Carry-On Travel with a Hard Case (Pelican, Nanuk)

Hello I want to hear about people's experiences and known restrictions (security and weight) when using Roller Hard Cases (e.g. Pelican 1535, Nanuk 935) that have prevented them from being carry-on/ hand carried into the plane.

Background:

I am getting a Roller Hard Case to protect my camera gear during the land and sea portions of my trips. Seeing my soft sided camera bag inadvertently with a dive crate on top will give you a big heart attack and makes you realize the risk during those transit legs. I have settled on the Nanuk 935 as it will hold all my camera gear/laptop/electronics and is carry-on compatible.

For Air legs of my trips, as a rule I always make sure that I have my cameras and electronics as carry-on. I don't want to entrust them into the cargo hold where they can get lost/damaged/delayed on the flight. 

In my experience with my soft sided bags, I am easily able to get them into the plane as carry-on. The total weight of my soft sided bag is 10-11kg. The soft sided bags look light and if it gets weighed I mention it is camera gear/laptop/lithium batteries and they let it thru as carry on no problems.

Given that the roller hard case the weight is now pushing 18kgs, looks heavy and beefy enough to survive the cargo hold. My worry is that it will be singled out and asked to check it in. I do believe since there are batteries and electronics, they will let it thru, but I have heard sometimes they ask you to off-load the batteries and electronics and check-in the rest of the bag. 

I haven't found much discussion on this specific topic as most who use their hard cases are actually checking in their gear into the cargo hold (hence the hard case).

If you get weighed I would suggest you will likely need to check the hard case if you are stopped, quite likely they'll tell you take out the batteries and check it. For me I use soft sided bags and experience is similar to yours, however on the land/sea legs I keep the camera bag on my person, don't let people carry it.  I think that is a better solution than risking the checking of your hard case.    I'll carry it into the van and leave it on my lap if I need to, same with boarding the boat.

If you get weighed I would suggest you will likely need to check the hard case if you are stopped, quite likely they'll tell you take out the batteries and check it. For me I use soft sided bags and experience is similar to yours, however on the land/sea legs I keep the camera bag on my person, don't let people carry it.  I think that is a better solution than risking the checking of your hard case.    I'll carry it into the van and leave it on my lap if I need to, same with boarding the boat.

Yeah, the dilemma many of us have faced!

I've been using a Pelican 1510 roll case for years. As you say, fully-loaded, the weight is scary. This has been on dozens of dive trips, to very many regions using everything from budget airlines to Business class. It has always been in the cabin with me.

Ironically the only time anyone did question the weight was in the Business class check-in on Emirates in Amsterdam on the way to Manila. As you say, when I explained the delicate nature and batteries, they waved it through albeit slightly reluctantly.

In the last year or so we have been on trips involving small Twin Otter-style aircraft for island-hopping. There was no way that a Pelican case could be in the cabin nor would the case necessarily travel on the same flight as me and my dive bag if it was checked. So I carried the housing with camera installed, lenses, strobes and a minimum of delicate gear in a soft Cinebags Grouper bag. Slight looks from the flight handlers but an explanation it was delicate camera gear - followed by Houdini-esque efforts to get the bag under the seat or behind my knees.....

I do think that a calm, friendly non-confrontational approach with airline staff explaining the risks/damage potential usually, thankfully, carries the day. Always a bit stressful though.

I've flown with them for years (Pelican version).  For larger planes it has not been an issue, even when they are not light.  Even for smaller planes, it has not been a recent issue.  One thing though is to make sure they look light. So even if there is a roller feature, when having your boarding pass scanned, carry it like it doesn't weigh anything (sometimes this is hard to act out if it weighs a bunch).

I now travel with a think tank backpack and a pelican roller.  The really delicate stuff is on my back (camera bodies, lens) and the rest of the delicate stuff is in the pelican roller.  I frequently fly through places that do weigh carry ons and have not recently been stopped but it is just an eventuality.    More than once, I have just opened it after being stopped and the gate agent has seen nothing but electronics and let it on.  One time they even gave it a seat.  

The advantage of the pelicans/Nanuk is that if they do make you check it - as long as it makes it - your gear will be fine.  Battery check in requirements are the biggest pain though, no way around that, especially if they start counting (Easy to get over the 20 limit with AAs).  I put batteries in my travel companions carry ons to minimize this concern.

Now try flying with a very delicate microscope that's case looks like a WWII bomb or an Oxygen container - that is when the magic happens at boarding and security.

Hi @TimG and @ColdDarkDiver,

Thank you so much for that feedback! This gives me the confidence that chances are I will be able to get my fully laden Pelican or Nanuk carried on with me. 

For the case of the smaller twin-otter style aircraft, I don't have a problem because I get to see them load it into the cargo hold -- similar to you would load it into the overhead -- that I know my bag and I are on the same flight and will safely get there. It is the larger aircraft I have trouble with, sometimes your luggage gets delayed or lost, and the baggage handlers at these larger airports seem to hate their job more haha.

Thanks,
P