Try your local U-Haul for boxes...

Cheers

1) Walmart has decent priced boxes for anything up to 16x16. For bass drums and larger floor toms you've just about got to have access to a shipping place. Since I ship and receive large drums on a semi-regular bases, I re-use boxes like you wouldn't believe, and know a lot of guys who do the same. It's kinda a blast when six month after you've shipped something you get your box back from someone else!

2) I prefer UPS for sets. I know a lot of people who don't like UPS, but I've only had one issue and they resolved that very quickly. However, I should note that I don't have a Fedex drop-off place available. USPS is way too expensive on big stuff (but their flat rate prices are great on small stuff!).

3) I typically ship a standard 22/16/13/12 set in two boxes. The 12 inside the 16 and the 13 inside the 22. IMO, there is really no advantage at all in shipping seperate boxes...

Good luck!

Bill

Depends also on how valuable the kit is and what it is made out of. I just purchased a Vistalite kit. The gentlemen is making crates out of plywood. Only $50 in wood.....I bet purchasing boxes may almost be that much, maybe not. This is an excellent alternative to ship drums in a very safe, secure method. Something to consider......:o

Answering as a recipient:

1) U-Haul has a great variety of quality boxes. This sounds obvious, but make sure there's AT LEAST one inch of clearance all the way around, which should be filled with packing material. If the box is bulging, you've done a bad job.

2) I've had two sets shipped to me by UPS with no issues. I can't speak to how they compare on price, but they seem to be the most willing to follow instructions regarding where to leave stuff. For my most recent set, I left a tarp out because it looked like rain and the driver did a great job in using it (bonus: he found a way to keep the boxes off the ground).

3) I would rather receive un-nested drums, but I understand that this isn't always possible. For packing material, I prefer wadded-up newspaper or kraft paper. While packing peanuts also work well, they leave crumbs that can take time to remove, especially if they've somehow acquired a charge during the ship.

4) This is not the time to economize. Use good boxes, plenty of quality tape, and permanent markers. You get what you pay for.

All great suggestions so far, I would like to add that it is important to wrap a garbage bag around each drum to insure against warehouse flooding and being left out in the rain.

safe shipping!

Glen

I had a kit shipped to me in Canada from Blairndrums and it was smooth sailing. I believe he called Fed Ex and they delivered the boxes to him and came and picked em up when he finished packing them. Couple 'o' days later I had the coolest drum set I've ever seen sitting in my living room. Blair, you out there? Can you give this guy some advice?

Just called around to everyone I could find that sold boxes. Penske had 24x24x18 boxes for $4.29 compared to $20 at Uhaul.

Thanks for all the fantastic advice from all of you! I'm shipping my 'modern' baby (yamaha maple customs in vintage finish) from NYC to my new place in LA and your advice and guidance should prove invaluable, and help me keep from destroying some of my favorite drums. I'm running into some snags finding the boxes, as the kick is 24X14, meaning I'll need at least a 26X26X16 box. Unfortunately, most common box sources (Uhaul, UPS stores) seem to top out at 24X24 cartons. So that search continues, but all these packing tips have already given me some great peace of mind. Thanks!