Traveling in Robust Style – Review of Pelican Progear Elite Luggage
I have used Pelican and Storm hard cases for several years, in sizes ranging from small (Storm im2050 for my EOS M kit) to large (Storm im2720 for a 600/4 and 8-10 other lenses). The cases are waterproof, crushproof, and offer excellent protection at home and away. While I use most for storage at home, I often use a Storm im2500 as carry-on luggage when traveling with camera gear, just in case a gate-check is forced. Most of my trips were overnight, with both the camera gear (in smaller cases like a Lowepro Toploader and Lens Cases) and my personal items in the one hard case. Fitting camera, 1-2 lenses, a travel tripod (RRS TQC-14), change of clothes, and toiletries in one carry-on case is often a tight squeeze, but far more convenient than checking luggage.
I have recently begun to travel for business more frequently, usually on trips longer than a single night. It occurred to me that it would be nice for the rest of my stuff to have a higher level of protection than offered by typical luggage, both from the vagaries of airline travel and from the elements during transfers, e.g. walking to a hotel in the rain. In addition, on longer business trips I generally take a personal laptop (17” MacBook Pro), and it would be convenient to put that, the travel tripod, and sometimes other electronic gear into checked luggage.
To meet those needs, I recently purchased a set of three of the new Pelican Progear Elite Luggage (B&H, Adorama). It uses a double-wall construction so it’s lighter than typical Pelican/Storm cases (note that lighter doesn’t mean light), while still being waterproof (including submersion), crushproof, and impact-proof.
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The three available sizes are pictured above: the 22” Carry-On which meets airline carry-on size regulations, and the 27” Weekender and 30” Vacationer which both meet airline checked bag size regulations. The full dimensions are as follows:
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As I stated, despite Pelican’s claims of being ‘lightweight’, the 30” Vacationer at 15.6 lbs may account for 30% or more of your checked bag weight limit, depending on airline and class of service. Then again, many 28-30” soft side cases are in the 8-10 lb range and similarly sized hard side cases are in the 8-12 lb range, so the Pelican cases aren’t too much heavier…and those other cases generally not water/impact/crush proof.
The cases are constructed from injection-molded HPX polypropylene resin and have the typical rugged Pelican build quality and their lifetime guarantee. Basic features include a locking, retractable handle and ball-bearing wheels that roll smoothly (they are two-wheeled cases).
Looking at the dimensions prior to purchase, it seemed the The 22” Carry-On would be a good size for a 600mm f/4L IS II including the reverse-mounted hood. I also noticed the very tight tolerance between the exterior dimensions of the 27” Weekender and the interior dimensions of the 30” Vacationer (as little as 0.1” in one dimension), and I wondered if the cases would be able to nest for storage – the answer is yes.
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A zipper closure is a common failure point on typical luggage, but that’s not an issue here. The cases close securely with Valox press-and-pull latches, two for the 22” case (front) or four for the 27” and 30” cases (front and sides). The operation of the latches is similar to those found on the Storm cases, which can be opened and closed with minimal effort and no noise (unlike the double-throw ‘knuckle-buster’ latches on Pelican cases which make a distinctive and unavoidable ‘snap’ that sounds quite loud when leaving a hotel room for pre-dawn photography…or so my wife informed me on a trip some years back).
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The cases feature Pelican’s automatic pressure equalization valve to maintain ambient pressure with changing elevation; the valve’s Goretex membrane prevents water ingress.There is also an integrated TSA-approved lock for security, with a user-selectable three-digit combination. The hasp for the lock clips down below the lock when not in use.
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Those used to Pelican and Storm cases will notice a few design differences in the Progear luggage. Instead of fold-down handles, these cases feature three recessed handles that are essentially rubber-covered stainless steel straps. The flat design takes up less space on the exterior of the case, but is not as comfortable to hold for longer durations as the solid round handles on Pelican/Storm cases.
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The hinges are also constructed differently, using a series short transverse stainless steel pins rather than longer rods running along the length of the case. There’s a very practical way in which they are different – the Pelican/Storm case lids have a travel limit that stops the lid from opening further at a bit past 90°, whereas the Progear luggage lids will continue until they are >180° and resting on the floor. The top and bottom of the interior are lined with a durable fabric, and design attention was paid to minimizing the protrusions into the case interior from the wheels and retractable handle, effectively increasing interior volume.
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The cases are available in a range of colors, although with the exception of the orchid with black trim that I chose, they are mostly gray with an accent trim color.
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The bright, bold colors are distinctive, and I chose the orchid and black cases as the most easily visible (that, and my daughter preferred the color), which is the same reason my Storm cases are all in the yellow color. The wisdom of that decision was confirmed on my last international trip, where after collecting one piece of luggage I waited patiently for the other…and waited…and waited. Eventually a baggage handler indicated that all of the luggage was out (there were only ~5 pieces left on the carousel at that point), and I should go to lost and found. As I walked in that direction, I spotted what could only be my missing luggage moving along a belt a couple of carousels over – the bright color was visible across the concourse, and I collected my misdirected case and headed out.
Pelican Elite Progear Luggage can be ordered as the case alone or with the Enhanced Travel System (ETS), which comprises a removable lid organizer, Dopp-style toiletries bag, shoe sack, laundry bag and garment bag. The 22” Carry-On comes with the lid organizer, toiletries bag, and shoe sack; the larger pieces come with those three items and the laundry and garment bags. The extra pieces add bit to the total weight of the case, the three ETS pieces with the 22” Carry-On add 1.3 lbs, the five ETS pieces add 3.3 lbs to the 27” Weekender and 3.8 lbs to the 30” Vacationer (the lid organizer is sized to match the case, all other pieces are identical across the lineup).
The lid organizer completely fills the depth of the lid, and has a large zippered compartment and a small outer mesh zippered pocket. There is also a mesh barrier along the bottom portion of the large compartment to keep things from falling out when the compartment is opened with the lid propped up. The organizer secures to the case lid with eight tabs around the periphery. It’s fairly easy to remove and install, and secure enough to hold fairly heavy items (e.g. a large laptop) inside the organizer.
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The toiletries bag is standard, with one small internal zip pocket. For me, it’s the right size for a trip of several days, too large for an overnight and I’d have preferred that a smaller version come with the 22” Carry-On. The shoe sack is appropriately sized with a mesh vent near the back. The laundry bag zips open to reveal a pair of vented internal compartments. The garment bag is open at the bottom and also has mesh at the lower edge (not sure of the need for that redundancy); it holds four suits on their hangers.
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The Pelican Progear Elite Luggage line is many things – robust, waterproof, well constructed, functional, and attractive. One thing it’s not is inexpensive, but good luggage is an investment…and I fully expect this to be the last luggage I’ll ever buy!
