well near camera bags.

[danny_wong2]

How about padded bags in the spare tire well at the bottom of the trunk? In lieu of the spare carry canned tire sealants. Make sure the well area is sealed from the outside enviroment.

 

The guard dog is not a joke, I know two other photogs in my area using this method. There are usually a few major parks in each community where everyone goes for the outdoor shots. The parking lots of these parks are prime area for break-ins on weekends during the wedding seasons.

[al_kaplan1]

How much back-up equipment do you need? I manage to carry 3 bodies, 15/4.5, 21/3.4 35/2, 85/2 and sometimes 135/2.8 lenses, two Vivitar 283 flashes, extra synch cords and batteries, a slave synch, and 10 or 12 extra rolls of film. The cameras hang on straps, the rest fits in a soft shoulder bag. None of that stuff is going to be the better for being locked away in a car where the temperatures can top 150 degrees farenheit.

[rich_taylor____mequon__wi]

Hey Al,

Can you post a picture of you with all that gear? It's a little hard to visualize.

[steve_levine]

Back up gear needs to be readily available, not locked in car's trunk.

[john_h.1]

I have been thinking about it. My thought is to bolt down a safe or fireproof safe in the trunk area. It could help if you place things in the trunk where people could possibly see you. Sometimes its desirable to replace equipment while you are parked in a public area. Of course one should do so out of sight in advance whenever possible. Nothing is foolproof and someone could steal the car and so on, but every layer of security increases the odds of preventing a theft by deterrence or brute force.

[c_d5]

hehehehe Al. I can't afford all Leica camera right now you know. I am sure sometimes in the future when I can afford it, and my back will thank me for it. But, it's a thought for to put the backup cameras, lenses, and medium format camera.

[bill_b2]

You need a locking box, probably steel or aluminum or Fiberglas. That will deter the smash and grab thieves. It could encourage car theft, but not likely.

 

Look for the toolboxes are often found on pickup truck beds. See http://www.truck-tool-box.com for examples. Enter into you search engine toolbox, pickup, and Toronto. Leave Toronto off if you want to expand the search

 

Take care in attaching it that you do not drill into wiring or the gas tank. A shop that customizes pickups can probably get you an appropriately-sized box and attach to your SUV. If you want to remove it frequently, they can make sure there are easy-release latches inside the box.

 

Be wary of the oven factor as others have pointed out.

 

Bill

[bill_knippenberg1]

A photographer pro and instructor I know uses a large cooler in

the back of his SUV. He just places his whole bag into it. The

insulation in the cooler seems to protect his equipment from the

heat and the cooler is not an eye catcher for a thief.

[andre j.]

Best tip I received on this subject: thieves watch you, and when they're lucky see you leave

your car dressed for battle, and then break in knowing you're a photographer.

 

Another weird news item: thieves are dressing up in tuxedos and crashing classy events

with the goal of grabbing camera bags...

 

What a world!

 

My solution: lowepro street & field sliplock belt with shoulder harness... You can load

yourself up like a mule. I've been advised to wear it to the john and back, although....

 

;-D

[rich_taylor____mequon__wi]

Steve is absolutely right. Do you want to be in the parking lot retrieving your back-up body when the father-in-law punches out his ex-wife's drunken husband? Of course not. Those moments are what memories are made of.

 

Suggestion: Your gear is better off with you. I like to travel with the LowePro Roller I, but I like to store my back-up stuff in the more solid Pelican 1510, which has wheels (and is carry-on size), and is lockable. I attach it to an immovable object with a steel cable-lock and I don't have to worry about it. If I see someone carrying the piano out of the hall, I know my Pelican is being stolen.

 

If I need any back-up stuff, it's right there in the room with me.

 

Best idea, though, as I've mentioned on this topic before, is to hire a reliable kid (high school, college, or your own) for $100 or so (depending on the time involved) to do nothing but watch the gear. It's good money for him and cheap peace of mind for you.

[john_fleetwood]

I used to keep camera gear in a cooler. Then someone stole my cooler. Fortunately, it just had beer in it.

[mark_jacoby___raleigh__nc]

John, What do you mean "just beer"?

 

In my younger days I would have traded a couple old lens for cold beer after a hot day shooting. lol

[Jochen_S]

I myself like Army surplus aluminium cases or Navy locker substitutes (carryable steel boxes). Surely somebody will steal your car... I'd prefer carrying these boxes in and lock them to something if necessary. I thought a lot about that idea because I have only a motorbike with sidecar to carry equipment and anything lockable is a real improvement.

[michaelging]

I used to have a Scout II 4WD, with a rag top on it. I took a steel surplus AMMO box, drilled a couple of holes in the bottom , and bolted it to the floor in the back of the Scout with a couple of carrage bolts. I then put a hasp and a padlock and put it on the lid. I put foam rubber on the bottom of the Steel container and would drop my camera bag into the box and lock it up. I once had the radio ripped out and they tried to get the ammo box but could not get it.

[john_fleetwood]

Mark, thanks for your concern, but here in NOLA you can walk 10 feet in any direction and get a cold beer (except at Jazz Fest.)

[mike_hodson]

What about keeping your camera gear in a diaper-bag? Not too many thieves would want to steal dirty diapers.

[bill c.]

I have one of the larger Pelican cases, and it sits in the back of my SUV. It's got a padlock on it, and also through the padlock is an aircraft-grade cable that goes around the case and then around a D-ring in the floor. It's probably not quite as good as the bolted-in ammo box but will deter most thieves for longer than they want attention called to them after my car alarm goes off, and I can re-situate it easily enough when I need to hold more cargo.

 

And even though I live in a very safe neighborhood, no matter where I go, and even in my driveway, I never park my car without a steering wheel lock. The kind by MasterLock is the best I've ever seen. It's got a push-button lock in the middle, and it takes literally three seconds for me to lock and unlock with the key.

 

Happy shooting, and watch your equipment carefully. -BC-

[ptucci]

For those of you thinking about the truck bed box route--they are fairly easy to force open (from experience). Add a padlock.