Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Mini Rig



After riding around the Santa Monica mountains with the cargo bike and a lot of loaded gear, I needed a change of pace today. Instead of the Bilenky, I took out the Dahon Speed TR and my Ortlieb Shuttle Bike case. I've written about this combination before and I still feel that it's the best set-up for multi-modal transportation.

Here are some shots of the great Ortlieb Shuttle Bike



On the deeper side of the clam shell design, I keep a LowePro backpack that adds extra padding for my gear. Inside, I'm carrying my Nikon D300, 17-55 2.8, 2 pocket wizards, 2 strobes, extra batteries and a synch cord.


On the shallower side, I've got my reflector (folded piece of white mat board, XS Chimera softbox, speed ring for the box and there's room for a small pump and patch kit.



The whole thing folds up to a nice sleek package. When I arrive to my shoot, I just pop the case off and wheel it in using the retractable handle and casters. I can use this set-up for about 80% of what I shoot. If I'm taking a lot of trains and buses, this is really the only way to go.

I'd highly recommend this setup to anyone that needs to transport any kind of equipment by bike. The weight is centered so you're not riding lopsided. The lower overall center of gravity of the Dahon Speed TR also helps mitigate any handling issues.

1 comment:

scrubnurse said...

nice, practical packing you have there!