How many quickloads can you carry on a trip...

[stuart_whatling1]

Dear all,

 

<p>

 

The posts on this and other boards soon convinced me of the huge advantages of fuji quickloads and I'd talked myself into the idea of using nothing else for a five-week trip to the Levant in september. Until that is I got to the shop and saw how big a 20 sheet box actually is. Given that I'll be backpacking and was planning on taking ~250 sheets, I fear I have no option but to take a dozen filmholders and 5x50 boxes of normal Provia plus my Harrison Pup changing tent(and several cleaning brushes...)

Can't help thinking that 12 boxes of QL would take up more space than me (and I'm not slim)! Shame really since with all that dust out there, the QL's would have been neat. I'm assuming it won't be readily available in Damascus or Amman so restocking out there isn't an option.

Which brings me to the big question for all the avid quickloaders out there - when travelling abroad, without a car, just how much film do you actually manage to fit into your bags?

Did toy with the idea of sending a few boxes to myself and picking it up poste-restaunte in Beirut but given the quality of postal services out there it seems too risky.

[micah_marty1]

Stuart, perhaps as significant as the "space" issue is the weight

problem: Quickloads can get pretty heavy. Compared to 50-sheet boxes

of sheet film you're shlepping around a lot of cardboard (most of the

weight of a box of QL's is actually cardboard). Whether all of this

weighs less than your Harrison tent and a dozen filmholders, though,

is something to consider. I'd give you the weight of the QL boxes but

I don't have a scale; perhaps someone else does and can.

 

<p>

 

Space-wise, note that if you take the QL's out of the interior silver

pouch you can comfortably put 7 more into each box (27 total per box).

Putting 8 into a 20-box is do-able but it gives you a bulging box, and

adding 10 more to a 20-box doesn't let you fully close the lid. You

might want to tape closed these repacked (27-sheet) boxes to keep dust

out (and stuff something like a rolled-up Ziploc freezer bag alongside

the QL's in the box so they don't rattle around too much once they're

out of the silver bag), but when backpacking I routinely carry 4

boxes' worth of Quickloads or (old-style) Readyloads in only 3 boxes

using this method. Let us know what you choose to do and how it works!

 

<p>

 

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><

[micah_marty1]

P.S. You've probably considered this option already and rejected it,

but if I were backpacking with a view camera for 5 weeks with no

prospect of replenishing my film supply, I'd use a 6x12 or 6x9

rollfilm back and fill my pack with 120 or 220 film. Space, weight,

and dust issues solved (at the expense of some image area, of course).

Fwiw, I've had better luck with Horseman backs than with Calumets, but

if you do use anybody's 6x12 back do carefully pretest for barrel like

distortion due to film curl.

 

<p>

 

<><><><><><

[micah_marty1]

That should read "pincushion-like" distortion.

 

<p>

 

<><><>

[stuart_whatling1]

Thanks Mica,

 

<p>

 

I think I'll just have to take the plunge and get the quickload back

and a couple of boxes (I did have a suspicion that like Polaroids

there may be some spare air-space in those boxes) then experiment

with different containers. I did see a post recently from someone

suggesting pro-size video tape boxes with the spindle removed...

 

<p>

 

As for the roll-film back, I've got a Wista 6x7 back and will be

using that extensively for recording small details and inscriptions

(I mainly shoot Roman architecture) but I don't want to have to skimp

too much on the big shots. Since I'll be rephotographing sites which

I've previously visited with a big Pentax, I'm looking forward to

comparing the 6x7's!

As for Panoramic roll-film backs, they sure are tempting but this

trip's for a specific book project and I only need 3 specific

panoramic shots, so I reckon I'll save on the weight and just mask a

few 5x4s.

 

<p>

 

Cheers,

sw

[ellis_vener_photography]

12 boxes of Fuji Quickload measures slightly less than 12"x12"

x12".I know because I just measured. I'll guessthat the weight is

about 2lbs. per box, so we are talking 24lbs. Yep that isn't light,

but not as bad as you seem to be fearing. I disagree that most of

the weight in a box of Quickloads is the cardboard.<P>

Why don't you contact Fujifilm and see if there is a professional

outlet or dealer in Beirut or Damascus that they can arrange a

drop shipment too? I'll bet they have some sort of way of getting

sensitized safely into either country.<P>Start with

http://www.fujifilmpronet.com and explore from there.

[micah_marty1]

"I disagree that most of the weight in a box of Quickloads is the

cardboard."

 

<p>

 

Sorry. As I said, I don't have a scale, but I can't believe that a

20-sheet stack of 4x5 film weighs more than a few ounces. In light of

Ellis's own statement that a box of 20 Quickloads weighs 32 ounces, I

think it's safe to say that "most" of the weight is not film but

rather packaging and sleeving (which I summarized as "cardboard," even

though I know other materials are involved).

 

<p>

 

<><><><><><><>

[ellis_vener_photography]

Also rememberthe very significant time savings you have using

Quickloads over standard Lisco/Fidelity./Elite holders. And yes

considering the sleeving as being part of the packaging, Micah

you are probably right. I haven't weighted a box of Quickloads;

the weeight maybe more like 1.5 lbs for all I know.

[ellis_vener_photography]

Also rememberthe very significant time savings you have using

Quickloads over standard Lisco/Fidelity./Elite holders. And yes

considering the sleeving as being part of the packaging, Micah

you are probably right. I haven't weighted a box of Quickloads;

the weight maybe more like 1.5 lbs for all I know.

[kerry_thalmann2]

Stuart,

 

<p>

 

As others have mentioned, a lot of the weight/bulk is in the

packaging. Ellis' weight estimates are also a bit on the high side.

An unopened box of Quickloads with all original packaging weighs 1 lb.

5 oz.

 

<p>

 

Like, Micah, I re-package my Quickloads to fit more per box. I tend

to put either 24 or 25 inside a one gallon ZipLoc bag. 24 fit easily.

With 25, it's a bit more diffuclt to get the ZipLoc to seal, but not

all that hard. The ZipLoc serves a couple purposes. First, it keeps

out both moisture dust. Since I hike and backpack in both the Pacific

Northwest and the Desert Southwest, I'm pretty mucg fighting either

moisture or dust everywhere I go. The ZipLocs do a good job

protecting the film from the elements. Also, the ZipLoc keeps the

Quickload packets from rattling around inside the box and possibly

loosening a clip. 24 Quickloads in a one gallon ZipLoc in the

original box weighs 1 lb. 7 oz. Even at 25 seets/box, you're less

than 1 1/2 lb. per box.

 

<p>

 

With 25 sheets/box you're down to 10 boxes for 250 sheets. Still,

that's a lot of boxes (at 4 1/2 oz. per box). You might want to try

repackaging the film 25/ZipLoc into two or three larger boxes. Or, is

there anyway you could eliminate the boxes altogether? Perhaps just

double ZipLoc bags, or ZipLoc bags sandwiched between two sheets of

cardboard to prevent bending?

 

<p>

 

I'm planning a ten day backpacking trip around Mount Rainier next

month. Fortunately, I can mail ahead film and food to a couple

locations along the route, so I'll never have to carry more than about

three days worth of film/food at any one time. If you don't trust the

postal service, and Fuji can't arrange to have the film delivered to

your destination, perhaps you could use Fed-EX or one of the other

international couriers to ship some film ahead. I believe Fed-EX will

allow you to ship it to one of their offices and hold it for you to

pick up when you arrive.

 

<p>

 

You would save some weight and bulk by taking a dozen holders,

conventional sheet film and a changing tent, but the saving isn't that

huge - and you have the hassle of reloading after every 24 exposures,

and the associated problems with dust. With 25/sheets per box, 10

repackaged boxes of Quickloads would weigh less than 15 lbs. (less if

you could elminate some or all of the boxes). 12 convential film

holders weigh 4 1/2 lbs. I don't have an unopened 50 sheet box of

film handy, but an opened box with 30 sheets in it weighs 8 1/2 oz.

So, an unopened box would weigh about 12 oz. - there's another 3 3/4

lbs. A decent size changing tent and brush to clean the holders

probably weighs close to two pounds, so you're over 10 lbs. - and

constantly reloading in the field. It all come down to your

priorities: ~15 lbs. and no reloading or dust problems, or ~10 lbs.

reloading every 24 shots and the potential for dust on the film.

 

<p>

 

Good luck. Let us no what you end up doing and how it all works out.

 

<p>

 

Kerry

[ellis_vener_photography]

Thanks Kerry, for correcting my guesses.<P>And good luck to

you Stuart, have a great trip.

[stuart_whatling1]

Thanks everybody - informative as ever!

 

<p>

 

The cardboard weight question isn't really an issue for me - I don't

mind heavy packs; it's getting the volume down so I can fit my bags

into buses and "service taxis" easier that I worry about. I like the

idea of being able to pick up film drops from one or two places en-

route though (and return the exposed ones) since apart from anything

else it means I won't be exposing the precious filmstock to five

weeks of heat and dust.

 

<p>

 

Ellis, I followed your suggestion and contacted Fuji (their ProNet

service is only available on your side of the pond) and they

responded straight away with the address of a supplier in Beiruit, so

I think I'll follow that option, with the FedEx route as a back-up.

 

<p>

 

Cheers chaps.