suggestion for sandbag ballast anyone?

[spritestress]

What suggestions do you have for an inexpensive sandbag ballast material that

isn't messy? Has anyone ever seen any kind of heavy material that is the shape

and size of large marbles or something?

 

I came in from an outdoor night shoot a while ago. I really needed sandbags for

the light stands, even though the breeze was imperceptible. We ended up

improvising with the spare tires, and the jacks, from two vehicles! Shooting at

night with lights was very interesting, despite the setup hassles.

[michaelging]

Try going to a sporting good store, like a Caballas, or one that has reloading supplies. A bag of Lead shot is not messy ,and gives good weight for the size. Actually its steel shot , as lead shot is not sold anymore for environmental reasons. I have also used the weights that you strap on your arms or legs when you exercise ,that attach with Velcro. They are in one, two, five and ten pound packs.

[mikeseb]

If you can find "pea gravel" or some other very small gravel, it would work.

 

If you're not wedded to the idea of a sandbag, water bags or containers of some kind

work well also.

[anthony_r]

Bags of rice work very well. Get the burlap ones.

[photobiscuits]

Why not just use sand? Sew the bag shut and there's no mess.<br>

For free you can head to the railroad tracks with a bucket and shovel and scoop of some iron ore pellets, they are about the size of small marbles and are often spilled in great quantities along the tracks. Excellent for slingshots, too.

[spritestress]

Thanks for the ideas.

 

I already use the exercise ankle weights in my studio. However, on a breezy day outside, it takes a lot of weight to keep things steady. I will be hunting for a solution because it would be an absolute disaster to see a $600.00 monolight head crashing to the ground from ten feet in the air. Not only that it would probably destroy an umbrella or the rods in a soft-box.

 

I like the water container concept. That seems portable, because it can be carried empty and filled on site. I am going to look for some kind of collapsible containers made of very heavy plastic or rubber at camping and sporting stores. That seems like a better idea than hauling sacks of metal shot, or actual sand in plastic containers, in the back of my small SUV.

[randmcnatt]

Sand works good in gallon-size "Zip-Lock" type freezer bags (press out as much air as possible). Slip one or two into a small diaper bag or purse for easy handling and peace-of-mind. Those grade-school zipper pencil-pouches can be used, too.

 

For ultimate portability, your local hunting/camping store will have leak-proof collapsible water jugs you can fill with sand/dirt or water on-site.

[Two23]

They certainly do sell lead shot at hunting supply stores. You only need to use steel (or other non-lead such as bismuth) if hunting ducks/geese. I am strictly an outdoor photographer and use 2 Alien Bees B1600 monolights plus Vagabond power packs. I fasten the battery pack onto the light stand, and it's certainly heavy enough to stabilize the light stand. I also use 10 Nikon SB-28 flash along with the B1600s. To stabilize light stands with those, I push a tent stake into the ground at an angle, set the light stand over it, and then use a bungee cord wrapped around the light stand to in effect nail the light stand to the ground. Fast, light, east to carry, works well.

 

 

Kent in SD

[bob_bill]

Kent, you sold me on the skyports and sb 28's. Great recommendation. Is this stake method still stable with umbrellas/reflectors? I would think a stake ball bungied at each stand leg would hold even a 42" umbrella in a breeze. Would be a pain for moving the stand around though. I guess once the angle and distance/hardness/falloff is established, could nail it down then and use power adjustment. Could you elaborate on how and where you attach the bungie to the stand for a single stake? Even though my next shoot is at the ocean, this sounds faster and cleaner than messing with sand or water and lighter and smaller than filled containers or weights. I have never heard anyone say they wish their gear weighted more if they carried it themselves. Thanks for the great posts. I still like the pvc light stand idea and will give it a try as well.

[richard_crowe4]

Use pea gravel! You can find these round smooth small pebbles at anyplace that sells landscaping supplies - even some home improvement stores. They are heavy, will conform to different shapes and will not seep out of 'sand" bags. However if a bag becomes damaged and some pea gravel does "leak" out; it is easy to clean up and will not damage equipment.