Yea I purchased one of those gel packs. It arrived really dented somehow (was shipped inside the case :/ ) but i've placed it inside - not sure how good it'll be.

Kevin,

I just got back from the doc shoot, and leave in the morning for a gig doing fight choreography.

Itll be a while before I can shoot any pics for you.

R

no worries

For what it's worth, my understanding of X-rays and travel with video tape is that there should be no problem. The problem that can occur is the magnetic fields created by motors and such on conveyor belts via transport to and from the planes.

For that reason I always hand carry the tapes and ask to have them hand inspected. I do not send them through the conveyor belt X-ray machine.

Jim,

Good for you for convincing them. I was unable to convince them to hand inspect the bag of 15 tapes I was carrying. They insisted on x-raying them. No ammount of argument would stop them, in fact, I think it just irritated them.

Yeah I have found it really depends on the person doing the inspection. It also varies from airport to airport although I haven't done as much travelling lately.

Any way to make or get a case with shielding to protect the tapes during travel?

You know, just like my big Paradigm speakers have a built in shield to prevent the TV from going beserk due to the high magnetic field it creates.

A thick aluminum box would do no?

The Kata case for the XL2 is found here:

http://www.kata-bags.com/Item.asp?pid=252&cid=67&perentId=1&ProdLine=1

I just purchased one. I am going to Haiti after Thanksgiving. I will return with footage to share as well as a report on the bag. I have high hopes for it as I am traditionally a PortaBrace fellow.

Cheers!
Luke

Luke,

Where in Haiti will you be travelling?

We hit Gonaives one day, Fonde Verettes another, and Mapou another. These are three areas that have been hit the hardest this summer by hurricane Jeanne.

By many accounts, more people died in Haiti this year due to one hurricane than in America on September 11, 2001. Actually, it was the rain that killed them and not the raging winds. During the night, floods rose between 20 and 30 feet in a span of about 30 minutes. Families were washed away. Thousands of lives were destroyed. Children literally went to bed that night with parents and had no parents by morning. And yet, the most affluent nation in the world (positioned only 700 miles from this tragety) hardly knows it happened and has done virtually nothing to help.

We hope to document some of the aftermath and bring those stories back to the US in an honest effort to educate and plead for help from the American people.

<<<-- Originally posted by Luke Renner : We hit Gonaives one day, Fonde Verettes another, and Mapou another. These are three areas that have been hit the hardest this summer by hurricane Jeanne.

By many accounts, more people died in Haiti this year due to one hurricane than in America on September 11, 2001. Actually, it was the rain that killed them and not the raging winds. During the night, floods rose between 20 and 30 feet in a span of about 30 minutes. Families were washed away. Thousands of lives were destroyed. Children literally went to bed that night with parents and had no parents by morning. And yet, the most affluent nation in the world (positioned only 700 miles from this tragety) hardly knows it happened and has done virtually nothing to help.

We hope to document some of the aftermath and bring those stories back to the US in an honest effort to educate and plead for help from the American people. -->>>

Good work Luke. This kind of stuff goes on all over the world, yet you never hear about it here in the states. We need more independant media out there to inform people about what goes on outside their borders.

A good deed, indeed, Luke. I've travelled to Cap Haitian on the north coast of Haiti years ago.

Be sure to go prepared for extensive nightly camera cleaning. The humidity, dust, dirt and salt in the sea air can be very hard on your gear. Fiind fresh water for cleaning the camera body and bring plenty of lense cleaning materials. Have good raingear for yourself and the camera as well as some plastic bags on hand for accessories and such.

Check out the battery charging options and the possible need for converters.

Be careful and safe as I understand that disease may be widespread in many of the affected flood areas. Check with the health organizations before you go to be sure you are properly immunized.

Please do let us know how it works out and post us some footage.

Good luck and best regards

Thanks Jim.

This will be my tenth trip to Haiti. I'm well on my way to speaking the language and everything. All of your advice is true and sound. Thanks for the helping hand.

Cheers!
Luke

Just bought a Pelican 1620 case today. Here are some pictures with my xl2 in it. I like this case because its deep enough to store the xl2 without taking it apart.

http://www.dvfilms.net/p1620case.html


Sid

Guys, My Canon's and I have traveled to Ialy, Africa, Chili. Argentina, Peru, Canada, Tierra del Fuago, the Amazon and all over the USA by plane, boat, foot, car, and cart. PLEASE. PLEASE, No matter what case you get, PLEASE take off the view finder and mic. Take the whole thing apart when in travel. That way it don't get busted up. Bob

I think you are right Bob. I'll take the VF and Mic off when I travel. When just storing or going from one location to another, I'll leave it in as one piece.

A note about locking luggage - it is a real crapshoot even wtih TSA locks. I haven't had any cut off this year (50,000 miles) but one of my colleagues has had THREE of the TSA locks cut off. It is clear whether TSA just doesn't understand the concept or they are just in too much of a hurry to figure out which key or combination to use. Some brands of TSA locks are sturdier than others - look around.

One colleague had a lock cut off then they used a cable tie to hold the zippers shut. They got to South America and had a heck of a time getting in to their gear since they had nothing with them to cut the cable tie with....

Sid, did you cut that foam yourself or was it pre-cut?

Matt