Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I saw the thread below about painting on a plane and I have a slightly related question I'm hoping to get help with.

At the end of the year I will be moving from the central US to the west coast. This is a company paid move and standard practice is that a contractor throws everything in a moving truck and then it gets put into storage until I arrive to pick it up. I will be moving in the winter, so extreme heat won't be an issue but cold might be.

So, my questions are ...

1) What should go in carry-on
2) What should go in checked luggage
3) What should go on the truck

I'm thinking the armies could go into the truck, the paint could go in checked baggage with our other liquids, and any finecast would go with me in the plane. Does that sound about right? Any suggestions?

The only models I'd bother taking on a plane would be showcase/Golden Daemon quality ones that need major care when handled.

Everything else is best off in foam in a box.

What matters is how things are packed.

If the models are immobilised and protected from banging against each other or the sides of the container, you should be able to transport them pretty safely. It would be a problem if the movers throw the boxes around violently, so you should keep an eye on them while they load and unload things.

When I moved to Japan, the moving company padded everything with either crumpled paper or bubble wrap. If you have a tray full of Tau Fire Warriors, it only needs a sheet of paper crumpled in on top to stop them moving around. Everything -- models, kits, paints, tools, etc -- went in a sea shipping container. It all arrived intact. (So did my wife's enormous collection of china.)

I don't think you need to worry about taking things on the airplane as long as the moving company is competent.

I'd say the moving company are probably going to take more care then the airline bagage people, and if you get your hand luggage bags checked at the airport, well, I wouldent want an overzellos security guy prying appart a tank to check it is empty.

Another option would be to have your stuff shipped. Then the baggage handlers and security guys will jever have a chance to destroy your minis.

SoloFalcon1138 wrote:Another option would be to have your stuff shipped. Then the baggage handlers and security guys will jever have a chance to destroy your minis.

I'd always trust well tipped movers over airport security and mailmen. that's just me though. I'd say your probably good with packing them well and making sure the movers understand its fragile.

Chancetragedy wrote:I'd say your probably good with packing them well and making sure the movers understand its fragile.

This. Pack them yourself, very nicely.

A bunch of KR card cases would seem ideal for the purpose of moving via truck.

Suitably held in a robust packing crate they would protect your collection nicely and provide an on going storage system.

Other cases may well do the same but KR would seem to be the most economically viable route.

I strap my Battlefoam 1520 XL onto my back and ride my motorcycle at 80mph down the highway sometimes to go play games. If the models can deal with all the jostling and bumps from those trips with never a broken model, I'm sure they can handle being packed away securely and moved.

Lormax wrote:I strap my Battlefoam 1520 XL onto my back and ride my motorcycle at 80mph down the highway sometimes to go play games. If the models can deal with all the jostling and bumps from those trips with never a broken model, I'm sure they can handle being packed away securely and moved.

Sorry for th OT, but what bike do you ride, how do you strap it down and dose it cause any stability issues? I'm asuming you stick it on a top box rack with some bungies, but I'd be worried about something that size causing instability, but that all depends on what you ride. A Pan, full dresser or K1600 is going to be allot more easyer than to carry something that big on that a GSXR or a CG125. I'm just thinking about better ways to carry my stuff on my bike.

During my last military move the movers were great. I showed them my 5 armies during the pre-inspection and they actually brought a person whose only job was to wrap each (and I mean each) model in bubblewrap and pack it. I told the guy I didn't care about rank and file scrubs they could stay in the cases in their foam but he asked what they cost and decided to pack each one individually since they were responsible for any damage.

I moved by truck (it was only a 170km shift, inside the same state).
Gaming stuff got moved with the rest of my stuff inside the tray of a ute (1.5 tonne truck) and down the freeway.

No damage, breakages or anything. Only ever taken a single army by aircraft and that was to a tourney. It was carried with me as "carry on". The paints, glue, tools were sealed in baggies and stowed in the hold with the main luggage.

Boss GreenNutz wrote:During my last military move the movers were great. I showed them my 5 armies during the pre-inspection and they actually brought a person whose only job was to wrap each (and I mean each) model in bubblewrap and pack it. I told the guy I didn't care about rank and file scrubs they could stay in the cases in their foam but he asked what they cost and decided to pack each one individually since they were responsible for any damage.

I packed my primered army in shoe boxes and padded them with news paper. The painted ones got wrapped individually in newspaper and put in a shoe box until they couldn't move. I then put the shoe boxes in a footlocker and had my wife mail that to me in Kuwait (I'm deployed) nothing was broken or damaged.