What's in your Range Box?

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My box is still evolving, and what I bring depends on whether it's a 1 day launch and I have one thing or a 4 day weekend rocket-palooza.

I use some harbor freight "storehouse" portable storage cases for rocket parts/spares (tethers, chutes, links, hardware like washers and nuts, ejection charges, trackers, batteries, chargers). They're not perfect but for the money they hit the spot for me. A spare soft sided toolbag I had for tools, which is the normal hand tools, wiring tools, hobby knife, JB-quick and CA glue, tape, zip ties, sandpaper, cleanup supplies, etc. If I'm there more than one day I'll have our travel trailer which has a more extensive toolbox (drill, soldering iron, multimeter, etc) as well as chairs, awning, and other creature comforts.

I think most important is to have any specialty tools your rockets require -- a certain size nut driver, or hex wrench or tiny screwdriver for those terminals for example.

I like the rifle box idea. I have one of those, it will definitely get repurposed when I get to longer motors.
 
My range boxes are a random mix of some rather newly fabricated olde tyme wooden boxes for casings, a Ridgid case for some reloads, some dewalt organizers for electronics and the harbor freight boxes for miscellaneous rocketry paraphernalia.
Note the cute WenTai modular small parts organizers fit quite nicely in the harbor freight boxes. I wish I had one flavor of boxen like a Milwaukee pack out. I am quite pleased with the wooden boxes, copied from a military ordinance case but smaller. 20211213_200109.jpg20211213_200532.jpg
 
If I put everything in boxes that everybody has put on their list that I'd need, I would have to have an enclosed utility trailer to pull behind my SUV.
 
My range boxes are a random mix of some rather newly fabricated olde tyme wooden boxes for casings, a Ridgid case for some reloads, some dewalt organizers for electronics and the harbor freight boxes for miscellaneous rocketry paraphernalia.
Note the cute WenTai modular small parts organizers fit quite nicely in the harbor freight boxes. I wish I had one flavor of boxen like a Milwaukee pack out. I am quite pleased with the wooden boxes, copied from a military ordinance case but smaller. View attachment 494117View attachment 494118

I like that wooden box. How heavy is it?
 
My range boxes are a random mix of some rather newly fabricated olde tyme wooden boxes for casings, a Ridgid case for some reloads, some dewalt organizers for electronics and the harbor freight boxes for miscellaneous rocketry paraphernalia.
Note the cute WenTai modular small parts organizers fit quite nicely in the harbor freight boxes. I wish I had one flavor of boxen like a Milwaukee pack out. I am quite pleased with the wooden boxes, copied from a military ordinance case but smaller. View attachment 494117View attachment 494118

D@mn.............
 
I like that wooden box. How heavy is it?
Just a few pounds I'd say. Each box is 27" long, 11" front to back (I'm using 1x4 cheap pine lumber), height is different. I added a 1x2 strip in the bottom box to make it a wee bit taller. It's also the first one I made.
Does one get bonus points for making their own rope handles?
 
Just a few pounds I'd say. Each box is 27" long, 11" front to back (I'm using 1x4 cheap pine lumber), height is different. I added a 1x2 strip in the bottom box to make it a wee bit taller. It's also the first one I made.
Does one get bonus points for making their own rope handles?

Thanks. I might try to build done.
 
I have one tool box that I carry for local LPR launches. I bring multiple rockets and typically only launch each one once so I don't need to worry about repairs at the field. I haven't done any MPR launches in a long time but when I did I carried more stuff in my box.

in the toolbox:
Engines, igniters, Estes wadding
spare parachutes
roll of 150# kevlar and snap swivels
roll of crepe paper to make streamers
small pair of pliers if I need to pull a motor out
small pieces of sandpaper
masking tape if I need to friction fit a motor
clear scotch tape if I need to repair a parachute

Other stuff I carry depending on circumstances:
folding shade canopy
folding chairs
wide brimmed hat
ice chest and water
camera
I need to get a good folding table to carry

I've only been to one multi-day launch and for that I carried camping gear
 
I have been using the Milwaukee boxes I showed in this post: https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/whats-in-your-range-box.162521/post-2058516

They have been working great.
Same same. They aren't cheap, but if you can foot the bill for them they are pretty flexible and will last a lifetime. One reason I wanted to use them was because one of my clubs has us bring our own launch equipment, so if I need to trudge out 100 yards into a field, I want to make one trip, not ten. The Milwaukee Packouts with the rolling base fit the bill.
 
Same same. They aren't cheap, but if you can foot the bill for them they are pretty flexible and will last a lifetime. One reason I wanted to use them was because one of my clubs has us bring our own launch equipment, so if I need to trudge out 100 yards into a field, I want to make one trip, not ten. The Milwaukee Packouts with the rolling base fit the bill.

It is difficult to beat the Milwaukee boxes for quality, but if cost is an issue for anyone, consider the Walmart version with their HART stack: https://www.walmart.com/search?quer...tch&cat_id=0&stores=1640&spelling=false&ps=40

They are not as heavy duty as the Milwaukee system, but we bought some for our Scout Troop and they have held up pretty well. I have used and abused my Milwaukee stack (as Mike notes above, if you need to haul heavy rocket stuff over rough terrain, don't hesitate, get the Milwaukee boxes), but if you are just looking for a capable stack at a very considerably lower cost, the Walmart version is not bad.
 
I need to update the list at some point, but at the last launch I forgot to bring water for cleaning! I bring a 5-gallon water jug to launches for cleaning motors, etc, but forgot to fill it last time, doh!

I have also added a trailer since I made this list and got a small generator to power lights in the trailer and power strips for tools and battery charging, so need to add things like wheel chocks and generator fuel.
 
Now that we are retired and planning to travel more and hit some of the launches that are way to far for weekend trips, I have to consolidate my range boxes.

For local launches, I pretty much throw the kitchen sink in the back of the pickup. When we're traveling with the travel trailer for multiple weeks and all we need to bring with that, I'm dreading having to sort through everything and decide what is essential and what isn't. I know I'll get something important wrong!
 
Now that we are retired and planning to travel more and hit some of the launches that are way to far for weekend trips, I have to consolidate my range boxes.

For local launches, I pretty much throw the kitchen sink in the back of the pickup. When we're traveling with the travel trailer for multiple weeks and all we need to bring with that, I'm dreading having to sort through everything and decide what is essential and what isn't. I know I'll get something important wrong!
Get a bigger travel trailer and take the kitchen sink...
 
I need to update the list at some point, but at the last launch I forgot to bring water for cleaning! I bring a 5-gallon water jug to launches for cleaning motors, etc, but forgot to fill it last time, doh!

I have also added a trailer since I made this list and got a small generator to power lights in the trailer and power strips for tools and battery charging, so need to add things like wheel chocks and generator fuel.
I single axle V-nosed trailer decked out with a work table and drawers in the nose, AC and DC (invertor) power for electronics, and a custom buildout for my Milwaukee range boxes, rockets and telescopes, and a cot for sleeping is my wet dream...
 
I single axle V-nosed trailer decked out with a work table and drawers in the nose, AC and DC (invertor) power for electronics, and a custom buildout for my Milwaukee range boxes, rockets and telescopes, and a cot for sleeping is my wet dream...

I picked up the trailer used last fall and it needed some work, but I got the work done over the winter that required a mechanic and I recently replaced some of the interior wood flooring. I stripped it all out, painted it and epoxy coated the floor. In the process now of installing new cabinets, workbench, shelving, etc. Work in progress, for sure. I got a good deal on the trailer, but probably spent as much repairing it and kitting it out as I would have if I had bought a new one. However, I am glad I did it this way - it has been fun to build it out and teach my kids about all the stuff we are installing. Will post pictures once we get it done.

Here it is after painting, epoxy coating and as we started to install the new cabinets:

PXL_20230124_214918184.jpg
 
I don't know why more people don't paint the inside of those plywood panels for the interior, same with the floors, seems like 90% of the people just leave them naked.
 
I don't know why more people don't paint the inside of those plywood panels for the interior, same with the floors, seems like 90% of the people just leave them naked.

Yep, seemed like a no-brainer to me. I used a satin finish pain, so it should help keep the walls preserved and easy to clean and it also brightens up the interior considerably. When it is done, you will see how much nicer it is with the LED lights on overhead. Epoxying the floor also seemed like a good idea for helping to keep it from getting all beat up. In this picture I had not yet replaced the ramp piece, so it was nekkid, but the newer ramp piece has a finish.
 
Get a bigger travel trailer and take the kitchen sink...
I would like to, but when I buy a bigger trailer, then I have to get a bigger truck to tow it with. If I do that, I won't have the money for all the rockets, so then I might as well just use the truck and trailer I already have. Kind of a classic Catch 22. ;)
 
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