The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Hardlec
Date: 2022-06-21 19:25
I need to transport my clarinet in the back of a pickup. It gets very hot just on the trip.
I can't put it in the passenger compartment, which is full.
I am considering a cooler with a cold pack. Is this better?
Wood instrument.
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Author: Hunter_100
Date: 2022-06-21 19:41
I think a cold pack in a cooler would be worse than heat. I would just put it in the cooler without the cold pack and try to air it out periodically to keep the cooler temp around normal room temp. As long as the temp changes gradually it should be ok I think. Clarinets sent through Fedex/UPS are not cooled/warmed and usually are ok I think.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2022-06-21 21:44
Completely full? Maybe something else the size of a clarinet can ride in the bed?
………..Paul Aviles
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2022-06-21 22:04
How long is the trip? I suppose that makes a difference about how long it will keep cool in whatever packaging you put it in.
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Author: Matt74
Date: 2022-06-21 22:10
I second Hunter.
Instruments really should be kept at room temperature as much as possible but....
The case insulates the horn to some extent. Better cases are usually molded styrofoam inside. If your cooler closes tight, just stick it in there without the cold pack. You probably want some fluffy padding to dampen vibration and shocks. If you have a bed topper, open a window.
The main thing is that you want to avoid quick temperature changes. If the horn itself does get warm, you probably want to avoid taking it out while you are sitting under the air conditioner.
I used to walk around in Colorado and Minnesota in below freezing temperatures, at night, for as long as an hour. I put the horn in the case, wrapped that in a fleece blanket (making several layers), and then put that in a briefcase style bag. It worked fine. I don't remember the horn getting cold.
- Matthew Simington
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Author: kdk
Date: 2022-06-21 22:33
Maybe as much (or more) of a concern as the wood are the adhesives holding your pads and corks in place. Some shellac based pad and cork cements can soften in that kind of heat. Also the instant repair stuff with pre-mounted adhesive. I don't know personally about the heat tolerance of contact cement. But I'd avoid the whole issue if I possibly could and take Paul's advice to try to find something else you're carrying in the passenger compartment to swap out for the clarinet.
Karl
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2022-06-21 23:54
I'm slightly wondering if it might be his wife that is in the passenger seat. Possibly I'm the only person who can get away with saying that, as the female poster on the thread.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2022-06-22 02:20
In addition to the idea that perhaps your 'significant other' can have something on the lap, you may consider FedExing the clarinet to yourself. Business travelers have been doing that with their luggage for decades. But pony up the dough for FedEx Air. It's a lot better than FedEx Ground and still much cheaper than a new clarinet.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2022-06-22 05:09
I wouldn't leave it in direct sunlight. The cooler idea, without cold packs, sounds reasonable - especially if that is also covered with something, a blanket or such. Clarinets can get pretty warm; the air we blow into the instrument must be close to body temperature, just under 100-deg Fahrenheit.
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2022-06-22 05:29
I had to have my Buffet in the car during scuba diving days one summer in NY area. I used a medium size cooler with ice in it. Can't recall now, but I either put the clarinet case on top of it or under it and in the shade. Now, the car was only locked up for maybe an hour at a time, then the doors were open. No problems that I could tell.
But the best advice is above-- try to get it inside and put one other item outside.
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2022-06-22 22:39
FedEx-ing luggage does work really well. I used to do that when I visited family with a toddler. It made life much easier. Getting the good insurance seems always to be the tricky thing when posting a clarinet.
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Author: Hardlec
Date: 2022-06-25 15:16
in this case, the owner of the pickup has one leg, and the cab is used for adaptive equipment. I am a passenger, as is my wife. The cab is crowded.
My "cooler" is a craftsman versastack (link below) which is a large, very robust box on wheels. I was looking for a dolly, there were none available, this was. I have my clarinet in its "Gator" case, and in the box (which can double as a cooler.)
My cold pack is the "gel" type, which is intended to be a cold compress for strains and sprains. I suppose it is more of a "cool" pack than a cold pack. I keep it wrapped in a towel, to keep it from being too cold. It kept my Clarinet case at about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The Clarinet stayed about 65. (The inside of the truck gets to be about 110, in Florida sun.)
I will put my cold pack in the "fridge" vice the freezer and take it out of the fridge a couple of hours before the trip. The trip is long. I leave at 4:30 PM and get to the rehearsal about 6:00 PM. It's dark on the way back, much, much cooler.
(I started playing an Electronic Wind Instrument about two years ago. I use it in church, now. I play Clarinet in two community bands and a classical "Clarinet" choir. My friend has difficulty carrying and My wife has a big backpack as well. I do a lot of schlepping.)
https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-VERSASTACK-System-20-in-Red-Plastic-Wheeled-Lockable-Tool-Box/1000578397?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-tol-_-bng-_-LIA_TOL_151_Tool-And-Garage-Storage-_-1000578397-_-Local-_-0-_-0&gclid=e5bc2952117d197c72fb4be4f578c285&gclsrc=3p.ds&ds_rl=1286981&msclkid=e5bc2952117d197c72fb4be4f578c285
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Author: Matt74
Date: 2022-06-26 23:19
You should have said it was Florida. Stuff heats through real quick. The gel pack is probably a good idea.
- Matthew Simington
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Author: ACCA
Date: 2022-06-29 19:23
This all sounds amazing! hopefully the OP can let us know how it all went!
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Author: Hardlec
Date: 2022-06-29 20:53
I can't afford the time away from my instrument if I have to ship it to every rehersal.
It is a 90 minute trip (each way) for me.
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