Protecting Your Gear – Rack Bags and Soft Cases

When it comes to transporting your lights, what is the best way to keep them protected? In this video, I go over soft bags and some soft cases that you may not be familiar with!

When it comes to your needs as far as protecting your gear, everyone’s needs are different. While the routes you take to protect your gear may differ, the fact that protecting your gear will make it last longer and help you get the most out of it is universal.

There are plenty of options available that will protect your stuff and keep it nice and don’t require you to get a full road case.

Bag Type Cases

One of the protection options for your gear that will do its job without breaking the bank is a bag. If you are a lighting professional who is bringing your gear in to your event by hand, perhaps carrying it in and placing it against a wall to prep for use and being aware to not place anything heavy on top of it then a bag may be the way to go for a bit of added protection.

Something with a basic zipper and some padding inside will offer enough cushion and protection from being scratched up to keep your lighting gear looking like new. You will find many different shapes and sizes of bags to accommodate your needs.

Semi-Soft Cases

Semi- soft cases, also called EVA type cases, are an interesting option because they offer a bit more protection for those who may be a little rougher on their gear transport. They are still relatively inexpensive and can be more effective in keeping your gear safe.

You will find that cases like these still have the soft quality with zipper openings but have a bit more rigidity in them for added support. They also tend to have pockets built in for organization purposes as well as foam to secure your gear a bit more from being shaken up during transport.

Another benefit of these semi soft cases is that they are super lightweight so if you are carrying your gear yourself it helps to keep things much easier on you.

Closing

No matter what type of show you are putting on and what type of gear you use, it is highly recommended to always use some sort of gear protection. Soft cases will protect your lighting gear for the level of abuse you are putting on them and will help to keep your gear looking new and lasting longer.

Semi soft cases will do the job just a little bit better when it comes to protection level. You will be able to stack these a bit better on carts if you have a larger amount of gear to transport from gig to gig and will ensure that your stuff stays secure and undamaged. They tend to hold their shape a bit better than a general soft case so that they can be moved around a bit easier and more securely. Keep in mind that this means they won’t compact down as small as the soft cases when it comes to storage, but it adds a bit more toughness to your gear transport bags.

Whatever your choice of gear protection, the most important thing is that you have some! Choosing what is right for your needs will help keep your gear in top shape and help save you money in the long run.

Protecting Your Gear – DIY Plastic Bin Cases

When it comes to transporting your lights, what is the best way to keep them protected? In this video, I share with you the best DIY way to make a cheap, but effective case!

Protecting your gear is incredibly important to ensure the longevity of your gear’s quality. There are a ton of options when it comes to buying protective cases, but there are also some great wallet friendly DYI options!

Plastic Bin Cases

If you are at a point where you have more lights and gear to transport than will realistically fit into soft bags and cases, you may find yourself considering the option of bins that can hold more and provide you with the option to stack and fit more into your transport space. This is where plastic bin cases come in handy!

Packaging

When you buy your fixtures they most likely come in a cardboard box. Some people tend to take these cardboard boxes to every gig and that may work well for a short while but after a few gigs these boxes are typically going to be falling apart and causing more hassle than they’re worth.

Rather than exclusively using these boxes to transport your fixtures or throwing them out, hang on to them as the first piece of your DYI case.

Bins

The second piece to your plastic bin case is the plastic bins! These can be found easily at most hardware stores. You will want to get one that fits one or more of your fixtures inside plus their packaging.

Putting It Together

Creating your DYI plastic bin case is really just as simple as taking your plastic bin, placing the packaging strategically inside, placing your fixture snugly inside the packaging. If you are packing and unpacking these bins frequently the key is to just be gentle with the packaging as you remove and replace your fixtures and you will find that the packing will last a long time and serve as great protection for your gear.

If you find that there is extra space around your fixtures packaging that may cause it to slide around within the bin you can easily take DMX cables or something of the like and pack it around the sides to further secure everything. If the inside packaging starts to get a bit banged up from use, you can always take a bit of foam and use that to replace the inside of your bins as you go along for continued protection.

Conclusion

This method of using your fixtures packaging placed inside a plastic bin or something similar is really going to provide fantastic protection for your lights and other gear as you go from gig to gig. They are a much more cost friendly option than your typical road case and are also a lot lighter weight when it comes to moving them around. If you have a good amount of gear to transport but not a huge amount, this option is the perfect happy medium for protection and transport and will ensure your gear lasts as long as possible to get the most life out of it and is well protected throughout all use.

Protecting Your Gear – Waterproof “Pelican Style” Cases

When it comes to transporting your lights, what is the best way to keep them protected? Pelican cases can be a great solution for smaller items, let me show you why in this video!

When it comes to protecting your gear there are a ton of options to suit your needs. If you are looking for something a bit heavier duty for your gear, then “Pelican Style” cases might be just what you need!

Pelican Brand

Pelican brand cases are pretty fantastic all around. These cases are waterproof plastic with flip latches. They come in various sizes to meet a variety of needs. You may find that some of the larger cases can get a little pricey but for the smaller of these cases they are still quite affordable, and all are worth the money in the long term because of the protection they provide for your gear.

What To Expect

When it comes to Pelican brand cases you may be wondering what you can expect. These cases come in rolling style for easy transport as well as carry on style to easily fit in the overhead if you are traveling. You will find a retractable luggage handle on these as well for convenience. The latches on the smaller cases are simply two on the front, while the larger cases have one on each side as well for added security. They have a flip lid with a hinge to make it easy to open and close.

Another great feature of these cases is their lifetime warranty. It is worth noting that for repairs and replacements you will have to ship in the case, but they do also sell parts for quick self-repairs which will save quite a bit of time.

On the inside there is a little bit of lid space and a large area at the bottom to store whatever you need. Typically, when you purchase one of these you will get foam that can be arranged and used to create more secure storage and better organization within the box, and which can be rearranged to suit carrying different items and gear.

Biggest Benefit

The biggest benefit of this style case is that they’re waterproof and are incredibly hardy. They are nearly impossible to break or beat up so badly that anything inside could be damaged. This makes them one of the best choices for your gear if you are constantly on the move traveling from gig to gig.

Off Brand Options

If the Pelican brand is a bit too costly you can certainly find several different off brand options that will also get the job done. A few of these are Harbor Freight, Lightshark, and WorkPro. They may not be quite as fancy as the Pelican brand, but they are about half the price so depending on your needs one of these may suffice as a better option for you.

Conclusion

These Pelican style cases are a really great option for smaller fixtures and cables. They are also great used in combination with other types of cases such as the soft style cases or a plastic bin style case. They are very hardy and very versatile and will do a great job ensuring that your gear will arrive where it is supposed to go intact.

Protecting Your Gear – ATA Style Road Cases

ATA style road cases are thought to be the “best” way to transport your gear. Let me show you what you need to know and how to figure out the best way to protect your GEAR!

When it comes to protecting your gear there are a lot of different options. They range from the simplest methods such as soft bags or stacking bins all the way to these heavy-duty road cases.

Road Cases

Road cases are a great option for transporting your gear and ensuring that it safely gets to its destination but there are a couple things to keep in mind when you use these. Number one thing to consider is the weight and making sure that you will realistically be able to get it in and out of transport vehicles and to your gig site without causing too much strain to your back!

What To Look For

Not all road cases are created equal. You will find that some cases have hinges, and some don’t, as well as foam and separated sections. You may want to take a closer look at these variations depending on your personal needs.

Wheels or No Wheels

There are some cases with wheels and some which don’t have wheels. If you have a good cart the wheel aspect might not be much of a concern for you but if your primary mode of transporting these cases will be the case itself, you may want to go the wheel option and save your back the hassle of lifting.

With smaller cases you may find that the option of no wheels better suits your needs because they can be more easily lifted and stacked for more storage space.

Thickness

Another thing to consider is the thickness of your case. Cases are made out of plywood with the best wood used called Baltic Birch. This type of plywood is very dense with a lot of layers to it which promote rigidity and add to the sturdiness for greater protection. You will also find that the outer layer of this wood is structural rather than just veneer.

On top of the wood there will be a plastic laminate with metal on the corners for even greater structural integrity. If you are going to go the route of these large road cases, thickness definitely matters. It is better to go with the higher quality wood and thickness from the beginning and ensure that your case will last a long time and do its job with the greatest efficiency.

Custom Made vs. Premade

If you go to a case company, you can easily get something custom made to fit whatever you need it to exactly. You can also find great quality premade cases if your needs are a little less specific. It really just comes down to what you need it for and your personal preference.

With premade cases you will find the bottoms will either have carpeting or foam. There are advantages and disadvantages to both styles. Having foam on the bottom provides that extra layer of protection and so is definitely something to consider looking for. Carpeting on the sides rather than the bottom provides a little extra durability and protection for your gear as your bringing things in and out of the case.

Latches

Another thing to think about before purchasing your perfect case is latches and hardware. How it opens and closes and the number of latches it has may make a significant difference to you. Ensuring that everything remains tightly sealed is incredibly important.

The handles are another important feature to your case. You will want to figure out how hard or easy it is to pick the case up when it’s full, how easy it is to lift up perhaps over a stair or something like that, and how easy it is to push. Basically, any types of maneuvers you may find yourself doing with your case and gear needs to be tested out and considered before purchasing to help keep life easy for you once you are using them.

ATA

When a road case says ATA, it means that the case can fly on a plane. This is definitely something to keep an eye out for if you will be traveling for gigs and need something that can be transported by flight. These ATA cases can be checked as checked baggage without issue and can physically withstand the extra abuse baggage takes when being taken on a plane.

It’s important to note that there are different levels of ATA, and they all have a certain number of flights that they are technically good for. You can look up and find the spec online. You want to make sure that you get something with the level that matches your needs. If you go in for a higher quality case it will more than likely be worth it because they have the potential to last for many years, getting great use out of them.

Conclusion

A well-built road case can last you a lifetime. Taking the time to really look into what you are buying and making sure that it fits your needs is well worth the time. You will end up with a great case that will protect your gear and is built to last.