Question: Transporting Physical Media (1 Viewer)

[Tony Bensley]

In preparation for our moving from North Bay to London in the month of August, I've been purchasing plastic totes (Mostly of 68L/18 Canadian Gallon capacity.) for packing our items for transportation in what we anticipate will be a 20 foot U-Haul for a 4-5 hour journey, consisting mainly of highway driving.

However, in checking online for best packing methods for discs, all of them seem to recommend medium size cardboard boxes lined with packing paper, which is not at all what I anticipated using for this purpose. The Mrs is also pretty adamant of avoiding using cardboard boxes, for reasons that I understand, and (mostly) agree with on principle.

That said, is there any reason that using cardboard boxes are the ONLY way to go where transporting physical media via moving truck is concerned? I would love to hear some input from other HTF members who have had experience in this area, as our last move was in the pre DVD era nearly 25 years ago!

Below are the types of containers we are currently using in our preparation for relocation:

This 68 L/18 GAL Rubbermaid Roughneck Container Is Intended For The Bulk Of Our Items:

I Picked Up This 60L/63 QT Omni Box (Note the tiny wheels at the bottom) On Sale At Canadian Tire A Few Weeks Back:

A 47L/50 QT Sterilite Container That I'm Considering For Irregular Sized Media Configurations:

One additional question: Could the see through containers prove problematic in a summer move? I'm assuming these will be kept inside, except for the brief trips from house to U-Haul Vehicle to Apartment (Most likely!)!

CHEERS!

P.S. While I typically buy 2 Totes a month, I was planning to purchase up to 4 in the next week or so, with this being my birthday month. Depending on transporting related advice from fellow members, I may or may not include 1 or 2 of the Clear OMNI BOX Containers in that.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Hi Tony. What you have pictured here should work just fine.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Hi Tony. What you have pictured here should work just fine.

Thanks for your input, Clint! To me, sturdiness would be an important key, and over the years, I've had cardboard boxes break on me just moving them around. I suppose they would be OK in a pinch for short notice/short distance moves.

CHEERS!

 

[Malcolm R]

The plastic totes should be more than adequate for the task. I don't think the discs really require any special packaging.

If you've been in the Amazon packaging thread, you see how they ship their discs and they usually survive.

 

[Tony Bensley]

This was what I came across in my Google Search earlier this afternoon. There is a 2 minute video showing how to pack CDs/DVDs, using a cardboard box and packing paper, near the bottom of the page:
https://blog.upack.com/posts/how-to-pack-dvds-cds-and-video-games

I suppose its intended audience is people who would rather not bother with sturdy plastic totes.

CHEERS!

 

[John Dirk]

I think these are better than cardboard boxes. That's what I used and they can eventually buckle under the weight on multiple discs. Good luck with the move!

 

[Tony Bensley]

The plastic totes should be more than adequate for the task. I don't think the discs really require any special packaging.

If you've been in the Amazon packaging thread, you see how they ship their discs and they usually survive.

True enough!

 

[Tony Bensley]

I think these are better than cardboard boxes. That's what I used and they can eventually buckle under the weight on multiple discs. Good luck with the move!

Thanks, John!

 

[DaveF]

Cardboard boxes are nice for books and media because small rectangular boxes fit in larger rectangular boxes neatly. And they are easily taped up so they can’t open up and spill their contents. And they’re cheap.

Plastic containers tend to have weird angles and bumps and media doesn’t fit as neatly.

I’ve used it all. It all works. But cardboard boxes have their merits.

 

[BobO'Link]

I've used both and prefer cardboard boxes for media (DVDs/CDs) and books just because they don't have angular sides so there's less possibility for "compression" damage (something that can easily occur with angular sides unless padded properly). I also make sure I have smaller sturdy boxes and do not overload them (quite easy to do as media/books get heavy quite quickly).

Those totes should work well - just take care not to overload them. You don't want them too heavy to easily lift/move or break. That Sterlite one will be the most susceptible one to that issue.

 

[David Weicker]

If you are worried about the non-square parts if the bin, you could use extra cardboard to ‘line’ the inside of the tub

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

While a little more expensive than the Rubbermaid or similar totes, the Really Useful Boxes 17 liter box is the best transport & storage container for media that I've found. Straight sides, so there's no shifting, the top has lockable handles that hold it in place, and they stack when full with no issues. But, it depends how many discs you have to move because they will add up. I keep a lot of my remaining DVDs in them.

https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/659275/Really-Useful-Box-Plastic-Storage-Box/

 

[Sam Posten]

I used rubbermaids long coffin ones but the one Peter links looks great!

 

[BobO'Link]

It looks like those Peter linked hold ~90 CDs or 44 DVDs/BR (slightly more BR as they're narrower). I like 'em but it'd cost a small fortune for me to move my collection in them! I'd need at least 16 for the CDs and don't even want to think about what'd be needed for movies. Still... the size is just about perfect. Not too big nor too heavy when filled.

 

[Tony Bensley]

I've used both and prefer cardboard boxes for media (DVDs/CDs) and books just because they don't have angular sides so there's less possibility for "compression" damage (something that can easily occur with angular sides unless padded properly). I also make sure I have smaller sturdy boxes and do not overload them (quite easy to do as media/books get heavy quite quickly).

Those totes should work well - just take care not to overload them. You don't want them too heavy to easily lift/move or break. That Sterlite one will be the most susceptible one to that issue.

The Sterlite is still a question mark at this stage. As I type this, I'm thinking it might be better suited for blankets or clothing.

Among the clear boxes at Canadian Tire, the Omni Box was the sturdiest. Some of the other brands already had cracks in them - Definitely a huge Red Flag!

Apart from a few somewhat larger totes that we've had for many years, I'm sticking to the under 70 Litre capacity sizes for my new monthly purchases. Moving for the first time in 25 years will be enough of a challenge without killing my back. I'm thinking Bathroom Towels for padding the Blu-ray/DVD/CD Cases.

CHEERS!

 

[BobO'Link]

Towels and washcloths make great padding, as do most small clothing items that don't have zippers/buttons/hooks (socks, t-shirts, etc.) .

 

[Tony Bensley]

Towels and washcloths make great padding, as do most small clothing items that don't have zippers/buttons/hooks (socks, t-shirts, etc.) .

So do old newspapers to some degree, but they're less commonplace, nowadays. Our local paper wouldn't even make a good fly swatter, it has gotten so thin!

I really appreciate the feedback!

CHEERS!

 

[bmasters9]

Our local paper wouldn't even make a good fly swatter, it has gotten so thin!

You wouldn't like my hometown Greenville News, either, ever since Gannett took it over-- you're paying $2 a day ($2.50 on Sundays) for a practical rag, it's so thin!