How To Transport Equipment Toronto to Death Valley?

[Richard K.]

I'm planning on going to Death Valley, Joshua Tree and Palm Springs (to find the ghost of J. Smeaton Chase!) for a few weeks in February. I live in Toronto. Any suggestions on how to get my equipment - 2 formats of camera each in a case with 6 holders, a lens case, a tripod and film- to Las Vegas. I plan to fly or train to Vegas and rent a car and re-unite with my equipment there. I was thinking of packing everything into a trunk and UPSing it (and reversing the procedure for the trip home). But, to what address? Is there a cheaper alternative? I can't drive such a long distance any more. Ideas? Thank you!

[John Kasaian]

I didn't know that trains stopped in Vegas?
If you'll be spending your first night at a reputable Hotel or B and B you can probably arrange to have them accept the parcels for you.

[jeroldharter]

I have shipped gear UPS) to hotels with no problem. I call ahead to clear it with the manager. You can get good deals for hotels in Las Vegas, so stay at nice place for a night and have a good meal before going to Death Valley. I would avoid a mega-hotel though because a smaller place has a harder time misplacing your gear.

Might be cheaper for you to box up the gear and wait to ship until you are in the US if that works with your travel. I try to save the box and packing, take some packing tape with me, and ship it back in the same box. You could also ship to a UPS store in Las Vegas and pick up/ship back from there.

[Frank Petronio]

Find a photographer to drive it for you.

Round trip is >5000 miles worth of gas and $100 per day. I guess that works out to about $750 Gas @ 20mpg and ~$750 expenses, plus whatever insurance rider might be needed.

Can you ship it and rent a car for $1500?

I could be tempted, I haven't done it since 1984. But it would have be a good Winter vehicle, I wouldn't want to drive XC in a punchbuggy in February.

[Steve Sherman]

THe last half dozen trips I have shipped film and other items to a UPS Store locations without a problem. There is one quite close to McCarren Int. Airport.

Just two weeks ago I returned from Phoenix where I shipped home to CT a 66 lbs Pelican case for approx. $100.00 with 2K insurance. It took five business days, on the trip out the case went from CT to a UPS store in Reno, took five business days and then held the case for two days without charging me a daily fee to hold.

Carrying large film holders and boxes of film has become a huge hassle given the airport security measures in place today.

2 cents

[jp]

Ship your film for sure rather than fly with it. Keep in mind customs could delay things (I remember customs delayed things about a week when I bought a lens from you, and I've seen similar delays with other things I've bought from Canada) .

Shipping the camera equipment would probably be the same cost as the extra charges for checked bags and it would get handled better. UPS is making a business of shipping luggage now.

[Richard Raymond]

Richard,
The best deal is to check with the airlines and see what they are charging for extra bags. Ship everything except the film. Take the film as carry on luggage. Second best is to have it shipped to someone in Las Vegas via UPS. Drive down to Buffalo and ship from there. I have dealt with Harry's Photo for a number of years and the only issue has been the unexpected delays in shipping through the border. Or follow the same route and have the stuff shipped to a local UPS store and held there.
The nearest train to Las Vegas stops in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Actually, the nearest is in Kingman, Arizona, but that would be a longer train trip). You could catch the train from Buffalo to Chicago and then change trains to travel to Salt Lake. It is a 5 hour drive from Salt Lake to Las Vegas. If you decide to take the train then I would have the camera equipment shipped to Salt Lake. Actually I would have the equipment on the train as baggage but that is my preference.
I am working in Las Vegas (itinerant remote sensing and computer geek). Let me know if there is anything with which I can help.
Best regards,
Ric

[Richard K.]

Thanks to all of you for the replies thus far. It looks like flying and renting a car will be the best option and the idea of pre-shipping to a UPS store seems very good. I like trains and hate planes; that's why I mentioned train originally. It's only a little over a day from Chicago to Flagstaff or Kingman and I would enjoy the drive to DV. It's getting to Chicago that's a problem (12 hour connection delay from Buffalo). So it seems that flying is the cheapest, fastest option. I now have to call border services to see what to do to prevent being charged duty or taxes upon my equipment's return. Thanks again...

[Fred L]

I would think paying extra baggage might be the cheaper and easier on the mind option Richard. I've travelled internationally with a Pelican 1650 with long Nikon glass,bodies etc. without a hitch. Heavy has hell but they're my first choice for containment. Of course you'll want to make sure everything is packed and padded well.

[Pat Kearns]

Ship it to the first hotel destination via UPS, FedEx, or Postal Service. Do the same when you get ready to return home. I've do that with my film, holders, filters, on several trips. The only problem I have had was on the return my most recent trip. It looks like the USPS used the package in an NBA game. Luckily I had packed everything in smaller boxes inside the main box. Nothing was damaged or lost.

[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.

[rguinter]

Richard: If sending by UPS or FedEx between USA and Canada use the words "Personal Effects" clearly on the declaration form. When I go to our Quebec terminal on business trips I have to send company uniforms, hard hats, respirators, safety shoes/boots, cold weather clothing, etc.

I always ship these items in a separate box to arrive at the terminal well ahead of time and label the declaration form accordingly as "personal effects."

This does not stop customs from opening up the boxes (virtually every time) but it does improve the process of getting it through without having to pay duties.

Bob G.