Sending fragile camera gear

Barney224

Not sure if this is the right area, but I need to send a camera lens to someone in Limerick (from Dublin). He bought it on Done Deal, but not used to sending things like this. Do I need to get a cardboard box and bubble wrap? Do I Print out a label on the An Post website?

I'm not sure where I get a box and bubble wrap! Also, do I put "FRAGILE" on the box to ensure it's not thrown around?

Corvus Libros

Don't bother with a "fragile" label. That's not going to help if it falls off a conveyor belt or ends up at the bottom of a big pile of boxes.

Pack it so that it can't be damaged. Wrap it snugly in bubble wrap until it feels like a little beach ball that you could bounce off the table. you shouldn't be able to feel any edges through the wrap. If you can, use more layers.

Then get a cardboard sheet (or an opened-out box) and wrap the cardboard around and fold down the edges and tape it.

Get a cardboard box big enough to leave at least 3cm around each side. Put a layer of packing material on the bottom, then sit your wrapped item in the middle. Packing material around each side and another layer on top. For packing you can re-use any packaging you have handy like air pillows, polystyrene or the brown paper Amazon uses (don't use newspaper because it's too light and can squash flat in transit). If you don't have anything like that, use cardboard rolled up like a swiss roll, enough rolls that they hold each other from unfurling.

Then tape up the box. It should be snug with no sound of movement at all when shaken.

If the box has printed text and barcodes, cover them with brown tape.

Get cardboard from any supermarket. The big shops are always restocking shelves so you will usually find a trolley or cage in one of the aisles with flattened cardboard boxes which they are happy for you to take. Wine boxes are good and sturdy.

Buy the bubble wrap and tape from a pound shop. Mr. Price has decent quality bubble wrap.

ED E

If its under say €500 then mountains of bubble wrap and a good box.

If its over, Pelican case.