We love using Pelican’s protective cases to carry fragile gear – they bring the necessary durability and protection to transport nearly anything safely… even beer. So why not use their cases as luggage when traveling? That’s exactly what they want you to do with the Pelican Air Travel Cases.
Quite possibly the most rugged luggage you can buy, the suitcases are, basically, traveling-friendly versions of Pelican’s rugged cases. That way, all your travel gear get the same protection as all the precious jewelry, expensive camera equipment, and whatever else people protect in their Pelican cases. We know, it’s overkill, but if you ever had fragile stuff broken in your luggage before, this is something you’ll probably be interested in.
The Pelican AIR Travel Cases come with the same proprietary polypropylene blend as the outfit’s protective cases, so this should provide the same protective build, while being incredibly hardwearing, allowing you to keep it in your stash for many years. You know how you love Pelican case’s sturdy build, but hate that it weighs so much? Yeah, the same thing holds true here, so prepare to use a bit more muscle than you normally would when traveling with more conventional suitcases.
Because they’re designed for travel, the cases get all the familiar elements you’ll find in traditional luggage. That includes a pull-out handle and quiet wheels with stainless steel bearings, allowing you easily tow it to save your arm from the torture, along with easy-to-use press-and-pull latches equipped with TSA-approved key locks (according to Pelican, TSA screeners can easily open the case without damaging the locks or latches). They also come with packing cubes for better organizing your traveling stash, as well as mesh and zippered storage compartments on the inner side of the lid for even more organizational options. If you plan to use it to carry equipment, just clear out the packing cubes and replace it with your divider of choice. Of course, it’s compatible with Pelican’s own Trekpak dividers, as well as the popular Pock N Pluck foam solutions and other padded dividers.
The Pelican AIR Travel Case comes in two models: 1535 and 1615. The former measures 20.4 x 11.2 x 7.2 inches (height x width x depth), making it suitable for use as carry-on luggage, while the latter measures 29.6 x 15.5 x 9.4 inches, which, the outfit claims, is the maximum check-in size for most airlines. Each one, by the way, comes with a watertight O-ring seal, so there’s no danger with exposing your luggage to water, all while holding its form at extreme temperatures between -60 degrees and 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Because it’s a Pelican, chances are, you’re worried about the heft. Truth be told, it is quite heavy, with the carry-on model weighing 10.35 pounds and the check-in model tipping the scales at 16.66 pounds. To be fair, though, that’s quite light for a Pelican, especially at these sizes, since these are made using the outfit’s more recent HPX material, which is a bit more lightweight than traditional polypropylene blends while remaining just as tough.
The Pelican AIR Travel Case is available now, priced starting at $309.95.