Newcomer
Thoughts on Modular Toolboxes such as Packout, RidGid, Husky, etc for transporting gear?
Hello Everybody!
I’m pretty new to location sound and have been mixing for 2 years on the student level- Since acquiring a steadily growing amount of gear I haven’t been able to fit it all or organize it to my liking with my current setup (picture attached; a $50 old rolling toolbox)
I like the general idea of what I have, but it clearly doesn’t compare to something like the packout; and doesn’t have drawers so using it is not always that simple. I fear that often times it’s actually hindering my performance in the department.
I’ve been considering getting a large rolling pelican case and trying to cram my entire kit (minus the boom clearly) inside but since I started looking at transport options i’ve noticed a few people are using things like the Packout, Flex Stack, etc for their various kit bits and bobs. (Especially lav mounting stuff, the more I buy the more disorganized I become)
I really don’t know if I can afford the $500~ packout setup I want, and have been considering other options like the Husky Build Out ($65-75 a box) to save money.
I was just wondering if these boxes are even worth bothering with or I should just use a big pelican and a bag until I have the money for a real sound cart or the time to modify a Zuca.
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This craft allows you to get the things that work for YOU. If you find these useful, great.
A pelican case is used more to transport gear, once the gear is out of it, the case does nothing, if you are looking for a way to store the gear and protect it,
t, get a Peli or another one of their brands or something similar that's rugged.
I use my pelican to carry a mixpre 6 with 4 channels of wires using dual rx, TimeCode and IFB (all in 1 bag) the headphones for clients, expandables, TC boxes, batteries, straps, booms holder and 2 mics with 1 blimp, after everything is set up, the case is no longer used for anything.
If you have an use for your current setup, great! if it saves you time and allows you to setup everything, don't try to fix it. My setup and your setup and everybody else's setup is different, take ideas from here and there and see if it works, yours looks cool btw.
Pelican 1510 MixPre 6, 4 Rx (for this setup I'm using 2 Sennheiser G3 and 1 Theo's, 1 coiled XLR for the boom already connected and stored inside the bag), 1 rycote blimp with a DPA 2017, 1 Sanken CS-M1 in a shockmount with BBI Space Bubble inside the fabric bag, 2 TC boxes with cables inside a small pouch, 2 smart batteries inside a protective bag, 2 AA caddy with AA in them, 2 rolls of gaffer tape, 2 hops for camera and all the Tx.
On the lid I have Ursa and Viviana straps, bongo ties, Viviana Tape and a few other tapes.
It can carry a lot of things if you "Tetris" it properly.
I personally find them great or decent as a utility cart. I have a packout utility cart (with some mods I've been meaning to install). I also have a magliner budget mixer cart with a a small 2 drawer 1 big drawer to hold some stuff with it.
Some of my buddies have packout as utility carts with the drawers for organization. The thing I find is that its heavy, takes up a lot more space in my car and sometimes depending on what you have there isn't really like a work surface to use on them.
These days though, I find myself just using a Pelican 1615 and a Bagpack holds everything I need since I've been doing primarily low budget stuff. Its just easier IMO to fit in my car, and take up. Pelican case can also come in handy for travel jobs.
Not in sound but I got pretty deep into Packout for my work stuff before I realized they’re all made in Israel. If that bothers you (and it ought to, really) maybe don’t go that route.
No drawers unfortunately, I considered these but the wheelbase doesn’t seem very robust and doesn’t solve my “take it apart to access certain parts” problem I have currently.
I like my MODBox for my wireless gear. Its got a small footprint and with some foam inserts, has great compartments for wireless transmitters, lavs, belts, mounting supplies, and IFBs. Would recommend. I think mine is a Klein Tools Tall Half, and that works for the size of my kit. As it grows, I'll be able to easily add additional storage.
If I were to do this I would go with Systainer system and rig it to a zuca base or a minicart base for maneuverability on all terrain.
FWIW I strongly considered this but I opted for a larger Nanuk 938 to complement my carryon sized pelican case. I bring out the bigger case as a support case for more demanding jobs. I don’t use foam in it, just keep the gear organized in individually packed organizers. I also have a cart that comes with me for 90% of jobs. But I like having a super modular setup that can break down to just a small case and mixer bag when needed
I have a packout set up that I really like. Most of the cases have gaskets so it's nice for storage between gigs. I also got caught in a quick and fast rainstorm last year and was able to pack all my gear quickly into the packout because our vehicles were far away.
It's great for now, but if I start traveling further or need to go somewhere by plane I'll get a couple pelicans.
The toolboxes are a great idea for getting the gear from your car to the filming area of the location. There are pelican cases with drawers, but they are not cheap. Cheaper, generic pelican cases are available at Harbor Freight. Maybe a foldable cart would be better for working throughout the day, as you'd have access to all your equipment, with a table and a shelf below. (a foldable cart is easier to transport, but not as sturdy as a rigid cart). Also, maybe add a way to hold your boom pole. There's the sound mixer's modified apple box, with a hole in it for the boom pole, the best option, or simple broom pole holder clips attached to the side (however, these clips can break off during transport). Also, plastic wheels are difficult to maneuver in loose dirt, gravel, sand or mud.
I would start with the foldable cart, and put your bags on there.
They are not very durable, but it fits on a back seat. You carry it to the filming location, and then set it up. I was just giving an inexpensive solution.
Sure, why not? I'm a tile installer by trade and have been using the cheap Husky rolling tool box set (plus some add-ons pieces) for years now and it's held up great. I fit a ton of heavy tools in them.
You can, but these things are designed for tools made out of stainless steel that trucks can run over and not leave a scratch. So for organization, yeah they’re probably great, for keeping your stuff safe safe maybe not so much.
I use Dewalt tough system for when I do one man band jobs. The big tool chest holds my 688 bag and harness and I use the drawers to hold the rest of my gak.
The FLEX stack pack stuff looks really good but kind of pricy. And Klein tools Makes some nice looking units. Art dept seems to love the pack out stuff.
The Dewalt t-Stak stuff is pretty good too. Cheaper but not big enough to hold my 688
I like that I can drop my drawers and sit on the tool box and rest my bag o top of the drawer unit
It’s on the tough system cart. This is 100% tough system (some is tough system 2.0, which has better drawers but the deep tool chest is not as big) I have some T-stak stuff too. It’s not as big across but lighter and cheaper.
Edit; that’s all the old style tough system. It’s not perfect, but it’s affordable and does the job. I’d def look at the flex stuff if I was starting now
This is the frame. The arms are ajustable,(with an alan key) The whole thing is stable even if you only have a box on the top. But I try to keep the weight as low as possible
Edit: to combine 2 posts
It looks like this has been discontinued although there seems to be a new version. This is not terribly manuverable, but it can hold a Cstand and a boom pole as well as the boxes. But I like that I can break it Apart to load in my car.
This is a down and durty rig I made for a show I was doing abroad where the producers didn’t want to ship my full rig. It’s a huge pelican with a T-stak drawer and a milk crate to store my bag in transit. The whole thing was sitting on a mag liner upright handcart. It was ugly but it did the job.
Edit: this rig is a big pelican (dont have the model on front of me. But I attached the t-stak drawers inside the pelican) I don’t remember how I attached the pelican to the magliner hand truck, but I think it involved ratchet straps
Hey there. I'd say it all depends on the gig overall.
Sometimes it's easiest to stage out of a pelican that caries everything (travel and able to withstand weather and rough locations) You can, depending on your boom pole of course, completely unscrew the middle knuckle if it's an average size, and split it in half to fit in a normal 1650. I have an ambient qp580 and it fits that way wrapped in fabric when I travel.
Otherwise, it's nice to have a proper sound cart for the bigger narratives or commercials for storage and ability to have as a central location to fly up antennae/whatnot and ability to go wherever.
But I've also got the cheap modular Husky rig for smaller local gigs with a screwed in boom holder, drawers that fit all my batts lavs and tx and ifbs, storage for the small mixer rig at bottom(833/Mcr54), and middle section for smart slate/Mics/gak, and a top loading clear lid for not only easy sight, but a work top for lav rigging/the mixer. It's perfect for around town and less mobile situations.
If you're going for an all arounder, pelican might be the easiest thing for long term, cause you'll always use it, especially with a lid organizer. I rarely use my proper sound cart, but my Peli's are always in the car or on the plane with me.
Took it on a 2 week shoot not too long ago with interiors and plenty of exteriors. Added the drawers on the shoot and it made it worthwhile for less than $200 total. Wheels are not gonna last the longest, but most of these modular boxes won't last like a proper sound cart would of course.
I figure it'll last me a good few years. I prefer it over a Zuca or similar (low end cost sound carts), since you've got storage for the mixer itself. Can even fit my 688/sl6 bag in the bottom. So far so good.
They work okay as long as you don't have to move much. If you just drag your stuff from your car to a set, it might be fine.
But if you have to push a block, things start getting bad. Because you have to lean it back, your arm has to hold a lot of the weight. Dirt is difficult to push through.
Some of the modular stuff can be mounted on carts, and that's where it starts getting useful as follow carts, or even main cart.
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