When all your gear fits in one bag, you don't need a system. Once you own several cameras, a few laptops, a pile of capture cards and a crew working three venues on the same Friday night, gear goes missing. Usually it's not stolen, just left in a press box or packed in the wrong case. This guide covers how to record what you own, pack it so missing items are obvious, assign it to events and follow it when it ships.
Start with an inventory
Before you can track gear, you need a list of it. Walk through everything you own and record each item that would hurt to lose or would stop a show if it were missing:
- Name and category: camera, lens, tripod, encoder, laptop, audio, network, power, cables.
- Make, model and serial number. You'll need the serial for insurance claims, warranty repairs and police reports.
- A label on the item with an ID that matches the record. Use a label maker or asset tags, and put it where it won't rub off.
- Purchase date and value, for insurance and for knowing what to replace next.
- Condition notes: "HDMI port loose," "battery holds 40 minutes." That stops a bad item from going out to a show.
Don't bother tracking every gaffer tape roll and zip tie. Track the items with serial numbers and the ones a show can't run without, then cover consumables on the case checklist.
Pack in cases, not piles
The single biggest improvement most crews can make is standard cases. A case is a known kit: "Camera kit A," "Stream laptop kit 2," "Audio kit." Every case has a manifest, a written list of what's supposed to be inside.
- Build cases around a job. One camera position, one stream station or one court at a tournament. Whoever opens the case should have everything for that job.
- Include the small stuff on the checklist: spare batteries, the right power adapter, two HDMI cables, a USB-C cable, tape, a small power strip.
- Tape the checklist inside the lid. Even with software, a paper copy in the case gets checked.
- Label the outside with the case name and a contact phone number, in case it's left behind.
Assign gear to events
Every event should have a list of the cases and items going to it, decided before load-out. That answers the questions that cause trouble: is the second camera at the football game or the volleyball match? Can the crew at the soccer field borrow the spare laptop, or is it already promised?
Plan the week's gear at the same time as the week's crew. When two events overlap, you'll see the conflict on Tuesday instead of Friday at 6 p.m.
Check out and check in every time
Gear goes missing between the end of a show and the next one. Make check-in part of strike, not something someone does later:
- Check out at load-out. Record which case went to which event and who took it.
- Check the manifest at the venue before setup. A missing cable found at load-in can be fixed. One found at airtime can't.
- Check the manifest again at strike, before the case closes. This is when chargers get left on press box outlets.
- Check in at the shop. Note damage, flag items that need repair, recharge batteries.
The history matters. When something turns up broken, a record of who had it last turns an argument into a conversation.
Ship gear without losing track
When gear ships to a venue instead of riding with the crew, plan around the carrier, not the hope:
- Ship early. Aim for arrival a day or more before load-in, so a delay doesn't cancel a show.
- Confirm who receives it. Venues lock doors on weekends. Put the venue contact's name and phone on the label and in the event notes.
- Record the tracking number against the shipment and the gear inside it, so you know which items are in transit.
- Photograph the case contents before it ships. It helps with damage claims.
- Plan the return shipment before the show, including who packs it and where the label is.
Track it all in CrewdUp
A spreadsheet can hold an inventory. It's harder to keep up with check-outs, cases and shipments across a busy season. In CrewdUp, gear is on the Pro plan and sits next to the events and crew it supports:
- Assets with categories, custom fields (serial number, purchase date, whatever you need), check-out history and attachments like receipts or manuals.
- Cases with manifests and checklists, assigned to events, with missing-gear alerts.
- Shipments with live tracking for asset shipments by FedEx, UPS, USPS or DHL, so you can see when the case will land.
Because the cases are assigned to the same events your crew is booked on, the person running the show knows what gear to expect. For the crew side, see our guide to staffing and scheduling a broadcast crew. If you're running several courts at once, pair this with our guide to planning a tournament weekend broadcast.
Gear habits that prevent losses
- One person owns the gear on each show. Name them in the tech book. See what to put in a production tech book.
- Do a last-look walk of the press box, the camera platform and the scorer's table before you leave.
- Count cases into the vehicle and out of it. "We left with seven, we have seven."
- Retire bad items. A flaky cable that's "probably fine" will fail on air. Mark it out of service.
Gear checklist
- Every item with a serial number or show-critical role has a record and a label.
- Every case has a manifest, a checklist inside the lid and a label outside.
- Every event has its cases assigned before load-out.
- Manifests checked at load-out, at setup and at strike.
- Shipments booked early with a named receiver and tracking recorded.
- Damage and repairs noted at check-in, and batteries charged for the next show.