Lost airline luggage was down 33% last year compared to the year before.

In other news, it was reported that 1/3 fewer passengers checked their bags last year.

Any other questions?

There's UPS and there's Fedex.

Fedex has twice as many tracking points from origin to destination (17 instead of 8).

But for anything less than 500 miles, I prefer driving.

I don't leave my vehicle out of sight while eating unless there is no other way. If so, I park in the safest place I can find and take the most expensive camera with me.

If you have an expensive 2/3" camera and need to drive extensively, you can get a fitted locked steel-box for a few hundred bucks to mount to your trunk floor (or to a side panel in your Shock and Awe SUV, or in a van). Looks totally innocuous, and provides decent protection.

If you have a station ID on your van, the only way to protect your gear is to have at least one person sleep in it.

There have been an enormous number of $100,000 thefts from marked vans when the driver parked in a parking structure to go eat at a restaurant, or in a motel parking lot.

If you're particularly attached to your gear that was stolen, you can go down to South America and buy it back. Not a joke.

QUOTE "If you're particularly attached to your gear that was stolen, you can go down to South America and buy it back. Not a joke"


I am going to South America now, Could you tell me where to buy? I would love to get some reeeeaaaal cheap gear!

oh, and if you guys lose anything and want it back....give me a buzz and I'll pick it up for you!!

Hey I do believe you could ship it Fedex. If you can't send direct to hotel you could send it to a Fedex/Kinkos address and have tehm hold it. Whatever you do don't send it via UPS if you want it to arrive in one peice!!

Josh

when I went to dallas last year I but my camera, a battery, tapes, AC power, digicam, USB cable in my carry on. I got a bag that would fit all of that. I put my tripod in my checked, wrapped in my clothes (wife wasn't happy I undid all the packing she did so I could wrap it!)

Never any issues but a lot of stuff to put in the inspection bins @ the airports. :D

"Lost airline luggage was down 33% last year compared to the year before.

In other news, it was reported that 1/3 fewer passengers checked their bags last year"

there were probably also 1/3 less passengers - so no better on a percentage basis really..... :)

Depending on how much gear you are bringing. I find that freight companies are a less expensive option. Just make sure everything is in rugged cases and stretch wrap it all to a pallet. I use freight consolidators ( google it) worked great for me several times. They pick up from your house and return ship back. Just a thought.

L.T.

Our last two times shooting out of town -- Houston and Philadelphia -- we rented everything in the kit except our cameras, which we took as carry on. Inexpensive and worked perfectly. Had everything lined up via phone before leaving Seattle and it was all waiting for pickup in the destination cities. Good, well maintained gear, too. The rental was billed back to the clients.

We have also shipped via UPS directly to our out-of-town hotel. Called ahead to say it was coming and they put it into their luggage storage.

Jack

If your going out of country be careful with the fedex UPS thing. I work in Ukraine if I ship my video equipment to here from the states via UPS or Fed Ex they charge me inport taxes and in Ukraine that is not cheap. By the way it does not matter what I tell them if it is my personal Equipment or not they want thier money.

When I went to Nova Scotia I FEDEXed all the tripods etc stuff. I carried the cameras. However, FEDEX knife opened my tripod package and slit the carry case on the good tripod. Oh well. As for the import tax. I took all my equipment to customs at the airport two weeks before with the equipment list and serial numbers etc. they will stamp a list for custom on your equipment. I packed a copy, carried a copy and sent copies with the equipment. I sent it to the hotel we stayed at the first night and shipped from there the week later before leaving.

Gary

I wish it worked that way in Ukraine. I wanted to ship my camera and tripod so as not to take it on the plane this was by FeD EX Ukraine wanted a 1000.00 dollar import tax I tried explaning that it was my personal stuff it seemed they did not care. So I ended up taking my stuff on the airplane. I guess as long as you have it with you when you get off the plane then it must be yours