Wheeled Cases for Tripods and Light stands?

roxics

roxics

Veteran
How do you guys travel tripods and light stands?

For cameras, LED lights, cords and things there are pelican cases that have wheels.
But most of those aren't big enough / long enough to tripods and light stands.

So if you're out shooting a solo project by yourself as a one man band do you have any wheeled solutions?
 
Tuffpak and similar cases are pretty common... Some have wheels, but I tend to work with people who's cases don't have wheels (usually since we'll also have a Magliner cart):

Tuffpak_Broadcast_BannerImg.png


http://www.nalpak.com/TuffpakBroadcast



And some OMB (and TMB) folks use golf travel cases. There are well-made options with wheels, and considering the economies of scale, they're not all that expensive. We can fit a nice tripod, some light stands, some clothes in one of these. Here's a decent brand:

2SKB-4814W_closed_left_large.png


https://www.skbcases.com/sports/sku.php?cat=16&pid=71


But a case with wheels is a good thing...
 
Just beware, I use the Rock & Roller carts quite a bit and those Tuffpacks and Golf club cases do not work with Rock & Roller carts at all, you cannot stack stuff on top of them when on the cart and they are usually too large and heavy to ride on top of all of your other gear on the Rock & Roller. When I travel, I use Matthews reverse fold light stands, which are really small and light. I have those inside a split top roller duffle along with tripod and head, Small Chimera, Flexfills, some stingers and gels, boompole, audio gear, etc. Roller duffle is on Rock & Roller along with Storm Pelican case with all of the lights in it, sometimes a larger case with some Kinos, 4-6 C-stands, a few sandbags, etc. I shoot a lot of green screen as OMB and I need it all in one trip, I cannot bring a long case like what is pictured above, up ten stories of a building, then have to go all of the way back down to parking to make a second or third trip. I get it all (about 350lbs of gear) in one trip, by myself. I use a few bungees to make sure the whole mess doesn't fall off of the Rock & Roller cart. Works great, have been doing OMB green screens for about a decade with this setup. I used to use the Tuffpacks back in the day for shipping my big Sachtler Video 18 tripod and head all around the world, great for protection but a PITA to pack with or have ride on top or below other gear.
 
puredrifting said:
Just beware, I use the Rock & Roller carts quite a bit and those Tuffpacks and Golf club cases do not work with Rock & Roller carts at all, you cannot stack stuff on top of them when on the cart and they are usually too large and heavy to ride on top of all of your other gear on the Rock & Roller. When I travel, I use Matthews reverse fold light stands, which are really small and light. I have those inside a split top roller duffle along with tripod and head, Small Chimera, Flexfills, some stingers and gels, boompole, audio gear, etc. Roller duffle is on Rock & Roller along with Storm Pelican case with all of the lights in it, sometimes a larger case with some Kinos, 4-6 C-stands, a few sandbags, etc. I shoot a lot of green screen as OMB and I need it all in one trip, I cannot bring a long case like what is pictured above, up ten stories of a building, then have to go all of the way back down to parking to make a second or third trip. I get it all (about 350lbs of gear) in one trip, by myself. I use a few bungees to make sure the whole mess doesn't fall off of the Rock & Roller cart. Works great, have been doing OMB green screens for about a decade with this setup. I used to use the Tuffpacks back in the day for shipping my big Sachtler Video 18 tripod and head all around the world, great for protection but a PITA to pack with or have ride on top or below other gear.
Click to expand...

PureD- I am sure that you considered the Kartmaster cart with a top shelf. What about that choice did you not like? The weight of it and the cost of it?

Do you fly your tripod in that soft duffle or do you hard-case it when flying?

Pelican does make a long, flat-topped, and wheeled case that will work for most tripods:

pelican-im3220-storm-tripod-hard-travel-case.jpg


Pelican 1740NF Transport Case

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...40_001_110_1740NF_Transport_Case_without.html


While that case stacks better than the six-sided case, once at your destination you are still stuck with this big honking case that takes up a lot of room beyond what it protected in-flight. PureD's method is more minimalist and efficient. The man has this travel thing down and down to a science.
 
I have one of these for my heavy duty tripod:

20151210173255_HPRC6400WEMPBLK.jpg

https://www.proav.co.uk/6400w-wheeled-equipment-case

It's that big, it makes a great stand for a kicker...

I often fly with a Sachtler FSB8, which fits in a Samsonite hard shell luggage case along with my its carbon fibre legs and lots of other bits.

I try to use as many reverse folding light stands as pos when flying, so they can squeeze into most cases.
 
I separate the head from the legs and wrap both of those in one or two layers of Domke Wraps, those go in the bottom of the split roller duffle. No damage, dents or dings yet. It is a semi hard case though and in my setup, the entire top layer is clothing, flexfill, Chimera, and other soft stuff. The bottom of the case is semi rigid. It could be crushed but at some point, I have insurance and I just cross my fingers. I have adopted the Slavik B method http://alaskavideoshooter.com/documentary-filmmaking-kit-for-budget-air-travel/ for OMB or international travel, I am done with super heavy Pelican and other cases, other than at home. But for flying, I used the Slavik B method for my recent shoot in South America, worked great other than the Sachtler Dr. Bag weighed a LOT and made my shoulder sore. But I did shoot for two weeks with just a roller duffle, Tom Bihn backpack and Sachtler Dr. 3 bag only and it worked well. I wish the Sachtler bag had a long handle and wheels though. My Pelican/Storm cases weigh a lot. Which means I have to fly with a Rock & Roller Micro, which I can sometimes carry on but sometimes I have to check and client has to pay more baggage charges. Word has it this morning that the FAA is considering banning all electronics on flights from various airports in Europe to the U.S., they already banned carrying on electronics from Casablanca Airport in Morocco that I flew out of twice last year. I can't imagine checking my camera, lenses, laptop, all of my gear but in a way, it will be a lot easier to fly. I'll just be on pins and needles, wondering if my camera, lenses and laptop have been stolen, damaged or misrouted the whole flight. My clients will pay thousands more in excess baggage charges.

https://www.cinema5d.com/us-considers-to-extend-electronic-ban-to-all-flights-from-europe/
 
Thank you so much for the recommendations.

My kit right now is pretty basic. I've been carrying light stands, tripod and extension cords in a top load military duffel like this:
http://www.harrysarmysurplus.net/top-load-duffle-bag.html

But that really wears on your shoulder. Especially when you're hiking quit a bit through large buildings or outside.
It doesn't help that my camera bag is also shoulder strapped and so is my hardshell audio box. I really haven't made it easy on myself. lol

At the very least one of those Rock N Roller R6RT would work great with what I already have. I'm going to order one this afternoon. Though I plan to pick up a larger pelican case as well and condense my video/audio/small LEDs lights into that one box. Then pick up a split duffel for tripods/stands/cords.

That will bring me down to two cases and a cart. Which even though bigger than what I already use, should be easier to transport.
Hopefully it all fits in my Honda Civic.
 
Interesting to see how different approaches work for different people. On some jobs, with lights, stands, and everything (including camop's clothes), we can get down to a big (but not crazy) wheeled golf case and a camera shoulder bag. Some models of golf cases have LOTS of space...more, I think, than the Pelican JP links to. When two of us, I'll carry the audio stuff, and some other kit. I tend to work with either less stuff, or more stuff (and more people). Anyway, if you can swing by a biggish sporting-goods or golf store, and bring some of your kit (at least tripod and stands), you can probably find a few model golf cases and see if they might work for you. If not, no worries.

But as Pure says, one of those cases (and especially an old-school Tuffpak without wheels) on a Rock-N-Roller cart all moved by one person would be a drag, especially when carrying as much as he does OMB. Though I've found they fit pretty well on a Magliner Sr (ya, a couple people I work with still fly with those!).

A note on Pelican cases: I have a bunch (as do most of us), but the big ones weigh a lot. And while the standard ones are great, the biggest of the new light "Air" line has a less reinforced lid. I think he has the 1615:
http://www.pelican.com/us/en/product/watertight-protector-hard-cases/large-case/air-case/1615/
Great case, but the lid is flexy...no big deal around town or driving anywhere, even when stuff is getting moved fairly carelessly. But he's thinking he's not sure he'll ship stuff in that case or use it as checked baggage on an airline. Maybe it would be OK....maybe.... Some of the smaller Pelican Air cases seem fine, but that one is kind of a bummer. If you're looking at a bigger Pelican (and especially don't have to worry about airline overweight baggage charges), maybe consider a non-air Pelican...

Anyway, sounds like the PureD approach is going to work great for you, roxics. If you remember, would love to know how it's going after you've used your new setup for a month or so.

Jim "always trying to improve his setup" Feeley
 
I really appreciate this thread...keep the posts coming! I've been sorting through this myself lately. I think I'm basically gonna have three versions:

OMB: Rock and Roller with Matthews Merf stands so that everything can fit as PureD mentions. and....

With assistant: Rock and Roller plus wheeled golf case (I already have one) for my Manfrotto 1004BAC stands. I much prefer having more sturdy stands than the MERFs if I'm not actually flying.

the third version is the flying version that uses the Slavic B methods.
 
While on the subject, don't forget your hihat! I always designed my kit so that the hihat could disassemble t easily fit in cases. I use T-Nuts on the board so there's less bits to go missing. A T-nut is a tube that's threaded on the inside to accept a bolt. On the outside it has a flange and prongs to dig into wood. Drill a hole through a board, hammer in the T-nut and then you screw bolts through the hihat and into the T-nut. When disassembled stick the bolts into the T-nuts for storage. The hihat and flat board would fit into my tripod head's case, but there's plenty of places they can be stored.

Here's a T-nut in case I wasn't clear in the description:
https://www.grainger.com/product/1X...5477!&ef_id=WPZ9lQAAAZMH2tnH:20170512192215:s
 
I've used the golf cases for years, drug them all over the world. There's only 2 problems you should be aware of. The handle on the center top of most of the cases are usually not strong enough to handle the weight you may put in it. I always reinforced mine by putting a piece of plywood on the inside of the top and bolting a solid steel handle to it through the case. I'm on my third case now after 30 years of using them so also be aware that at some point I guarantee the wheels will get ripped off. I've tried reinforcing them with wood, aluminum and heavier wheels but what man can build Delta can break.
 
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