On the road, out of Country, film developing in situ with common goods?

[eli griggs]

On another forum here, we currently are having a discussion on traveling through airports, etc and putting 120/127 films in containers, Adox type or Medicine bottles, foil wrapped, bags etc., which raised the issue, do you travel through places using x-rays to scan bags (films) that has already been exposed, or do you develop it in your hotel, or home you are staying in?

Personally, if I had to take the decision, for myself, I'd rather do it before returning home or continuing my journey, or perhaps find a Camera Club with a darkroom to let.

Besides a tank, reel(s) thermometer, film retriever, A good 'flash-light' with a red or OC filter, some weighted film clips and measuring spoons, with one medium metered plastic beaker, what would your film developing lightweight kit contain.

What common goods in stores/markets could you use and get good results with in mixing your own chemistry, such as caffenol (w/without Vit. C), parodinal, stop baths, and fixers, plain hypo or saltwater, etc?

If you are no reserving your film's development until home again, and are in an area where packets of "regular" chemistry might be too hard to carry with you, what could you do to develop as you go, using basic products in most of the world's boondocks?

IMO.

 

[kevs]

Scissors and neg sheets.
Vinegar can be used as stop bath / short stop.
A tiny bit of washing up detergent can suffice as wetting agent.
Clothes pegs are useful for weighting drying film.
Table salt (sodium chloride) can be used as a makeshift fixer (but fix properly asap).

 

[AgX]

Changing bag for cases where one could not darken somehow a room.

 

[Agulliver]

I haven't yet done this, but I have strongly considered developing film during camping trips....in part just to show people that it can be done. I'd be able to take my chemicals, tank, reel, changing bag....and use the water supply at the camp site - for the uninitiated, most English campsites are very civilised with lots of drinking water taps and drains dotted around the site. But I've held off partly because spousal unit thinks it would be silly and partly because I can imagine other campers and the campsite owners taking exception to me rinsing/washing the films using their drains. Drying the film might be a bit tricky as I imagine outside it would get dusty but what fun to do it in the great outdoors.

I have heard of people using British Travelodge hotel bathrooms as they typically have no windows and a towel at the foot of the door is sufficient to block out all light....then you have a dark room with a nice sink and a shower rail to dry your films.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Sodium thiosulfate (hypo) is used in swimming pools. My understanding is that saltwater takes an inordinately long time to work as a fixer, but I've never attempted it.

I've processed film in motel bathrooms at night when traveling by car. I brought a Nikor daylight sheet film tank, Acufine, TF-4, Sistan, maybe one or two beakers (I may have just premeasured everything and reused solutions), and sheet film clips. I've written about this adventure on Route 66 in this thread with photos of my road processing setup--

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/road-trip-4x5-film-and-supplies-along-i-40.109917/page-2

If you wanted to make Parodinal from scratch on location, it may be difficult to obtain sodium hydroxide, though I gather there are drain cleaners that are more or less pure solutions of sodium hydroxide, so if you know the concentration, you could use that. Then again, if you're in a city and can buy film, you may also be able to obtain ordinary chemicals.

 

[eli griggs]

If you wanted to make Parodinal from scratch on location, it may be difficult to obtain sodium hydroxide, though I gather there are drain cleaners that are more or less pure solutions of sodium hydroxide, so if you know the concentration, you could use that. Then again, if you're in a city and can buy film, you may also be able to obtain ordinary chemicals.

I believe you will find soap makers everywhere you might end up, though it would be interesting to know if hardwood ash lye-water could be used instead and if it can be rendered strong enough that a PH Test could be used to verify a concentration for a standard, half to full liter of developer, even if you can no take either along on to a flight?

 

[Christiaan Phleger]

I repeat do not use dish detergent as a wetting agent; this darkroom myth was debunked better to do a final rinse in Distilled water rather than something that will or might degrade the film, do a search here on APUG if you need any further reading.

In this day and age I would suggest traveling with a small processing kit; tanks reels dark bag and mixing graduates and thermometer. I also pack a small scale to weigh and at least a jar of Sodium Sulfite.

 

[eli griggs]

Artist Art Grade water colour "Ox Gall" additive might do instead of Photoflo, as it too, breaks down water's tension so it flows freely, without coalescing into droplets, and should be found in artists studios and shops.

A few drops in a one or two reel tank should be enough and I do no believe there is any reside, as it drys away

Also, I agree, do no use soaps or detergents on films that were no made for that use.

IMO.

 

[eli griggs]

For rooms without light seals, I would suggest a large changing tent, to put films into a tank, or loading or unloading sheet films, if you are no handy with the unsupported changing bags, which might give of static bursts.
IMO.