Securing stuff in the car

[Brian K]

I go on pretty long duration trips using an SUV, and pack quite heavily. The most valuable things carried are the camera bag, the film bag and the tripods. When I check into a motel I empty most of the things out of the car. The little that remains are hidden by a large black sheet, that when viewed through the heavily tinted windows is invisible. Without something light inside to reflect back, the assumption is that the windows are so dark as to be either opaque or the back of the SUV to be empty.

If I stop to eat or use a restroom the film and camera cases, if they don't come in with me, are steel cabled and locked to the car interior. The car itself is alarmed, has a GPS tracker and if moved without me, my cellphone receives a phone call stating so.

When I travel I prefer to stay at motor lodges, on the first floor and park the car right outside my room even if the car is empty. If it's not a motor lodge I again stay on the first floor and park the car directly out my room's window. When I am forced to leave my gear in the room it is locked and steel cabled to a secure and immoveable object in the room. The lights on and the TV playing, usually a TV show that has voices like the news. I try to make it appear that the room is occupied.

All other times the camera back pack, the film bag and one of the tripods come with me. That's nearly 100 pounds that I carry almost everywhere. It's no wonder I still lose 10-20 pounds on a trip. The loss of mobility that my gear causes is making me reconsider my shooting methods and whether or not I should be using my smaller formats.

[John Powers]

You might find some of the thoughts in this thread useful,

Stolen lenses and security

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ght=Highlander

I wrote:
Out of sight, out of mind, making things invisible helps. I have a tan Toyota Highlander SUV with tinted windows. There are millions of them, common as dirt. A little dirt helps as a matter of fact. Most SUVs come with a sliding cover for the area behind the seats to the back door. I went to an automotive upholstery shop and had them make a cover that fastens to the head rests of the front seat, has snaps on the sides and extends to the top of the back seat. They made it of factory seat vinyl. There is an unbroken line of the same material at the bottom of the window line from the back of the front seat to the rear door. They even made a little hang down piece that dangles between the two front seats, so you can’t look through the windshield at what is in the back seat.

For a week long event like Bill Schwab’s APUG Gathering 2007, I carried a 7x17 mounted on an extended big Ries tripod and an 8x10 mounted on a small extended Ries, film holders, a 54 quart cooler, bag of lenses, and a baby jogger, all out of sight under this cover.

In addition to the above quote, on occasion I add a steel trailer hitch mounted basket normally used for carrying dead deer. This can carry the baby jogger making more room in the car for gear. In my fantasy of being disguised I think the car may look like it belongs to the parents of the child in the baby jogger and that the car is full of dirty diapers.

The only person I have found so far that doesn't like this rig is the US Customs inspector on the bridge in Buffalo, NY. He was used to looking in the side window of an suv and seeing everything. For him I opened up the cover.

John Powers

[GPS]

Very correct, John. If a thief sees that it would take a long time to get "there" and if he cannot see what is "there" he will look for another car. The majority of thieves does not have the patience and the motivation to bring special tools and work undisturbed to get to your riches they don't see. Those who think the car doors are enough to get respect for their possessions are fools. But thieves are no rocket scientists either - make it not attractive and easy for them and they will leave you - there are too many easier targets there...

[Diane Maher]

I take precautions with my gear whether I am photographing near home or out of town.

[George Stewart]

I use the Pacsafe system:

http://www.pac-safe.com/www/index.ph...n=detail&id=48

Then I keep the valuables covered and still have a few odds and ends (cooler, etc.) showing to demonstrate lack of value.

[Marko]

My SUV came with the cargo slider cover built-in, but for those without it a couple of large, well-worn cardboard boxes and a few old clothing items on top should work fine.

Simply place your valuables in the boxes and throw the old clothing on top and it will look like someone's heading to the laundry. I have yet to see a thief interested in dirty laundry.

[Ed Richards]

I do cover the case with a tarp - old Zone VI darkcloth.:-) I am not worrried about security for my current system, I am just looking for something that will not take up as much room. The Pacsafe looks brilliant. It would stop a smash and grab, which is my goal. My stuff was stolen with the car in my own driveway at home - I was building in the garage and left the car out. I think I bumped the damn eletronic key emptying my pockets and accidently unlocked the car. (The key works fine though the walls of the house and garage, I learned when I tested it later.) This is a real hazard with these huge electronic keys that get stuck with these days. I guess they reduce theft of the care, but not the contents.

[Brian Ellis]

For my SUV I have a system that I use constantly, even in the car parked overnight in front of cheaper hotels. Have plenty of cameras there (take out for the night if I remember, sometimes not), tripods all the time (don't bather to take out). Never had any problem in 10 years. What's the system? Every time I was tempted to disclose it I realized I would give an idea to the potential thief and shut up... Sorry.

Good thinking. This forum is riddled with thieves, murderers, and child molesters.

[Jim Noel]

A ratty old cardboard box will attract far less attention than a Pelican case. I don't carry any of my equipment in a recognizable camera case or bag.
I have had a series of station wagons. The rear windows have Limo film on them. I take everything into the motel at night and so far I have been lucky and never had a theft.

[Ken Lee]

"A ratty old cardboard box will attract far less attention than a Pelican case".

That's the idea, and one of the reasons I use nothing fancier than a cheapo beer cooler and some old canvas bags. Nothing says photo gear on it: no logos. It might as well be dirty socks and root beer, as far as anyone can tell.

For a long trip, rent an affordable "plain-vanilla" car with local license plates. Don't wash the outside, and place some local grocery bags and other junk in there - to make it look like you're nobody other than "Joe Six-Pack". Don't leave any maps or other symbols that indicate you're either wealthy, or a visitor.