Sandbag substitute for travel

rob norton said:
Why not get Cardellini clamps etc. and just shoot where there are available mounts?
Click to expand...

I don't mind bringing a couple in case that works out, but I can't plan on that. Ultimately, I don't want the look of the location to be dictated by availability of mounts.
 
Mitch Gross said:
No matter how light a stand is, if you extend it all the way up and someone bumps it the thing is a hazard. You can buy empty sandbags with zippers from several manufacturers. They're cheap and they store flat in any bag. I too like to use pea gravel, pebbles or shot, and I can send a PA to the home improvement or gardening store. And if not then I guess I could stick rice in the bags, but the weight is not nearly the same. For that matter water is not very heavy either so I wouldn't rely on that too much.
Click to expand...

Mitch, normally I would agree, but here we're talking about a light fixture weighing a 1lb on a stand with a max load of 9lb. Given, it's the type of kit that is used on solo shoots there's unlikely to be a PA on hand who can go shopping, even if you are in a location where there is a garden centre. Gaff tape, a battery strapped to the leg, or an accessory bag will work fine. You have to improvise on the road sometimes.

ozmorphasis said:
I went ahead and ordered a set of these water weights as a backup plan, but water is not ideal around cables and ballasts.

http://inspiredphotog.com/water-weight/
Click to expand...

These actually look good. Let us know how water tight they are.
 
Last edited:
In a pinch while travelling we brought unfilled sandbags and put full water bottles into them. Worked ok and kept us hydrated at the end of the trip!
 
Whenever possible I rent G&E locally, & pickup some crew to deal with it, but for those times that’s impractical I usually use accessory bags with water bottles inside to weigh down MERF stands if needed. Producers sometimes get annoyed that half a case of water is suddenly missing, & occasional I find someone on the Crew has pilfered a few bottles out of the accessory bags leaving the stands less stable then I imagined, but for the most part it’s worked fine.

And while I don’t always travel with them, I also own Fly-Away Sandbags, & some old Photoflex ‘Counterweight Bags’ that can be filled with water (or sand).

Didn’t trust the Photoflex so left one filled with water hanging in my office for over a year, & it never leaked. Only recently did I have a job where we had to operate so under the radar that these finally made their debut, & they worked admirably, but considering their age I went ahead, & ordered a half dozen of the WaterWeight(s) being discussed. May rarely use them, but considering the low price ($17 on sale), hopefully they’re a sound investment.

The Fly-Aways get filled with whatever’s practical, but like Liam I find there’s rarely time to send someone to a home improvement store, so often they’ve been stuffed with Zip-Lock baggies containing dampened clay Cat Litter, which is picked up from a convenience store.
 
Last edited:
Another water (or sand) filled option:

Galaxy Audio Life Saver at B&H

Galaxy weight can go up to 22lbs when water filled...but of course you could put in less water if you wanted less weight...cost is $30US so more expensive than the WaterWeight, but the WaterWeight maxes out at 1.3kg or about 3lbs. Either way, prudent to test either bag with water before taking along on a trip...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top