Portable scrims

2000lux

2000lux

Well-known member
I'm thinking about getting a portable scrim kit that I can easily take on a plane, perhaps even fit in to my suitcase to avoid excess baggage charges. Mathews has a kit called Road Rags and Wesctcott has a similar one called Fast Flags (they also make one with just two frames). Does any one have any experience and opinions on either kit? Any other suggestions? Does Avenger or some one else offer some thing similar? The kits I listed are all 18" x 24". Obviously they'd be more compact. Should I really be looking at the 24" x 36" ones? Right now I'm just thinking about using them for interviews but I'm sure I'd find a lot of other uses for them.
 
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Hiding Under Here

Well-known member
I own the Road rags. It's not that I use them a lot. I don't. I prefer the regular sized nets and flags. But the Road Rags come in handy. And because you fold them up, you don't rip the nets like you do when you use the rigid ones. If you want portable, Road Rags are great.
 
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Run&Gun

Well-known member
I've never used the road rags or fast flags, but I did consider them a couple of years ago, untill my salesperson at Barbizon talked me out of 'em. She said they were not very sturdy. They had bad experiences with them breaking and ripping. Again, no personal experience, but what I was told by a sales person I very much trusted.
 
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Hiding Under Here

Well-known member
There is some truth in that. The mechanisms that hold the nets and flags need to collapse down into structures that can be transported in a canvas case. They are fragile and you have to treat them gently. One of mine is technically broken but I still use it. The nets can rip because you are putting strain on them to slie them over the rods that form the rigid frame.

Road Rags are fragile. You break them when you are unaware of how flimsy they are. Once you appreciate their fragility, you treat them gentler and you don't break them.
 
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Nino

Well-known member
I’ve never worked with the road rugs but I’m surprised that Matthews with their good reputation for quality products would make something that is not sturdy and durable. I have two sets of Avengers collapsible flags, two of the smaller one and two of the larger with all the fabrics, I had them for several years and so far so good. Everything fits well into a soft rifle case that I bought in Walmart, of course I get some strange looks by security people when I take the case out of my van. I have written in big letter on the case “Flag Kit”.
Before going with the Avenger I had a Westcott kit that broke so many times that eventually became unusable.
 
2000lux

2000lux

Well-known member
Hrmmn... Sounds like I should stay away from the Westcott kit. Not a big suprise really. I'll check out the Avenger set to companre with the Mathews kit. Thank you everyone. Any other kits I should look at?
 
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Q

quicklad

Well-known member
Just got the road rags myself -- thanks for the warning Tom = I'll be more gentle.

By all means stay away from Westcott - my buddy has them and cannot stand them.
 
2000lux

2000lux

Well-known member
I found out that Avenger doesn't make the kit any more. They still offer the folding frames so I guess you can constuct your own kit. I think I'll just order the Mathews one. Thanks again!
 
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