How do you transport/move your gear around?

[McNewt]

If I've managed to post this in the wrong part of the forum perhaps some kind admin can help out moving it.

Anyway.  I have a rather large padded carry bag with two compartments that fits both my scope and mount and I can carry it over my shoulder.  The battery has a carry handle built in to it.  For my eyepieces I've recently acquired Pelican type cases, albeit not branded.  For the rest of the gear I have a large transparent Tupperware type of box in which I keep stuff like finder scope, synscan unit, cables, adapters and what not.   Everything put together is heavy, but considering just the weight I'm still be able to carry it all some moderate distance, for example from my car out into a field.  

Today I have to dump a lot of stuff into a regular backback, carry the padded bag over one shoulder, keep the battery in one hand and the box under the other arm.  Some stuff I leave at home.   It sort of works, but it is far from ideal.   For example I have one the place that I regularly visit which is up on a ridge.  The ground is not exactly flat and level and I'm always worrying that I will accidentally drop some gear.   I'm avoiding walking back and forth several times since it is far too easy for someone to pick something up and just walk away with it.

What solutions do you have?

 

[rwilkey]

My solution is that my wife carries it haha!  To be fair I am partially disabled and can't manage it myself.  I am also unsteady on my feet and I fell over at our last viewing session, so I am a liabilty as well haha!

[Bamo]

Hi,

I got that handyman carry case with wheels (30 euros). Everything fits inside including the power tank and the mount. The only thing I need to carry separately is the tripod.

[Charic]

I can carry my Skyliner as a complete unit to any location in my small garden from the kitchen. If the scope travels by car, then the OTA lays on mattresses or a duvet and the Dob sits on the front seat.

Kit wise, everything I have or need resides in two cases. 

I have already considered a small pram, with a sprung suspension in order to protect the scope over rough ground, and I also have a Carp Fishermans trolly, which I can push anywhere, but have you ever seen how laden our Carp trolleys are? very easy to manoeuvre but oh-so easy to topple too, if the back leg supports are not in their correct position.

The pram is a better option for me, especially to reach the small footy field back of my house but so far, I dont have any need to move far from the car when away from the house, infact mainly working from the boot of the car, and up here, folk leave their cars for days when they go walk-about, so not a real issue for me with folk passing  by in the night!

In-fact only this week have discovered  what appears to be a perfect spot for observing, reachable only by car, so will need to go and give this site a test in the not too distant  future. It look like a clear view to East, but with fishing towns in that view, still might be too bright, with the glare of the harbour lights. 

[McNewt]

1 hour ago, rwilkey said:

My solution is that my wife carries it haha!  To be fair I am partially disabled and can't manage it myself.  I am also unsteady on my feet and I fell over at our last viewing session, so I am a liabilty as well haha!

To be honest...  I've used the wife solution a couple of times too.   ?   *laugh*   Once I've gotten past the negotiation part it usually works better than anything.   The trade off can be that those viewing sessions are a bit shorter.   

[McNewt]

1 hour ago, Bamo said:

Hi,

I got that handyman carry case with wheels (30 euros). Everything fits inside including the power tank and the mount. The only thing I need to carry separately is the tripod.



I like this concept.  I guess bigger wheels would be necessary to be able to clear uneven ground a bit easier.   Mounting that on a hand truck perhaps. ?

[Pig]

After a few years of struggling with similar issues to yourself I have ended up purchasing equipment that is very light and extremely portable. I have everything set up most of the time so I can just carry it all outside when needed. Alternatively everything can be packed into and out of the SUV in just a few minutes should a trip be on the cards. ?

[McNewt]

1 hour ago, Charic said:

I can carry my Skyliner as a complete unit to any location in my small garden from the kitchen. If the scope travels by car, then the OTA lays on mattresses or a duvet and the Dob sits on the front seat.

Kit wise, everything I have or need resides in two cases. 

I have already considered a small pram, with a sprung suspension in order to protect the scope over rough ground, and I also have a Carp Fishermans trolly, which I can push anywhere, but have you ever seen how laden our Carp trolleys are? very easy to manoeuvre but oh-so easy to topple too, if the back leg supports are not in their correct position.

The pram is a better option for me, especially to reach the small footy field back of my house but so far, I dont have any need to move far from the car when away from the house, infact mainly working from the boot of the car, and up here, folk leave their cars for days when they go walk-about, so not a real issue for me with folk passing  by in the night!

In-fact only this week have discovered  what appears to be a perfect spot for observing, reachable only by car, so will need to go and give this site a test in the not too distant  future. It look like a clear view to East, but with fishing towns in that view, still might be too bright, with the glare of the harbour lights. 

There are these all terrain strollers that have big wheels and nice suspension and they won't topple over all that easy... and they are foldable.  Drawback is that they are expensive and not made to carry telescope equipment in the first place so it would require some modification.

After some searching for prams, strollers and trolleys I found this http://www.ukmatchangler.com/match-pages/reviews/boxes/frenzee-fxt-hgv-trolly.php .   Made to carry fishing gear. 

 

  

[Sunshine]

With my back strained and my teeth clenched tight, grimace faced.

[Charic]

9 minutes ago, McNewt said:

There are these all terrain strollers that have big wheels and nice suspension and they won't topple over all that easy... and they are foldable.  

I have a TF Gear single wheeled barrow, heavy, reliable, and as you mention, not really suited for carrying a telescope, but for now, it sits doing nothing in the lockup, but I'm sure some cushioning and a few bungees could make the difference for the short local trip to the footy field.

The barrow in your link is obviously more stable having the four wheels.

Mine toppled  twice possibly due  to the height of the gear? The barrow  is pretty much balanced and has underslung canvas carriers for ground bait  and other heavy items, but I also load on two standard sized Shakespeare boxes, a holdall, the rod case,  seat, bivi,  stink bag and  other items, so I'm  probably asking for trouble.

[scarp15]

The solution in my own experience if you are walking a measured distance to an intended observation site, is to become as comfortable and practical as possible, not least because later on you will have to walk it back. Making two journeys to set up can be a pain and is not really a viable option. As stated, keeping your kit as simple as possible helps. From home to a suitable observing location (my allotment), I will walk for approx eight minutes, shouldering a berlebach tripod in a tripod bag, whilst carrying a peli type case with an 85mm refractor, eyepieces, rigel finder in one hand and a compact, padded (cycle rack) bag, with a porta mount and slo mo knobs in the other. Once there I have a garden table and fold out chairs I can use. So a combination for shouldering equipment and sourcing suitable carry bag solutions, particularly if you plan on going up hill slightly, might become the likely best option.

[Stu1smartcookie]

I have problems storing my equipment .. travelling with it is a breeze but finding somewhere to put a 10” dob in our small house is proving very difficult and , dare I say it , it is getting on my wife’s nerves. Everytime she comes downstairs the scope is in a different place ! 

[John]

My scopes live in our dining room, eyepieces in a number of foam lined cases. Most of my observing is done within 3 metres of where the scopes are stored. If I travel with one it goes across the back seats of the car wrapped in a blanket.

I do try and keep my setups simple so two short carries to set up the scope then it's just an eyepiece case plus star chart and red light.

The simpler the setup, the more often it's used

 

 

[SIDO]

I am also disabled so everything goes out completely disassembled down to the finderscopes. I have a little wagon I put the heavier bits on like the ota's, bases and mounts but can barely lift them. I make a dozen trips in and out of the house to get set up. When company is about and I get help I use that help to get multiple scopes outside so those helping and visiting get to observe too. I stay focused on my successes with the hobby so my physical limitations are less an issue.

[ukuleledaveey]

5 hours ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

I have problems storing my equipment .. travelling with it is a breeze but finding somewhere to put a 10” dob in our small house is proving very difficult and , dare I say it , it is getting on my wife’s nerves. Everytime she comes downstairs the scope is in a different place ! 

I hear ya mate,im in a rabbit hutch 1st floor flat.My wifes thawed a bit 1 week in and a couple of looks at the moon,i figure if i can get her to stare at the moon she might not see the scope so well in the flat ?

[Rob]

My kit (scopes and mounts) live in the garage which is an integral one!. so I have to move from the front and walk it all round to the back (mostly). I am however lucky to have a 40ft front garden / drive. Its 50% grass & 50% tarmac. So grab n go sessions can be a simple move of 20ft out from the garage.

My eyepiece a kit bags live in my wardrobe by the way. So I move them downstairs in readiness.

Rob

[rwilkey]

16 hours ago, Pig said:

After a few years of struggling with similar issues to yourself I have ended up purchasing equipment that is very light and extremely portable. I have everything set up most of the time so I can just carry it all outside when needed. Alternatively everything can be packed into and out of the SUV in just a few minutes should a trip be on the cards. ?

Apart from my joke above, which is also true, I also travel pretty light, the OTA, the diagonal and the finder go in the handy padded Vixen bag from FLO, the tripod is carried (very light) and then the eyepiece case.  My wife usually makes up to three journeys to the car (bless her).  What  I haven't said so far is that she is also interested in astronomy and has her own scope, so a great duo. 

[Macavity]

In memory of now defunct Maplin: https://youtu.be/YhoYkRSbdQc 
Made a wooden base plate to hold three stackable ABS toolboxes. 
Put my AZ3 in a LARGE "Gitzo" over-the-shoulder tripod bag... ?

Once transported a MAK 127 setup for over a mile (and back).
Don't think I would attempt such madness these days though! ?

I note ASDA grocery delivery use a very similar foldable trolly! ?

 

 

[McNewt]

9 hours ago, Macavity said:

In memory of now defunct Maplin: https://youtu.be/YhoYkRSbdQc 
Made a wooden base plate to hold three stackable ABS toolboxes. 
Put my AZ3 in a LARGE "Gitzo" over-the-shoulder tripod bag... ?

Once transported a MAK 127 setup for over a mile (and back).
Don't think I would attempt such madness these days though! ?

I note ASDA grocery delivery use a very similar foldable trolly! ?

 

 

I don't have an over-the-shoulder strap on my bag.  Only two straps for hand carry that are just long enough to get over one shoulder.   That "Gitzo" looks like a winner.

[niallk]

My foam cushioned transport case also functions as a car for when I'm not observing...

[Bamo]

On 01/09/2018 at 18:58, McNewt said:

I like this concept.  I guess bigger wheels would be necessary to be able to clear uneven ground a bit easier.   Mounting that on a hand truck perhaps. ?

I agree, the wheels are not as big as they should be. Also, the handle is too low for me or maybe I'm too tall for it :D...but anyway it does the job so far