Trail cart

[Drew Bedo]

It seems to me that there is plenty of money made on sophisticated tripods.

I would think that some money could be made by designing and engineering a photo-specific line of carts using current tripod principles of design and modern materials. How about something along the lines of the golf-bag cart mods discussed in this thread . . .that also incorporates the tripod function?

Another concept might be a set of collapsing legs that are designed into a soft bag or backpack. Any more, I avoid stooping and bending over.

Gitzo, Velbon, Manfrotto etc . . .how about it?

[Drew Wiley]

The problem is finding someone to do it right. We wanted a high end set of Cordura construction bags. Everyone made junk. The vendor/entrepreneur we trusted to do it had to make over 50 (!!!!) trips to China to locate a suitable subcontractor who understood the quality issue involved, and it indeed was an outfit already making very high end golf bags. It would be sooo much easier if something like that would start up in the US again, but the market in this case would be relatively tiny. By contrast, the lower quality import camera bags that sell for nearly $100 retail here, had a wholesale cost of less than $4 for almost exactly the same thing if marketed to construction applications instead. Those are now generally made in VietNam. But maybe an outfit here like Domke could be approached to see if there's any interest. You might even get a free prototype is your suggestions are specific and original.

[Peter De Smidt]

There are a bunch of options already. For example:

https://www.radicaldesign.com/walkin...lking-trailers

The problem with all of this is that not very many people will buy them, which means that the per-unit price will be very high.

https://monowalker.com/?lang=en

Here's a DIY version: https://hikingmastery.com/diy/diy-backpacking-cart.html

So far, though, I'm happy with my "What do I already have that will work" option.

[Drew Wiley]

You can also get especially portable handtrucks where the wheels pivot to a right angle for especially compact storage. Some of these even accommodate a variety of specialized interlocking gear containers, including padded. Not cheap.
However, most, if not all, of those wheeled "backpacking cart" experiments end in misery a couple miles down the path. Not a very ergonomic idea except on paved reasonably level surfaces. But if you want an epic version of that, there was an episode of early Mormon history where proselytes mainly from Wales and Belgium were told to pull heavy carts almost like beasts of burden the whole distance to Salt Lake City. So it apparently can be done, even though many died en route. But there were no brownie points in it unless the cart was an official one purchased from one particular vendor - the prophet himself!

[Two23]

I need something to haul my portable dark room, which is a roughly 48" x 18" x 24" black plastic tub over short trails. I want to make some wet plates of waterfalls. My thinking is to make a simple frame using 2" PVC and then use simple threaded steel stock for an axle, and find some old bicycle wheels (20 inch?) to make a sort of dolly. It would be lightweight, have big enough wheels to go over rough terrain, and disassemble for easy transport in my car. Best of all it would be cheap.


Kent in SD

[Drew Wiley]

I've been trying to find the link for the runner-up winner of Festool's first international woodworking competition. The 2nd prize was only $10,000; but the international publicity itself was worth far more to the winner. It was a cabinet shop somewhere on the East Coast, as I recall. They made a gorgeous ULF wet plate camera for a local photographer using rare hardwoods and custom polished brass hardware, and also a completely matching fold-up hardwood film booth big enough to stand in. Not exactly "easy transport", but fully portable. The first image made was of a self-portrait of the photographer himself standing in the cabinet shop besides his custom gear. If it were a leading local cabinet shop, that project would have fetched at least a $75,000 price tag, and probably double that. But they did it for sake of the publicity, and not for profit. Those kinds of eye-catching novelties can attract some very expensive clients afterwards, none of whom will be photographers, however. Here on the West Coast, I even had surfboard manufacturers come over from Hawaii. An exceptional koa wood board intended for someone's fireplace mantle would sell for well over $100,000. But I had to be real careful that any mere "furniture board" maker like that was not in the same line as a true sports boards maker, and that neither were in line with a synthetic "California board" maker, or else a fist fight might break out between them. Radically different ideologies.

[MrFujicaman]

Okay, guys..If you can locate a copy of Petersen's "Photo Equipment You Can Make-Volume 2" it has plans for a trail cart in it. Frankly, I found Perry Yob's plans for it overly complex, but it might give you some ideas on how to make one of your own.

[reddesert]

You could look at bike cargo trailers for ideas. At the burly end of the spectrum of bike cargo trailers, people use them with mountain bikes for loaded touring on rugged dirt roads. The hitch would not be ideal for towing by hand, nor would the kind that only has one wheel - some have two. They aren't inexpensive though - you can usually have at most two out of strong, light, cheap.

[Two23]

I forgot about deer haulers. They're pretty popular up here. Something like this would probably work for me.

https://www.fleetfarm.com/store/deta...yABEgKAVfD_BwE


Kent in SD

[Tin Can]

Yes and endless variations https://www.google.com/search?q=deer...w=1229&bih=608

I forgot about deer haulers. They're pretty popular up here. Something like this would probably work for me.

https://www.fleetfarm.com/store/deta...yABEgKAVfD_BwE


Kent in SD