How To Transport Equipment Toronto to Death Valley?

[John Jarosz]

Ship it the shortest distance. Chicago seems like it if you are going by train west from Chicago. The trains have room for checked baggage (I think). Are you going coach or in a sleeper?

[J D Clark]

Just FYI, there is also a US Post Office in Death Valley at the Furnace Creek campground area.

John Clark
www.johndclark.com

[Laura_Campbell]

I live in Shoshone, CA, which is on the way to Death Valley from Las Vegas. You could ship to our Post Office in Shoshone. I can personally vouch for our Postmaster. The number at the PO if you want to inquire about sending your gear is (760) 852-4212. Ask for Bonnie. If you'd like access to a darkroom while you're traveling, you're welcome to use mine.

[Curt]

Richard I just rented a full size car, a Nissan Altima, it got no less than 30.5 mpg, drove from Everett Washington to Santa Fe. To make it a short story, on the return trip 'we' stayed at the Comfort Inn in Las Vegas, it's at the North end of the airport. I've stayed there before and the bathrooms are perfect for loading and unloading film plus the rates are low.

I've gone by plane to Las Vegas with a load of carry on lf equipment, it's one of the best airports I taken photo equipment into. I don't see any problem with flying or driving or the combination of the two, I've done both.

Curt

post script,

It looks like Laura has it covered, I'd take her up on the advice, it looks like an excellent solution. Less to carry around in the airport and the valley is not that hard to get into and there are some great photo opportunities there.

[Richard K.]

Many many thanks to all who replied. I now have an abundance of good advice to help me put the trip together. So far I've just booked a room for early February at Furnace Creek but will put the rest together over the next couple of weeks. Greatly appreciate your input.

[D. Bryant]

THe last half dozen trips I have shipped film and other items to a UPS Store locations without a problem.

I've done the same thing as Steve in the past when flying from the east to out west. I did contact the targeted UPS store in advance to verify my intentions of ship and store. I also made sure that my parcel arrived about 3 days prior to my arrival. It's not an inexpensive solution but it is a practical one these days.


Good luck,

Don Bryant

[Curt]

I've done the same thing as Steve in the past when flying from the east to out west. I did contact the targeted UPS store in advance to verify my intentions of ship and store. I also made sure that my parcel arrived about 3 days prior to my arrival. It's not an inexpensive solution but it is a practical one these days.


Good luck,

Don Bryant

Does anyone know if that works for European, China, and the many other locations around the globe where UPS is located?

Don thanks for mentioning this option, I'll be sure to keep it in mind for the next trip, often it's hard to 'cut' down on equipment because it isn't easy or safe to put it in a plane.

Curt

[eddie]

Does anyone know if that works for European, China, and the many other locations around the globe where UPS is located?

Don thanks for mentioning this option, I'll be sure to keep it in mind for the next trip, often it's hard to 'cut' down on equipment because it isn't easy or safe to put it in a plane.

Curt

i have shipped many items to myself in, from, and to foreign and domestic post offices. "poste restante" works fine. most PO will hold it for like 30 days. i use EMS. this way you can track it all and insure it. very easy to do. i have done it in US, canada,Oz, NZ, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and a few other places that escape me.

UPS is expensive and many times they charge import taxes adn fees.

Richard, i would take your stuff to the USA and mail it by the USPO. this will save you huge amounts of shipping. send it poste restante as above. as far as customs. if you have the receipts or can prove they are yours (photo with you and a newspaper (date) before you go).

bottom line richard now that you are flying it is best just to pay the extra bag fee and carry it all with you. maybe ship most of your holders and film as they weigh a ton. i put everything but the film in the hold. no worries. no one wants to steal such a "heavy old crappy not usable camera" that hey can not run away with anyway....I phones are a different story. my home owners insurance covers me anyway. so i do not worry.

eddie

[rguinter]

Richard: Maybe read over my thread in the lounge, "Next time to Quebec I think I'm gonna Drive."

Relates some of the difficulties I had carrying equipment back and forth through Quebec airport last month. And a year ago I had similar troubles going to and from Toronto.

Bottom line: expect security to want to open everything... including manufacturers sealed rolls and boxes of film. LF camera gear?... almost guaranteed they will want you to open it all up.

18 posts above and lots of good advice about shipping things around the USA. But to and from Canada my opinion is to take exactly the amount of photo equipment you intend to use... pack it securely and take it with you as luggage.

Film... do the same thing as carry on. Take new unopened packages, whatever you use, and send it through the x-ray scanner separately from other items. Then hope that they don't insist to open each of the boxes to see what the individual film sheets look like. And do not bring loaded film holders. They will want to pull the darkslides to see what is underneath. Tried to do that with mine in Quebec and I had to beg them not to... as well as begging them not to open every sealed roll of 120.

Getting pretty ugly for film photographers flying these days.

Best of luck. Bob G.

[Richard K.]

Thanks guys. I've decided to take only my WP camera and that will go in my luggage in its own protected Air Case. Lenses I will carry on or also place in the luggage in THEIR own Air Case. Tripod I am borrowing and returning in Vegas. As for the film, I think I will UPS THAT (via ground to avoid X-Rays) to my contact in Vegas in time for my arrival - I don't need boxes of film opened at the Airport (I even had that happen 23 years ago in Victoria on my way to Australia).

Have I missed anything in the above arrangement?

The problem with shipping stuff by UPS is that I have to be there before the parcel clears customs (they check) in order to not pay duty etc. That means I would be days without equipment unless I overnight it at a horrendous expense. The film of course will be a minor value item that can be sent well ahead and not a problem.