You've probably heard this tip a few times, but it's another great post for those who might be looking into an inexpensive travel bag for lightstands, tripods, jibs / cranes, or anything else that has some length to it [Thanks svem]. I'm currently using Heavy Duty Speaker Stand Bags (found here) for my equipment, but they don't come with rollers.
If you're looking for an inexpensive long bag with rollers to make things easier on your back, check out the Golf Travel Roller bags that are about 50" in length and have enough room for several tripods, monopods, lightstands, or a folding jib, and an extra pair of shoes (for golf).
When it's time to pack for a shoot, i'm a roller bag kinda guy. Easier on the back, and a good way to transport heavy gear. Instead of using one very large roller, I use several FAA approved Airline Carry On sized roller cases. It keeps me from making one case too heavy, easier to fit into smaller cars, and still serves a purpose for airplane travel. Now my current rollers I purchased a while back. I'm definitely due to purchase at least two more rollers, and when I do, here's my direction.
Head on over to eBay and do a search for 'Camera Roller'. Yeah you're not going to find any good deals doing it that way either. You'll most likely run into the LowePro x100 Carry On Roller that runs just over $200. Again nice roller, but still not the best deal IMHO. Even the smaller LowePro rollers run quite a bit.
Here's what you should be looking for - The Pelican 1510 Carry On. .
In fact this is the case that's bundled with the Red EPIC camera which starts at $58,000 dollars (shown above). It's a hard case roller that you can grab (empty) for just over $110 dolllars. Waterproof, Dust Proof, and Crush Proof - Can't get that in the LowePro or Think Tank. The Pelican cases have a reputation to be rough and rugged. What's great is that you can build a case to suit your needs, and even replace or repair parts should you ever find a way to do some real damage. New O'Rings? New Locks? New Waterproof Liners? Find a used Pelican and you can bring her back to life. The 1510 is basically future proof.
Choose the one with the Pluck Foam inserts and your looking at about $30 dollars more from the empty case. You can also go with the optional Padded Dividers and tack on that lid organizer for small parts. Not looking to use it for your camera gear? Switch out the inserts and change the carry on roller into your Overnight luggage. There's also Laptop dividers you can add to the lid areas. The Pelican 1510 is a modular hard case roller with features other cases twice it's price can't begin to compare to. Albeit not cheap, the Pelican 1510 Carry On sized Rolling Hard Case is a solid roller I think gives the best bang for the buck.
Golf Travel Bag Roller
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