What gear do you always have in your weather bag?
What gear (weather gear, camera gear, extra clothing, etc) do you bring on every job?
I generally have two bags that I bring with me on a job. One is an onset bag, the stuff that I want to have quickly at my fingertips that I ask to live on a cart somewhere, and then an offset or cold storage bag which has extra stuff, different kind of weather stuff, etc etc. As you move on in your career you will slowly start to accrue stuff, gather bits and pieces that protect you and make your life easier. My suggestion to you is to constantly look at others and see what they are using, ask them about it, and if you like it, investigate it for yourself. Trust me when I tell you that this is a process that never ends.
As I mentioned, I have an onset bag and an offset bag. There are certain things that are always In the onset (goggles, noise cancelling ear phones, safety vest, etc) and then there are things that vary depending on the show. If i’m working on a show in August, all my cold weather gear will still be with me but there isn’t a reason (usually) to keep it handy on set. I assume the truck is not available at all times so at the beginning of each show I pack each bag accordingly to what we might be dealing with.
The one note I will leave you with - it’s all about layers.
Always on set with me:
Several types of goggles for special effects shots (never assume that what you need will be available)
Ear protection (several types of squishy ear plugs plus an electronic noise cancelling gun range headset which allows you to hear speaking but cuts out loud sounds)
A few different safety vests as I’m always leaving them somewhere.
Knee pads/knee support
Back support brace
Face coverinsg (bandana, ski masks, etc…you really never know)
Several types of gloves for both warmth and thin ones that will cover your hands when doing handheld on an explosion.
A face shield with the right eye cut out so I can protect my left eye and still do the work.
Extra socks, extra underwear, extra t shirt (you never know when you are going to get wet or worse)
In the bags:
Two sets of Neos overshoes, one for rain and one for extreme cold.
Rain pants, jacket and hat - do yourself a favor and buy the best you can afford. It’s worth it.
Thermal underwear top and bottom
An electrically heated ski vest (amazingly effective on cold nights without getting bulky)
Large ziploc bags (for packing nasty clothes that you change out of)
Handwarming packets of all sizes
A windproof, rain proof, full head and neck covering that tucks inside a jacket
A windbreaker
A full change of clothes in its own bag along with toothbrush and toothpaste in case we go late and I am too tired to drive
A set of ankle high hiking boots.
Water shoes
Rain poncho (because you just never know)
Surgical gloves to wear when doing handheld in the rain. You tuck the sleeve of your rain jacket into them so when you are holding the camera, the rain isn’t running into the sleeve opening and pooling up at your elbow or worse. Looks stupid but trust me on this one.
Weather bag:
*rain pants
*rain jacket
*poncho (works great for steadicam - I like it for everything)
*Neos overshoes (lightweight)
*Puffy jacket
*warm jacket
*gloves (2 sets for me - A) really warm set for traditional operating or standing by B) thin wide receiver/batting gloves for hand held or (back in the day) steadicam
*ski hat/beanie
*sun hat (great to have one with buttons on each side for steadicam - you can snap up one side Australian style, so as not to bump the camera/rig)
*complete change of clothes
*extra pair of shoes
*boots for rugged terrain
*swim trunks (you never know)
On Set Bag:
*cans
*face shield
*foam ear plugs
*Safety Fire furniture pad cloak/jacket for gunfire
*blackout bag - black lightweight cloak with hood, black gloves, black lightweight sweats, black shoes, black socks, black balaclava, black hat
*hat
*lightweight jacket
*gloves
*walkie talkie earpiece and mic with backup
*Bose wired headphones (for comtek)
*sunscreen
*lip balm
*small nail clipper set
*extra pair of shoes
Complete change of clothes including shoes,
Rain gear including “Geos” - rain boots that slip over my Hokas
ditty bag w/personal items if I need to stay overnight - personal hygiene stuff including toothbrush, toothpaste, SUNSCREEN
extra black t shirt
Baseball hat
Collapsible sun hat
Extra prescription glasses
Sunglasses
Iphone charger cable
Iphone battery booster
water
healthy snacks
Noise blocking earphones for loud noises
Shoulder pad w/strap
EZ Rig for Hand held
My first day on set with Ted Churchill was a freezing February morning on a commercial near Wall Street. Call time was before the sun came up and I remember it was so cold that Ted's hot cup of coffee quickly froze after someone knocked it over. (It wasn't me!) I was wearing the winter clothes I used to wear to walk to school in Wisconsin, basically jeans and a medium jacket. I hadn't realized I was getting into a business where the adults were too stupid to come in out of the cold. Ted saw me shivering, and possibly turning blue, and threw his weather bag at me. "Your first lesson is about layering," he told me.
So I learned about base layers, mid-layers, and outer shells. My Christmas list was pretty boring for the next couple of years: long underwear, fleeces, Gore-Tex anything, but I stopped freezing to death on set. I knew I'd finally hit the big time when I was able to afford the full North Face getup. I still have the jacket over thirty years later.
I take everything for every weather condition. I was sent to Toronto to DP a 2nd unit in the winter. Three days later, and much to my surprise, I was in the Dominican Republic prepping for the shoot there instead. Always take everything because you never know what's going to happen.
My weather bag has my cold weather gear, (all the layers,) my hot weather gear, (mostly shirts and shorts made from quick-drying stuff, as well as a hat for sun,) waterproof boots, (hiking boots with a Gore-Tex layer,) Neos overshoes for when the waterproof boots aren't enough, gloves, hats, hand warmers, spare socks, and a long sleeved black shirt and a black balaclava to help beat reflections.
Everything fits in one of those large North Face duffel bags everyone has.
