Gear Storage

[Eric Woodbury]

I've got camera gear stuffed in places from hell to breakfast. Some in a small dresser for 35mm, MF, lens, film, misc filters. I've got LF cameras in cases on book shelves and boxes of filter rings and other little things stashed about. So, just curious, what do you all do with your stuff? Is there some universal storage thing (besides sending it to your place) that holds everything tidy?

[William Whitaker]

Ebay.

[Ari]

Visit a hardware store, look at some tough plastic storage boxes.
Line the boxes with some foam, put some dessicant in there, and you're set!
Or eBay.

[Eric Woodbury]

Ebay is where some of it is coming from. This is stuff I use all the time. I have 7 cameras in 4 formats that I use regularly. And all the stuff. Once upon a time, I kept everything in a bag in the closet ready to go. Now I pack before leaving. Depends on where I go and what I plan to shoot and whether the family goes along.

Tripods live in the corner by he door. That won't change. That works.

[jeroldharter]

Larger Pelican cases make good storage units and stack easily. Sometimes you can get a good deal on older beat up cases with foam inserts. Likewise, old camera bags.

[Daniel Stone]

go to Joann's, buy some of the 4" thick green squishy foam, comes in ~24" wide sheets. Kinda pricey IMO.

cut to fit various gear, write in sharpie by each cutout what goes where, etc...

stack pieces of foam with gear in it in a 25-30gal "tote" from wal-mart/target, etc...

you can probably get 5-6 "layers" into one of the taller totes.

-Dan

p.s. with cost of foam(about $40/big sheet at Joann's, maybe more $$$), and the tote, you're about 1/4-1/5 of the price of a smaller Pelican, and doesn't scream "CAMERA GEAR!!!!"

-Dan

[John Kasaian]

8x10 Stuff is in army surplus cooler bags for 5 gallon jerry cans. 4x5 Stuff is in an old Graflex "vulcanoid" case. 5x7 Stuff lives in a filing cabinet. 35mm SLR Stuff lives in an Igloo Playmate, 120 Stuff lives in a drawer with my socks & suspenders and seldom sees the light of day.

[Nathan Potter]

It's total chaos. I have no ideas and no time for a solution. That has been the scheme for 40 years, so maybe I don't need to change.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[dsphotog]

Eric, Nate, I feel your pain....

[Noah A]

I've always kept extra gear in Pelican cases. But not long ago I heard that it's not a good idea. The cases are airtight and water-tight. So if there is moisture trapped in there it may promote fungus growth. A desiccant could help I guess.

In any event I now just store my gear either in bags or on shelves in a closet.

My main 4x5 kit stays packed and ready-to-go in a domke bag. My Nikon digital gear pretty much lives in the closet along with my Mamiya 7 gear.

I try not to keep tons of extra gear around that I don't use. The Mamiya 7 gear might go soon, since I haven't shot with it since last July. The Nikon kit has to stay since I use it for deadline assignments.