Q about shipping camera gear

I'm in Japan now and will have to go to Brazil for work (and cameras are forbidden at the location I will be going). My next bet is to ship my equipment back to my residence in the US. I have shipped lenses and bodies, but not my entire kit.

Outside of the obvious (packing REALLY REALLY, REALLY good), are there any other recommendations for keeping my equipment safe AND accounted for? I thought UPS and FED EX. But the prices are outrageous and I have seen what both companies have done to "fragile" equipment.

Anyone have any recommendations?
Thanks.

Insurance. Even if it costs you more money, LOTS on insurance to make sure its all covered.

UPS/FedEx with a massive amount of insurance on the package. It ain't going to be cheap, but those are your two best bets.

If well insured, you can file a claim if they mess up the packages. If I were you, I would make sure to document the packaging, take pics as you are loading the boxes up to show they were very well packed and secured to avoid having them tell you "insufficient packaging" or the like.

I've seen the local big name courier companies drop-kick packages as I was leaving their depot after picking up a lens... I can only imagine that the same happened to the box my lens was in.

Insurance, insurance, insurance. Also pack them well.

Thanks. I will do both: take pics of packing & Bunch of INS. Appreciate it!

Double box everything. Hopefully you have original packaging for your camera(s) and lenses. Put gear in original packaging, wrap in bubble wrap, place in larger carton, fill with peanuts or more bubble wrap. Tape well.

Insure for replacement value and ship FedEx Int'l Economy service, (called "IE" in the FedEx world) from Japan to US. FedEx will not disappoint.

dave

Pure and simple - make the case as near as indestructable as possible with everything as secure as possible within it - a Pelican Case would be a prime candidate.

Insure it for renewal value not for current worth.

I ship in pelicans, I go to a UPS store and buy their box, their insurance, their peanuts, they see the pelican open, see that I have a picture of it's contents, and I see how it is boxed. It costs me plenty, but time is money and trying to get a insurance check from a third party insurer or fight anyone about the packaging and such is going to be more expensive than just using the UPS store and letting them do the work.
By the way, I have never had a shipping problem, never had anything returned after repair with the pelican missing, never even had a missed delivery or a delay of more than a few days due to weather.