Help with Light kit to travel with

[Eric Temple]

Unfortunately, this is about 61 lbs. If I drop one pepper, one rifa and 2 stands, it comes in at 49lbs. I’m afraid that paying for extra baggage and weight is just the new cost of doing business… especially with United now charging extra for anything more than one checked bag.

[Bob Cole]

Hey Eric, I agree about just sucking up and paying the extras. Anyway, the picture I saw of your case showed wheels. So you’re getting a dolly for free. That would be another checked piece of luggage otherwise, which would cost more on United. (I take it that you don’t get socked with the >62″ combined dimension charge when you use the Kata Palms 3 case — just the overweight.)

I wonder whether very heavy luggage is actually less abused, just because the handlers can’t possibly throw it that far.

The abuse that checked luggage takes is absolutely breathtaking, but it isn’t that hard to fathom. I’m talking strictly second-hand here, but I have heard that baggage loading is a very low-wage job, with considerable accident risks. If you get the feeling that somebody is taking out their anger on your luggage, you may be right. Maybe we should all put bumper stickers on our luggage: “More pay for baggage handlers.” Sort of like the demonstrators in the 60’s who screamed “More pay for cops.”

Bob C

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[Eric Temple]

I actually leave the wheels on all the time. I’ve never had them damaged in over 3 years of heavy travel. So far, no one has ever dinged me for an oversize bag… only weight. (Plus a replacement trolly (wheels) is pretty inexpensive.

I was in Salt Lake checking in for a flight to DC the other day and watched the TSA guys flinging all the bags several feet to the belt. We complained about it and stood there and watched them put our bags on the conveyer more carefully. After it’s out of sight… it takes a hell of a lot of abuse.

[Dan Brockett]

When I FedEx, depending on the job and what I am lighting, I take part of my Arri kit, wrap each light in a towel and put all of them along with gels, reflectors, stingers, headphones, etc. in a Contico Yellow Plastic tool box. I then put TSA locks on either side of the lid, just so it doesn’t come off. The TSA locks are a joke but you can at least tell if someone got into the case, they have an indicator.

I then take tripod, light stands, grip arm and head, Chimera and speed ring and put them into a golf club case with casters on the end of it.

Unfortunately my new golf case came back from my Philly shoot last week via UPS and one of the skateboard wheels on the golf club case was broken off. Fortunately the gear inside of it was all okay but now I have to buy another case, bummer.

The bottom line is, whether you fly with it or ship it, it’s going to get tossed, crushed and abused and possibly lost. UPS lost my Arri kit on January 4 of this year, it took them a month to find it and get it back to me. That’s the reason I don’t fly with my Sachtler, I only fly with my cheap Bogen. If they lose it or screw it up, I am only out $500.00 instead of $3,000.00.

The best idea is to have a travel gear package and a normal local package. I still like Todd’s idea of a Pepper pack for travel, I haven’t used them for a while but Peppers are nice, little and light and have a nice light quality to them. Another good idea would be some lower priced lights like CoolLights tungstens/CDMs. The idea is to obtain a kit that is good enough to do the work but not so expensive that if it’s lost or damaged it kills you financially.

I have flown with my Arri kit and when I landed, they had tossed it so hard that the lock and hasp were bent beyond recognition, I had to use bolt cutters to get it open. The reason I will only ship the gear now via FedEx/UPS is at least they will pay for it f they lose or damage it. If you fly and your gear becomes lost or damaged, you are S.O.L. so why would anyone fly with gear unless they have to? (and I have had to many times but will now tell those clients to give me their FedEx or UPS number and will only ship gear unless they client agrees to replaceing any gear lost or damaged by the airlines).

Best,

Dan

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[Bob Cole]

[Dan Brockett] “The reason I will only ship the gear now via FedEx/UPS is at least they will pay for it f they lose or damage it. If you fly and your gear becomes lost or damaged, you are S.O.L. so why would anyone fly with gear unless they have to?”

True — airlines sometimes make you sign a waiver, if they sniff photographic equipment. But I haven’t had nearly the bad experiences that others have, using either very hard cases (Anvil, Pelican) or very soft (Lightware). Bubble-wrap works well for wrapping stuff. Totally agree about having two types of kit: expendable for air travel, A-List when it’s under your control. I know, I’ve been lucky, and my number is definitely UP.

Best of all: don’t take most of your stuff — hire local. Find a good RELIABLE local company/grip to supply some labor and most equipment, avoid most of these troubles — and be greener. It can take a long time to find them, but it’s great to travel and meet terrific people who really know the local scene. There are so many talented and delightful people all around the country.

Bob C

MacPro 2 x 3GHz dualcore; 10 GB 667MHz
Kona LHe
Sony HDV Z1
Sony HDV M25U
HD-Connect MI
Betacam UVW1800
DVCPro AJ-D650

[Mike Cohen]

regarding lights – we have Omni lights – they take a beating, and we use them until they completely fall apart, then replace them.
I am now pricing out either a Pepper or Arri kit – the problem is airline travel, as others have described. Renting a good kit in most cities is around $100 a day, so if you have time to pickup and drop off, or can get the rental house to drop off and pickup at your hotel, that is a good idea.
Most shoots we travel with a golf case with wheels for the tripod, one light and stand and wires, and a shoulder camera case taken on the plane. For larger shoots with 2 people we often have $300+ in excess baggage fees each way.
For a cart i like the rock n roller carts. you generally have to replace some of the flimsy nuts and screws with more travel worthy ones, and carry some extras and a pair of vice grips, but these carts are great.