Sand Bags

M

morgan_moore

Major Contributor
Part of my new year clean up. Currently I use rubble sacks for sandbags.

Im looking to go 'pro' on the sandbag front..

'lightstand' (photo style) - typical use dedo

'Cstand (avanger) - typical use redhead or 3.3 scrim

Combo stand - typical use maybe 8.4 calif sunbounce or heavy cloth greenscreen (in goalpost configuration). or rental HMI 1.2 or 2.5.

Im thinking In need for Cstand/lightstands

7kg bags http://cvp.com/index.php?t=product/arri_l9.2000.0

Combo stand..
10kg bags http://www.doughty-engineering.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_G3301

Im guessing the larger bags would not hang on a Cstand?

Also these need to be quality - throwable about.. I had some chinese ones that would burst when dropped :)

UK purchasor

Advice please..
 
Morgan, don't have UK purchasing advice since I am in the U.S. but one thing I would tell you from owning about two dozen various sizes and style for a couple of decades:

1. Consider shot bags over sandbags. They are much smaller, weigh the same and are easier to pack, transport and store because they take up so much less room. I have mainly 8lb and 25lb sandbags and the 25lb ones are huge and take up a lot of storage and transport room. Shot bags are not cheap but I would include at least a few in your arsenal.

2. Consider a few water bags or fillable sandbags. Once again, more expensive than the run of the mill stuff but handy for travel. I have taken fillable and water ballasts to Africa and they are handy since you empty them and throw them in your cases to fly but can fill them and empty them on site.

3. I think the key overall is to have some variety for different situations. I assume you travel and so a decent amount of location work? It's nice to bring two or three sizes and styles, rather than just have one type or weight of bag.

HTH
 
FWIW, I have been using impact and avenger saddle bag style with good results. For fill I use washed pea gravel, available at your local quarry or at Home depot in bags. I like the pea gravel since it is both cheap and clean. If you need to dump it for travel no big deal; a big bag costs under $5 and will fill at least 10 saddle bags.

Grant
 
ggrantly said:
FWIW, I have been using impact and avenger saddle bag style with good results. For fill I use washed pea gravel, available at your local quarry or at Home depot in bags. I like the pea gravel since it is both cheap and clean. If you need to dump it for travel no big deal; a big bag costs under $5 and will fill at least 10 saddle bags.

Grant
Click to expand...

Do you know the size that has the correct drop for an avenger Cstand?

Yep my fillying is crap_py sand which springs a leak and leaves a trail across the set.. nice.. not!

So thanks for thoughts on fillings.

S
 
puredrifting said:
1. Consider shot bags over sandbags.
Click to expand...

Also a fan of shot bags for the various reasons you mentioned, but their downside is they'll rust, & clump, if gotten wet, so may not suit Sam in Sunny ole Blighty.

puredrifting said:
2. Consider a few water bags or fillable sandbags.
Click to expand...

I had several of Photoflex's water bags. Initially didn't trust them & left a filled one hanging for over a year to test it. Held up fine, but wonder if you have a better option?
 
morgan_moore said:
Do you know the size that has the correct drop for an avenger Cstand?
Click to expand...

A 20lb Sandbag is about perfect for a C-Stand, & typically won't touch the floor/ground when hung from the tallest leg. I prefer "Saddle" style sand/shot bags over "Easy Lift" because they're less likely to touch the floor/ground. Due to their more compact size shotbags never seem to have this issue.

Consider contacting your local Grip House. They may be able to sell you ready made bags, or at least point you in the right direction. If you'll be in the rain a lot you might prefer waterproof bags. Drying wet bags is a drag, & rental houses around here charge an extra day for any bags that are still wet when returned.
 
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I have several Impact brand bags, filled with this very same pea gravel. It's pretty inexpensive overall and given that I treat the bags like absolute sheeit they've held up VERY well.
 
Try to get ones that are enclosed - no zips. In Australia I've only ever seen shot bags, no sand. They're fine if they rust they just become rigid. You eventually go through them like anything else then the banged up ones can be used in water eg light stand in a fountain etc. I'd go with all 10kgs then you won't be in a situation where the smaller ones aren't helping that much with combos.

Can't help you with info on the bag touching the ground.
 
ggrantly said:
FWIW, I have been using impact and avenger saddle bag style with good results. For fill I use washed pea gravel, available at your local quarry or at Home depot in bags. I like the pea gravel since it is both cheap and clean. If you need to dump it for travel no big deal; a big bag costs under $5 and will fill at least 10 saddle bags.

Grant
Click to expand...

Exactly what I use as well! I fill the 15lb Impact bags with pea gravel, weighed out on a scale just because I'm very OCD about my sandbags for some reason. I am looking for something a bit smaller for mobility though (size not weight). Shot bags sound like a good idea; I need to see about finding some good saddle-type ones.
 
I completely switched over to shot bags about two-three years ago, largely for the space saving advantage. I have ~12-14x 25lb shot bags, 4x 15lbs, 4x 10lb Boa bags and 4x 5lb Boa bags. I also special ordered mine(crazy that you have to nowadays, they all used to have both)) with a carry handle and a "butterfly" handle on the other side. Something to keep in mind, shot bags are about 3x the cost vs same weight sand bags. And hopefully you have a dealer near you. Shipping can be a b!***. When I wanted to replace all of my sandbags, I didn't want to wait until the dealers next scheduled shipment to come in(over a month) so I paid for a special shipment which was essentially another shot bag($70-$75).

These are what I use.

http://www.advantagegrip.com/set%20shot%20bags.htm

69674.jpg
 
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Update on my progress.

So I bought Arri (from CVP) and Doughty bags (7 and 10kg)

Measuring was worth it as the Doughty bags have too much 'drop' for my Aveger Cstands (I knew this and wanted the Doughty for my larger stands) but clearly they do not sit well on the Cstand- so getting a bag with appropriate drop to your stands is a must.

Im not blown by the quality of either 'name brand' - they seem pretty generic to me with fairly flimsy zips.

We also have generic chinese in the office and also Profoto.

The Profoto have double zips and therefore seem to be superior to Arri.

--

I tried buying 10mm gravel but it was only available in 1/4 tonne. So went with 15mm gravel - it does not seem very heavy!


It was quite wet and drying it turned into a mission. I have now bought a couple of bags of 'ballast' and they are spread out and drying this morning as we actually have some sun.

Overall. Doing this well has not proven easy.

--

On a side note I saw a YT video that I cant find now showing the handle position. Handles going across the bags (unlike arri et al.) have a tendency to open as you lift them meaning they are simpler to remove from a stand.
 
morgan_moore said:
Update on my progress.

So I bought Arri (from CVP) and Doughty bags (7 and 10kg)

Measuring was worth it as the Doughty bags have too much 'drop' for my Aveger Cstands (I knew this and wanted the Doughty for my larger stands) but clearly they do not sit well on the Cstand- so getting a bag with appropriate drop to your stands is a must.

Im not blown by the quality of either 'name brand' - they seem pretty generic to me with fairly flimsy zips.

We also have generic chinese in the office and also Profoto.

The Profoto have double zips and therefore seem to be superior to Arri.

--

I tried buying 10mm gravel but it was only available in 1/4 tonne. So went with 15mm gravel - it does not seem very heavy!


It was quite wet and drying it turned into a mission. I have now bought a couple of bags of 'ballast' and they are spread out and drying this morning as we actually have some sun.

Overall. Doing this well has not proven easy.

--

On a side note I saw a YT video that I cant find now showing the handle position. Handles going across the bags (unlike arri et al.) have a tendency to open as you lift them meaning they are simpler to remove from a stand.
Click to expand...

The wet thing has to make it more difficult for you Morgan. I think things just disintegrate when they go through wet/dry cycles as you will in the UK. Here in the desert of Southern California, I have had the same canvas bags for almost two decades. They have never leaked once, are filled with fine sand and really have been bulletproof through hundreds of shoots. A few of them have been in the surf or rain a few times but no rot, leaks or issues. I can't recall where I bought mine, but I think they are mostly Norms Grip and some more recent once from www.filmtools.com I am lucky in that I am located less than an hour drive to American Grip, Norms Grip, Filmtools and Matthews so I can just bop over to any of them and not have to pay for expensive shipping and I can get hands on with any grip gear I am going to buy.

It's funny, the wife is always complaining about the room that all of my grip gear takes up, (we no longer have an office for the business, it's just not viable) it does take a lot of room as I have a nice little 3 ton package but once in a while, like this week, I pulled out almost everything I had to do a big (by our standards) green screen shoot. It's nice to just throw it all in our truck and and have all of the two and three risers, sandbags, C-stands, etc. on hand. But it seems that those shoots now are only a few times a year. Most of the other times, it's either on a stage in Hollywood where they have everything or I am traveling and trying to make what I bring as light and minimal as possible.
 
I've worked with Matthews sandbags for years... the typical orange 15lb. In the Midwest everyone uses 'em... I also see a lot of the bigger blue American Grip bags... as well as the yellow "rubberized" bags that seem to contain larger gravel. (Those are for wet and/or more industrial situations).

For lighter applications I really like Matthews Boa Bags. I have those in all weights, but prefer the 5s and 10s... for the 15 I'd typically go with a standard orange Matthews.
 
MattinSTL said:
For lighter applications I really like Matthews Boa Bags. I have those in all weights, but prefer the 5s and 10s...
Click to expand...
Absolutely! The Boa Bags are fantastic, I have 'em in all weights and I prefer them over the gigantic conventional sandbag whenever possible. Expensive, yes, but as they say, you can pay more and cry once, or you can pay less and cry every time you go to use the product... :thumbsup:
 
I don't need much, but I have four 15lb/7kg sandbags, a couple 15lb/7kg fly-away refillable water bags, three 10lb/4.5kg boa shot bags, and a couple 5lb/2kg boa bags. I also have a couple sleeping-bag stuff sacks that I travel with; stop by a grocery store and put in 10lb/4.5kg bags of rice (good density-weight-price balance). Then gift the rice to a PA or something. Works for certain travel gigs just fine. The Boa Bags work well on folding light stands; just hang them from a tightener.

If I need more than that, I'm working with someone else...but I'm not a lighting camera op or anything.

As the sandbags fail or (more likely) get lost, I'll replace them with BoaBags.


My sand & flyaway bags are TICHO brand. They work fine, it's what a good local San Francisco expendables place carries. http://www.jcxex.com/tools,knives,hardware.html

Matthews BoaBags
http://matthewsgrip.myshopify.com/products/boabags

Sleeping bag stuff sacks...these hold up fine.
https://www.rei.com/product/862591/rei-co-op-durable-stuff-sack

Rice
$/€5 at your local store.
 
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