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Thread: Road trip, managing

  1. #1

    Road trip, managing

    Hi everyone

    So I'm going on a road trip this summer with a bunch of other kids. It's going to be a coast to coast kind of thing, maybe 7000 miles all told, sleeping in tents, CB radios, adventure, being dirty, America, that kind of thing.

    I am bringing my horseman 4x5 monorail. Probably the main reason I'm excited about this trip is to shoot photos. I've got a 150 and 300 lens, and at some point I have to bite the bullet and get a wide angle, probably a 75, they're just so expensive... but, not like they're getting any cheaper, so I may buy one before the trip.

    So basically, I'm looking for any advice people might have. I just bought 300 sheets of FP4 (kindof my standard film, but I'm not really that particular), but I think I will need to buy more, seeing as I just went through about 40 sheets yesterday. (Film goes real fast when you don't have classes!). So lets say I have maybe 600 sheets just to be safe. I have 9 holders, an OK tripod, a nice backpack (lowepro photo trekker), a good light meter, etc. I have a changing bag, that I really don't like useing, but I don't think I'll really have a choice.

    So those of you that have done something like this, what should I watch out for? Keeping track off all that film, keeping it safe, etc, is a concern. I can just imaging what a disaster it would be if somehow a box opened up, or I lost track of which film had been exposed, etc. I kindof toyed with the idea of bringing little bottles of chemicals and doing processing on the trip, but that seems misguided at best. I'm going to resign myself to developing film for a while once I get back.

    I'm going to be in NYC this weekend, so if there are any gadgets, stuff like that I should get at B&H or Adorama, that would also be appreciated.

    Also, I think I'll be dealing with fairly extreme conditions -- deserts, mountain passes, etc. The whole thing will only take 3 weeks, so hopefully my film will hold up fine.

    Any words of wisdom?

    Thanks a lot!

    -Tadge

    http://tadge.net

  2. #2

    Road trip, managing

    Ok, count me as very jelous ) If you don't like you changing bag (and I don't blame you), you might think about a changing tent, I use a photoflex, which I like much better than a bag. One thing to watch out for in the grand canyon area; a friend of mine had a whole box of exposed tri-x fogged at the Hoover dam last year. Apparently they were x-raying cars there, and I think he said at a parking garage they used as well. Have a blast, hopefully I'll get a chance to do a road trip x-country were I don't have to be there on a deadline soon!

    Pete

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Fremantle, Western Australia
    Posts
    249

    Road trip, managing

    Tadge,

    I suggest you send the exposed films home at regular intervals to reduce the risk of losing all your films to that one disaster that's bound to happen. Take many empty film boxes with you to send back.

    Graeme

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Sep 1998
    Location
    Oregon now (formerly Austria)
    Posts
    3,397

    Road trip, managing

    Tadge,

    First, find the slowest, most patient person in the group to hang out with. You will most certainly be the slowest of the lot, spending so much time with LF photography while the others want to get going...

    Dirty is fine, but not for film and cameras. Try to minimize changing film. Load and take as many holders as you can (buy more if you have room for them, I take 100 holders with me for 2-month trips and usually reload once or twice). Take readyloads or the like too if you like the film choices available. Get a cheap cooler for film and holders. Put everything in plastic bags. Quart-size ziploc bags for filmholders, garbage bags for groups of things, etc. Don't unload/reload unless you have a clean environment. You'll just curse yourself later when you see the developed negs. I take blowers and brushes with me and only unload/reload in a room (I hate changing bags, etc.). Your travels will more than likely take you to a motel room that can be darkened or by a university or community darkroom (or even camera store) that will let you use their facilities for loading. Store exposed film in old film boxes CLEARLY marked with film type, development needed (if you use the Zone System), etc. These should be securely taped shut. These go in double bags too.

    Take an extra meter and extra batteries. Sure, you'll be around towns where you can buy things, but usually not when you discover you really need something. Take an extra tripod if you have room. I once lost a tripod in a very unfortunate way and would have had a several day delay shooting had I not had a spare with me. I once dropped my meter off a cliff above the Green River Canyon too. It was repairable, but I was sure glad I had my old Soligor with me...

    Figure out a way to carry things that isn't going to kill you. You'll want to keep up with the others and be comfortable. Spend some time on this and be creative. I used to lug a monorail and accessories around the cliffs on the Pacific coast and rigged up a carrying scheme that left both hands free for climbing.

    As for a wide-angle lens, look at a 90mm Super Angulon or the like (f8 is the smaller version). They may be wide enough and are available for cheap on eBay these days since the Super Symmars are the current "status symbols". My SA90mm f8 is one of the the sharpest lenses I own.

    Hope this helps a bit. Good luck and have a great time.

    Regards,

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Posts
    112

    Road trip, managing

    Another thing to think about is protecting your film from extreme heat. Storage in a cooler helps but if the film needs to be left in a closed vehicle you may need to put some ice in the cooler. Or maybe use one of those new coolers that run off the car power. Pack everything in ziplocks to keep it dry.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Posts
    444

    Road trip, managing

    This is not from personal experience, but from stories I have heard. it is probably a good idea to bring a spare ground glass. It is not an easy thing to replace in many parts of the country if a mishap occurs.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Dec 1997
    Location
    Baraboo, Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,697

    Road trip, managing

    If you could afford it Readyloads would be a better choice than a few holders with FP4. Far simpler to keep track of since you make your notes on the film sleeve, plus no concerns with dirt, dust, changing film, etc. But that may not be feasible for financial or other reasons. If not then I'd suggest buying as many more holders as you can carry and can afford. With only 9 you'll be reloading film every night of the trip, which will get real old real fast. I've had good luck with used holders on e bay.

    You don't say how close you'll be to "civilization" during this trip so it's hard to know what spares, if any, you should bring. If you'll be anywhere near a telephone and street address at various points Calumet and other places can deliver things to you overnight if you break something or run out of something so you may not need to carry a bunch of spares around. I would think that for a trip of this length weight would be a prime concern and trying carry lots of spares could make things heavy.

    Good luck, sounds like a great trip. Why didn't I think of doing something like this when I was in college and had the time and legs to do it?
    Brian Ellis
    Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
    a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

  8. #8

    Road trip, managing

    Thanks for all the advice everyone!

    So, ziplock bags / cooler - good idea. Sending film home - that also seems like a nice idea, and I could even send a roll or two of 35mm for my brother to develop and see what I'm up to!

    Unfortunately, quickload/readyloads are way out of my price range. I buy the photowarehouse 125 speed film (which people say is fp4 and seems like it) at $35 a box.... so that's $0.35 a sheet, which is vastly cheaper than $2.85/sheet for fuji acros or $2.24/sheet for TMX. (though both acros and TMX are films I really like, but have only used in 35mm)

    I will try to check out changing tents when I'm at B&H and see if I like them more than the bags.

    My friends were joking that I should bring my chemicals, and develop film in a cold, clear Montana stream at midnight for crisp, all-American negatives.

    Over & out

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Posts
    4,589

    Road trip, managing

    Bad idea. Take a 35mm with you, so you can get some pictures after holding everybody else up and they threaten to leave you beside the road somewhere, with your monorail and tripod stuck in an uncomfortable position.
    Wilhelm (Sarasota)

  10. #10

    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    115

    Road trip, managing

    i agree with Bill. Just take your 35mm.. better yet, a digital camera so you can share your photos with your friends easily. even though a slide show would be very nice with some coffee and baileys.

    I never take my LF gear if i am going on a trip with my friends. Only if my friends are photographers too. I personally feel very uncomfortable if i am holding back someone with my slow large format photography. I will be leaving for a week long trip in a couple of days with 3 of my friends who all are photographers.

    save yourself the frustration and take a 35mm at the most..

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