[TaoMaas]

I don't use a hard case to carry my gear, but otherwise I do pretty much what you're talking about. I have some large Lowepro cases that I'll use to carry a considerable amount of gear out on location. When I get where I'm going, I'll take only the things I need for a specific situation, toss them into a Domke bag, and go shoot. I don't know that I would leave my gear in my car all the time because the constant vibration of road travel can cause screws to back out over a long period of time. Also, one way to combat the temperature extremes that others have mentioned might be to convert some sort of ice chest into a storage unit for your gear. It wouldn't be fool-proof, but would give you more leeway in what might or might not affect your gear.

[Ron Boggs]

You may find that the smallish Peli cases work great in the field--they set down in dirt or dewy grass much better than canvas/cloth bags. They kick around on the floor of my boat or in the back of a truck without having to fret. Carried by the handle they are like a briefcase and work well for up to a mile of walking. I have half a dozen different sizes, but somehow always have a 1450 (I think) with either bodies and lenses or with flash accessories stashed in my vehicle. I commonly carry my tripod with mounted largish lens (with tripod foot) on camera with a Peli for lens changes. For a bunch of tiny limited lenses, the Pentax sling bag has served me very well for longer hikes when conditions merit. I've experimented with various soft shoulder bags and vests and other options. In the end, for field work it's hard to beat the Peli cases and I typically just carry a Peli or two. In the film era I carried different color Peli cases for medium format and 35 mm. Grab the gray or grab the black and know exactly what you are getting.


For security, I use cable locks like bicycle locks, gun locks or longer cables with padlocks to be able to leave gear cabled to seat frames, pickup tie downs etc. The handles of the Pelican cases are big enough to accommodate most cable systems I've tried. Sure a real criminal can just hacksaw the handle off, but most real criminals aren't prowling cars. In "legal" states, just leave half a joint sticking out of the ashtray and the dopey car prowlers won't even notice your camera gear!