traveling with studio gear

[jmf]

I'll be traveling to the hinterlands of western New York State (east

of Buffalo) by air. I'm considering taking a mid size norman pack and

2 heads/stands/dish and fold up SB (since there doesn't seem to be any

rental between Toronto and NYC). Short of spending more on the

case(s) than the gear is worth, what are peoples suggestions for

airline resistent gear protection. I'm already doing the carry on

with the camera case. Wheels would be nice, but I've got a decent

foldup cart I use for travel.

 

Any warnings/tips would also be appreciated

 

You can skip the snowshoe and sled dog jokes, I grew up in that country

[ellis_vener_photography]

Lightware cases

[david cunningham]

i agree with ellis. lightware cases are great. but i found the best way to go is to design the

interior of an anvil case. the new ones have the option of roller wheels and a pull out handle.

i am currently putting the specs together for a case that will hold 2 elinchrom monolights, a

patterson digitflash panel, stands, cables, backdrop and flags and a g5 imac. the cost

shouldn't be much more than that of the lightware cases i'd need. if you just get it with no

interior or minimal interior construction and trick it our yourself for different configurations it

will be even cheaper. anvilcases.com

[tony_clark]

The lightware cases are the industry standard. Others are Tenba, Pelican and Anvil

depending on your preference. Fiberbilt makes great cases designed for shipping stands,

softboxes and grip gear. Just remember to tip the Skycap appropriately when checking in.

[jmf]

I'd heard the LW cases were the standard (and had them recomended to me by a local who shoots location all the time), but it would be pretty easy to run up a bill with B&H that could exceed the cost of the kit. If I traveled a bunch with it, I could justify the cost, but I just don't see that happening. Haven't looked into the Anvil cases, but I know the name from the rock tour biz.

[ellis_vener_photography]

Check with Flash Clinic or Calumet or Fotocare in NYC and see if you can rent the

Lightware cases.

[johnmarkpainter]

Jim,

 

Samsonite Suitcases are easy to modify....using an Electric Knife, Glue and some Black

Rubber Insulation (from an Air Conditioning supply house).

 

I used them to carry Musical Equipment on hundreds of Flights and never had any damage.

The Suitcases were $80-$100 at a Samsonite Outlet.

[brooks short]

Jim,

 

If you're going to just one area you could ship (UPS or Fed-X)your equipment, and film for that matter, to your client and then ship it home when your shoot is over.

 

Ship it to arrive a day or two early and that way you'll know that it's been delivered before you go. It's nice not to have to deal with cases of equipment at the airport and car rental.

[jmf]

Samsonite is hdqtrd in Denver, so you'd think they might have an outlet in the front range somehwere. I'll check.

 

using UPS/Fed-ex: I have SERIOUSLY thought about how much I'd pay to NOT shlep that stuff through an airport. I'd swag that $60 would cover round trip using UPS ground. I'd rank shippers and baggage handlers about equal in their ability to damage and misplace.

 

Duh! I just remembered from some dive trips that I saw people using the hard shell wheeled coolers to haul their gear. They just slapped a wide nylon band around it to hold the lid. They looked a little funny, but their stuff seemed to arrive intact. If I could mod one to secure the power pack (backing plate and nylon strap), the rest of the stuff could be bubble wrapped or foamed in. I could just pull flash tubes and modeling lights for safety. Another upside is that it wouldn't scream, "expensive photography stuff inside"

[johnmarkpainter]

The shipping idea is a good one if you have a place to ship to/from. That allows you to

have INSURANCE!

[miles_feigenbaum___dallas_]

I have many sizes of Pelican cases that i'm very happy with from very small to the monster size. The large sizes come with the retractable handles that are very sturdy. There are on-line stores to purchase these from at considerable savings, although they are still expensive.

 

As someone mentioned the use of Igloo ice containers are another possibility for the short term. I had actually purchased a couple of these some years ago and shipped a couple of turbine sections valued at approx 100 thousand a piece in each one of them from each engine of a twin engine helicopter, of course packed tightly with foam to prevent movement.

[miles_feigenbaum___dallas_]

A link for on-line Pelican cases-

 

http://www.casesbypelican.com/pelican-cases-sizes.htm

[jmf]

The pelicans look like they might be the winner. I've been using them as camera cases for years with no problems. I can get one big enough for pack, heads, dishes, hoop reflectors for under $200. Stands might have to travel seperate, but I'm a little less worried about them.