Moving on...

[Sime]

...So, nine years in England, UK.. and it's all over as of this coming Wednesday! Heading back to Aus and just had a stupid thought! Can't insure my gear as I'd like to for the trip if I carry it with me, however, if I pack it in our container, it's covered... I was toying with leaving all my actual gear in the container and just taking my Sony Nex 5...

Am I going mad, or what would you do??

Potential gigs to shoot when I arrive in Aus, container would mean that I'm without actual cameras for 2+ months...

BUT it'd be covered if anything should go horribly wrong...

Decisions Decisions...

[PowerPix]

Bring them with you. Not much can happen if you pack them well.

If you put them in the container chances are you may not see your camera gear when you would like!

Good luck with your move.

[AnonymousKiwi1]

What kind of insurance can you get on a couriered package?

Could you pack up your camera gear (not knowing how much you've got, of course) separately to you household belongings, and post it to your new address. Or someone near by if you're taking your time getting to Aus.
It'll move faster than a packing container.
Won't travel insurance cover you while you are travelling? Does that not apply when you are actually emigrating?

Sorry, rambling....

[IABoomer]

Is there a reason you can't use a service like FedEx or UPS and ship it separate from the container and insure it through them? That way, you're not having to take it with you and run those risks, but you also avoid waiting for the rest of the container so you can hit the ground running when you get back.

[zona5101]

I don't have any experience in that area but Lisa's idea of sending it United Parcel/Federal Express (or the UK equivalent) seems to be a decent option. In any event, I hope your move goes fantastically well.

[Indigo November]

I'd just pack them with me. But I take risks like that.

Good luck with the move!

[m.c.adams]

Myself, I would probably load one or two big bags with essentials, couple bodies, needed lenses, and other odds and ends, then ship the rest. Of course, the first time you want to shoot, you'll find that everything that you need is being shipped.
Good luck with the move, hope everything gets there.
Mark

[graciousness]

Sounds like you have quite a bit of gear that you can't cover it with your travel insurance.

Fed Ex or UPS will be quite a hella expensive if shipped through them. Just one lens alone (a 100 -400mm) from US to Sydney cost $150 USD. So imagine a few gears.....

You'll cry if your gears get damaged if you bring them with you, esp how they just chuck baggages and stuff around when loading/unloading. You'd probably go over the weight limit of what you can carry, anyway, so then you'd have to pay extra for over weight on top of that. Too high of a risk, I think.

I think container is the go. Two months is a bit of a wait, I know, but at least your babies would be safer and insured should anything go wrong. Two months of possible opportunities missed is easier to handle than months and months, possibly years for you to repair/replace damaged gears. Now that would be an unbearable long time of what may feel like a lifetime's worth of lost gears and photographic opportunities.

That's my take on it, anyway

Good luck!

[BigFuzzy]

Seriously.. screw you for leaving us. I'll miss getting my arse chewed out by you!


I'd bring the kit, claim it was in the container, file stolen goods claim, get new kit.
I'm kidding... sorta... maybe.. um...