Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: How strong are Pelican cases for travel? Would you drive a truck over one?  (Read 3000 times)

flyingwithfish

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 36
    • http://www.flyingwithfish.com

I have written about the Pelican 1514 quite a bit over the past few years in various forums,  and am a firm believer in their quality and durability.

After writing about the Pelican 1514 yesterday on Flying With Fish , I decided I needed to prove how much I trust my Pelican 1514...so this morning I went out and drive a full-size Chevy Pickup over mine...TWICE!

For more info and a sequence of photos click here: http://1514Truck.notlong.com


The case, and its contents, came through perfectly...except a tire scuff mark on one of my stickers. I am sure there is a ramp handler at PHL who can prove this test wrong, but according to GM the rear section of a Chevy 1500 pickup would create a downward pressure of more than 2000lbs if the truck was empty (gas tank was full and there was some stuff loaded in the bed). Either way, using the base weight from GM regarding the rear wheels of the truck, the case is in perfect working condition, as are the two 1D series bodies, lens, macro tube, flash and batteries that were inside the case.
Logged
Steven Frischling
Photographer & Travel Strategist
Info For Travelling Photogs: www.flyingwithfish.com
Travel Photography Boot Camps: www.comeflywithfish.com
The Photos I Shoot: www.stevenfrischling.com

Jeremy Payne

  • Guest

I was on a very long plane ride not so long ago with an officer in the UK special forces on his way home from Afghanistan.

Long story short - I had my camera and underwater gear with me in pelicans and so we eventually got to talking about pelican cases ...

He told me that they had pelicans in the field and tried to destroy a few with claymores and other mines.  He said they could damage the shell, but also that they never came open or had any damage to contents ... tough little buggers.
Logged

Paul Kay

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 131
    • http://

Baggage handlers can still damage the contents though! I've had well packed underwater housings damaged as have others - takes some doing! I assume that the Pelis have been dropped off the trucks that they shuttle baggage to aircraft on. Cases have been fine though.
Logged

flyingwithfish

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 36
    • http://www.flyingwithfish.com

Paul,

Obviously packing is very important to damage.   I have written about packing quite a bit, with one detailing why you should never pack our lenses attached to bodies here:
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/flyingwithfi...ur-camera-lens/

If you pack properly then damage is minimized no matter what the bag is.
Logged
Steven Frischling
Photographer & Travel Strategist
Info For Travelling Photogs: www.flyingwithfish.com
Travel Photography Boot Camps: www.comeflywithfish.com
The Photos I Shoot: www.stevenfrischling.com

Paul Kay

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 131
    • http://

Quote from: flyingwithfish
Obviously packing is very important to damage. If you pack properly then damage is minimized no matter what the bag is.

Agreed, but bent stainless control rods on an underwater camera housing takes substantial force and this is what I've had happen - only dropping a case from a height could cause this IMHO. The cases themselves are brilliantly built and probably provide a challenge...
Logged

flyingwithfish

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 36
    • http://www.flyingwithfish.com

Paul,

I am debating (with myself) to try an impact test today.   Packing up a body or two, 2 or 3 lenses, as I normally pack them, and then tossing my Pelican 1514 off the 2nd floor deck of my house onto the lawn below.

Yes, I know, the lawn is not as hard as a road or tarmac, but I don't have a roadway below the deck, and I'm not an independent study lab with access to multiple facilities.   So if I try my own impact test , I'll use what is available to me.

-Fish
Logged
Steven Frischling
Photographer & Travel Strategist
Info For Travelling Photogs: www.flyingwithfish.com
Travel Photography Boot Camps: www.comeflywithfish.com
The Photos I Shoot: www.stevenfrischling.com

Chris_Brown

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 974
  • Smile dammit!
    • Chris Brown Photography

I've flown all over the States using a couple of 1620 cases. The only problem is that the latches unlatch when the case is tossed about by baggage handlers. Locks keep it shut. I don't recommend going larger because the increased weight will only cause baggage handlers to toss the things with more force. When loaded, mine weigh in at 50 lbs. each.
Logged
~ CB

whawn

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 78
    • The Daily Photographâ„¢

Quote from: Chris_Brown
...the increased weight will only cause baggage handlers to toss the things with more force...
I'm sometimes of the mind that baggage handlers look at Pelicans and the like as a challenge.  The cases just sing out, "Break me, just try!" and the handlers try.  I think they really try.

Maybe Pelican could develop a line that looks like a badly tied cardboard box, but still behaves like a tank.
Logged
Walter Hawn -- Casper, Wyoming

Lisa Nikodym

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1705
    • http://www.stanford.edu/~melkor/lisa_pictures/lisa_pictures.html

Quote
Maybe Pelican could develop a line that looks like a badly tied cardboard box, but still behaves like a tank.

You can already have that if you want one - put your Pelican case *inside* a badly-tied cardboard box...  

Lisa

P.S.  Great experiments, Steven, though you know you're nuts (unless the camera gear inside was old stuff you don't care about much).  The spouse and I just got done doing similar destructive tests on flooring samples before deciding which flooring we wanted in our house, so I understand!
« Last Edit: April 17, 2009, 05:40:06 pm by nniko »
Logged
[url=http://www.stanford.edu/~melkor/lis

Easton

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 61
    • http://www.eastonchang.com

I have 8 peli's and still counting, they're the most reliable peice of equipment I have out of all my camera gear!

I heard the new emerging brands are better though, but i'm sticking to peli's.. they look better

Anders_HK

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1010
    • andersloof.com
How strong are Pelican cases for travel? Would you drive a truck over one?
« Reply #10 on: April 18, 2009, 03:42:18 pm »

Quote from: Chris_Brown
When loaded, mine weigh in at 50 lbs. each.

Hi,

I looked at Pelican and the competing hard cases. As frequent traveler acros Asia and Europe, I did not buy hard case due to that the extra weight would cause problem for check in luggage. Instead I carry on all my gear in Tenba PBP backpack (regrettably not made any more) and a recent acquired Tenba Messenger Bag (large). It is safer to carry on my gear (mediumformat and large format).

The Tenba PBP backpack is the best piece of photographic equipment I own, best photo backpack ever made. It has been with me worldwide since 2002. Ain't trading it for anything, and have a brand new backup PBP in storage for when mine eventually breaks... which is not any soon. The Tenba Messenger bag is similar exceptional to me, but I would not say this to their newer backpack series that I have looked at.

Regards
Anders
« Last Edit: April 18, 2009, 03:44:00 pm by Anders_HK »
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up