Packin' Heavy

P

PS-RagE

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Aug 11, 2000
Messages
4,298
When I go on trips, I'm packing bag after bag of camera gear. It got to the point last summer that I just left everything in the camper rather than haul it in and out every weekend - not a terribly good idea.

Anyhow, this year I'm going to pack it so I can get it all in a single trip.

For this I got a Pelican 1780 Transport Case.

1780-1.jpg


Its a large case: 42x22x15

1780-2.jpg


1780-5.jpg


Built in casters:

1780-4.jpg


Instead of opening on a hinge, it breaks into two halves. Sitting on it here is one of the D2Xs with the 200-400 f/4 mounted:

1780-3.jpg


The tripods fit perfectly. Later this weekend, I will add some kind of straps to keep them in place when the halves are together:

1780-6.jpg


Got a bit of a squeeze to do with the lenses though, I guess. I was hoping to store them in their cases but its not going to happen, I think

1780-7.jpg


Tomorrow, I guess I'll lose the cases and start cutting foam. Maybe have to use some partitions.

.
 
wow, that´s a lot of gear you have there
 
Holy shit. I'm jealous. :(

All my stuff can still fit into my Flipside 200.

Do you use extension tubes for macro shots? I'm considering buying one, but didn't know if it was worth throwing down another 150 or so.
 
KodiakStar said:
<snip>Do you use extension tubes for macro shots? I'm considering buying one, but didn't know if it was worth throwing down another 150 or so.
Click to expand...

I have many tubes and a bellows. I often use the Kenko set with my 90mm to get mag ratios of around 1.75:1
 
GLSauron said:
needs less Nikon.
JK. Looks like quite a load there.
Click to expand...

Uh huh :rolleyes:

It will be quite the load. Other than the bags, it will carry this:

nikoniansprofile.jpg



So far I've got the three large lenses and the camera bodies fit. Now I'm making a partitioned section for all the smaller lenses, flashes, etc


.
 
Just out of curiousity, why do you bring so much with you?

Not that I would not love to own them :p But to haul them all with you seems a bit extreme. Why not pack a "mini" bag (that would be about 4x the size of my large bag :D ) that would have what you need for the area at hand?
 
I'm not strapping the thing to my back!

In summer, I spend every weekend in the woods. The idea here is to get it all to the site in a single load and then I can pack my bag from there (the mini-trekker).
 
Silverghost said:
The 200-400 and 300-800, how are they?
Click to expand...

The 200-400 is new and so far untested (photo season begins May 17 this year). The 300-800 is an awesome lens - fast focusing and laser sharp wide open (example). Only thing with it is that it is really big and very heavy (13lbs) and the tripod for it equally bulky. I've got to know exactly where I'm going and what I'm after when I break out that one.
 
In order to have a proper fit for the smaller lenses and parts, I have to use partitions like a regular camera bag. Nothing I have is the right size so I'll have to make my own. I recruited the help of a seamstress I know - goes by the title of "Grandma" I also know her as "Mom" ;) We used some pieces of heavy corrugated cardboard, wrapped them in thin layers of closed cell foam and covered the with a nylon-like material with some fuzzy velcro stiched to it. Once I had the main partitions made, I then used some existing pieces from my bags to act as seperations.

1780-9.jpg


1780-10.jpg


1780-8.jpg



Unfortunately, not everything would fit after all and I ended uphaving to put my bellows, tubes, rail and stuff in a seperate case. Now I just have to make some kind of straps to hold the tripods in place.
 
PS-RagE said:
Unfortunately, not everything would fit after all and I ended uphaving to put my bellows, tubes, rail and stuff in a seperate case. Now I just have to make some kind of straps to hold the tripods in place.
Click to expand...

You could attach a few strap points to the inside walls of the top portion and then use them to strap down the tripods. Use almost like metal buckles and bolt them with rubber washers and sealant on both sides. You can then use the straps to hold it down. You might want a plate on the outside to spread the weight/tension.

The idea is in my head, I am just trying to figure out the mechanics on it.
 
Looks great! Very nice.

One thing I will warn you about (which you already may know), the foam in the case can be a very mild abrasive overtime and can lead to some slight wear on particularly rubber parts (like grips and such) so just be careful taking things in and out (that is usually when it happens especially on things that have a tight fit).

The grip on 2 of my cameras has been worn down a bit by foam in two different cases/bags I have.
 
I bought some 1/4" aluminum flatbar, riveted it together into an "H" and screwed it down to some mounting points inside the case. I recruited my seamstress again to help stitch some plastic buckles to a nylon strap and threaded the straps through some slots I cut into the flatbar:

1780-11.jpg


1780-12.jpg


And voila - this "case mod" is done! :D

1780-14.jpg


1780-13.jpg


Its not as heavy as I expected - weighed in at 145 pounds

.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top