# Traveling with film in hot vehicle



## jcdeboever (May 17, 2017)

Strange question. I will be driving a lot next month for work and more than likely just take a couple film camera's with me. I have to keep them with me. Some of the areas I am working are not ideal to leave the truck running and I don't want to bake the loaded or rolls of film. Any suggestions? will it be OK, if it's just half hour to 45 minute stops with the truck off?


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## astroNikon (May 17, 2017)

With Today as an example of being a high of 87 and sunny?  A car will get super hot inside and very quickly.

for worse case scenario of super hot car and something needing more cooling ... small cooler.  Small chunk of dry ice in a container with a few holes poked in it to let it cool the container over long periods of time.  

make sure it's in the shade too in the vehicle.


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## tirediron (May 17, 2017)

Remember, film is thin plastic coated in gelatin.  It doesn't take a lot of heat to muck it up.  I would say if your truck stays cool enough that you'd leave your pet in it, than the film will be okay, if not...


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## limr (May 17, 2017)

I agree - get a small insulated cooler. Cars get pretty hot pretty fast.

I have small plastic boxes that hold 10 rolls of 35 that I use for traveling. I find them very useful and it would be easier for you to just put the box in the cooler rather than have a bunch of loose film in canisters. Got them at a site called Japan Camera Hunter, which is not cooperating at the moment, but when it does, I can post a link.


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## Gary A. (May 17, 2017)

Back in the film only days, I had a cheapo, small, styrofoam, cooler in the trunk for film.


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## vintagesnaps (May 17, 2017)

Or I keep the film with me and the empty camera in the car (maybe... depends on where I'm going and for how long and what junky camera that nobody would want that I have with me).

I have a couple of those film containers Leo's talking about, got them with CineStill film and can't think offhand where I've seen them sold. Besides Adorama or B&H maybe try Freestyle.


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## table1349 (May 17, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


> Strange question. I will be driving a lot next month for work and more than likely just take a couple film camera's with me. I have to keep them with me. Some of the areas I am working are not ideal to leave the truck running and I don't want to bake the loaded or rolls of film. Any suggestions? will it be OK, if it's just half hour to 45 minute stops with the truck off?



1.  Do you Drink Beer??

2. Do you have a Styrofoam beer cooler?

3. Do you know where you can buy a cheep Styrofoam beer cooler?

4. Buy a cheap Styrofoam beer cooler.  (Do not add ice)


You can however use a zip lock bag to put the film in and seal it tight then wrap a freezer pack in a kitchen towel if you want to make sure it stays cool all day long.   Freezer pack below the film.


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## jcdeboever (May 17, 2017)

Thanks for the info y'all. I do have a small square bait container from the 80's doing nothing. Problem is freezing the cold pack. I guess that's good enough reason to stay out of the hotel 8's ....besides bed bugs... Hampton Inns are better.


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## jcdeboever (May 17, 2017)

limr said:


> I agree - get a small insulated cooler. Cars get pretty hot pretty fast.
> 
> I have small plastic boxes that hold 10 rolls of 35 that I use for traveling. I find them very useful and it would be easier for you to just put the box in the cooler rather than have a bunch of loose film in canisters. Got them at a site called Japan Camera Hunter, which is not cooperating at the moment, but when it does, I can post a link.


Thanks. I found them. Appreciate it.


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## table1349 (May 17, 2017)

A frozen freezer pack is good, but a cold one out of the fridge will keep the inside temp cool for hours as well.


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## table1349 (May 17, 2017)

One other thing you can do,* IF *you know you will use the film is Freeze it.  We have a vacuum sealer.   When I buy film in bulk I will vacuum pack it and drop it in the freezer.  When I need some I pull it out, reseal the rest, thaw it and shoot.  I am not a proponent of thawing and refreezing.  I don't know that it does any harm but I never wanted to take a chance.


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## Gary A. (May 17, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


> Thanks for the info y'all. I do have a small square bait container from the 80's doing nothing. Problem is freezing the cold pack. I guess that's good enough reason to stay out of the hotel 8's ....besides bed bugs... Hampton Inns are better.



For a couple of hours no need for a cold pack as long as the car/truck a/c is working.  For four+ hours with the vehicle in the blazing Sun, than a cold pack would most likely be useful.


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## JPI (May 17, 2017)

Agree with the cooler idea but I would be careful with the dry ice. I think I would go with one or two of the blue ice as you only need to keep the film cool. Dry ice may freeze the film as its -110f and if kept in your vehicle or even the trunk could be dangerous to your health as it emits co2 which depletes oxygen and that's never a good thing on a human


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## Gary A. (May 17, 2017)

JPI said:


> Agree with the cooler idea but I would be careful with the dry ice. I think I would go with one or two of the blue ice as you only need to keep the film cool. Dry ice may freeze the film as its -110f and if kept in your vehicle or even the trunk could be dangerous to your health as it emits co2 which depletes oxygen and that's never a good thing on a human


You're assuming JC is human ...


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## jcdeboever (May 17, 2017)

JPI said:


> Agree with the cooler idea but I would be careful with the dry ice. I think I would go with one or two of the blue ice as you only need to keep the film cool. Dry ice may freeze the film as its -110f and if kept in your vehicle or even the trunk could be dangerous to your health as it emits co2 which depletes oxygen and that's never a good thing on a human


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## snowbear (May 17, 2017)

limr said:


> I agree - get a small insulated cooler. Cars get pretty hot pretty fast.
> 
> I have small plastic boxes that hold 10 rolls of 35 that I use for traveling. I find them very useful and it would be easier for you to just put the box in the cooler rather than have a bunch of loose film in canisters. Got them at a site called Japan Camera Hunter, which is not cooperating at the moment, but when it does, I can post a link.


Those are pretty cool!


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## astroNikon (May 18, 2017)

I use these for my lunches. Might be a perfect solution for you.
Amazon.com: Arctic Zone High Performance ColdLok Expandable Lunch Pack (Black): Kitchen & Dining

the dry ice solution requires some experience in knowing how much, what container to use to prevent direct contact etc.  I've used it on/off for a long time so I have no issues with that route even for a small cooling container in my trunk for days.  And I wasn't specific in using small chunks not a 10-20lb block.  The lunch cooler as above is much more simplistic and easy to deal with.


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