Traveling Internationally With Gear....

[C_F_H_13]

In about a month or so I'm heading up to Vancouver to do a 3 day tracking session. The studio we're tracking at is pretty well stocked for a private facility, but it's missing 2 toys I must have.

Renting isn't an option as the band is poor, but I myself own these 2 things and was thinking of taking them on the plane with me.

So here's the question?

Well they let me bring a piece of gear in my carry on or will they make me check it with my luggage. And secondly, is this really such a good idea, or should I just rent out of my own pocket/or not use it.

[pramrod]

what are the 2 pieces? rack gear, microphones, sackbuts? rack gear you'd probably have to check these days (carry on bins are getting smaller and smaller and airlines are clamping down on what you can carry on, sometimes by weight too). i'd recommend trying to rent the two pieces up in vancouver and save yourself the hassle/worry of checking your valuable gear, but if you must have them, get a big ass fancy pelican case with tons of foam and check it in one of those. you never know with a regular rack- i travel worldwide with pelican cases and they are pretty indestructo (they de-pressurize, waterproof to like 100 ft below, and most importantly they are plastic and not metal so they don't bend/break!) it's a super hard plastic and the latches are super strong too (no metal to bend, you can hold the breifcase by it's latches full of metal guitar pedals and they won't come open so no airline accidents). they come in many sizes and are great! i used to throw out an skb case every tour, they'd just bend and break and come out all messed up, but the Pelican's rule. you can get them at J & R in NY.

[Wiggy Neve Slut]

Having faced this prolbem nearly a yr ago when i was traveling aroound the world with gear .. i have one word for you boss..

PELICAN!!! everyone else suggsted them for cases when i posted a similar post and whilst they may be expensive you can be rest assured that anything will survive the gorilla's @ airports. I saw them toss the case up the freight elevator on its side form the bar Window @ LAX and it lived to tell the tale when i got back home into a session the same day.. almost bulletproof, you cant go wrong!

Excited about Pelican
Wiggy

[roonsbane]

I am digging this thread out of woodwork. I have been asked to record a new piece by a composer friend of mine. The recording would take place in Wroclaw Poland where he has been living for about five years now. The recording would not be until mid June when my schedule might let up a bit. I am trying to get some sense of what I am in for when it comes to getting my gear from Saint Paul, Minnesota. I would like to bring my pelican like case with a half dozen mics, a four space rack with ATI/8MX2, apogee AD16X/ RME digiface/ and power conditioner, along with a 722, Apogee Mini DAC, Headphones, and my 17" laptop. The rack weighs roughly 35 pounds and the computer bag probably weighs 25 pounds with accessories. They would need to supply two tall stands, maybe 4 boom stands, a long 8 channel snake and some kind of talk-back system. A set of descent monitors would be icing on the cake. Obviously power will be a big consideration as well.

I am wondering if anyone has this gear or perhaps a multitrack/console to replace the computer for rent in or near Wroclaw. Also, If I can't do the gig, can anyone recommend a solid engineer in Wroclaw. There will not be much extra money after paying for the flight. Is it unrealistic to consider paying to ship my rig or bring it with me on the flight? Obviously power will be a big consideration as well. Any other important considerations?

Thanks!
Cameron

[bishopthomas]

I toured internationally for a while and never had any issues. I carried on the 4U IEM rack in an SKB case, and the rest went in ATA's in the cargo hold. There was one Pelican style case with microphones, IEM packs, small bits, that also was checked. Everything always made it in one piece, never lost or broken.

[hbphotoav]

I carry video, audio and photo gear to Europe a couple of times a year. Pelican, Tamrac and LowePro cases (and the big Sony preformed camera cases in years past) have protected it well.

I also travel to Carnet countries (Corporation for International Business | ATA Carnet | International Export Document | Online Carnet) with said carnet. When I travel to Moldova (not a carnet country) I carry a bit less gear, and have a certified US Customs declaration of the gear, SNs and values (from my insurance database) to (1) prove it's mine as I enter Moldova; and (2) prove I left the country with it when returning to USA. So far, after jaunts to Chile, Canada, England, Germany, Switzerland and Moldova with $10-30,000 worth of decidedly professional gear, I've had trouble only in England. But I've not worried about it in any of them.

YMMV.

HB