Best Cheap-LOOKING case for dive travel?

After reading the "Warning - don't pack a Pelican" thread, I'm thinking what we really need is a tough case that protects gear like a Pelican or Storm, but looks like crap (making it less attractive to crooks working in airports). I suppose it could just look "plain" off the shelf (we can always kick it around a parking lot - or take a flight or two - to give it that "weathered" look...).

I thought I'd start a thread to drum up ideas. Let's hear 'em, gang!

I just put a pelican inside a duffel, with other stuff wrapped all around it (the pelican). Any scungy duffel will do.

Chris' idea sounds good to me - you still then good ol' Pelican toughness.

Although this is probably inviting disaster, I have taken around 24 flights in the last 12 months with a Pelican 1510 roller box which contains everything except the camera bodies and the FE port (which is in its own 1400 Pelican) - and have had no problems at all. Sometimes it was hold loaded, sometimes I rolled it into the cabin: the choice was mine. The 1510 has fitted in the overhead locker on everything from 747s to small Airbus. Only puddle-hopper flights have led to it being "valet"-loaded.

These flights have included several US airports - but not, so far at least, San Juan or Miami which seem to be causing lots of angst.

I just hope now that I won't be posting in a few months to say my Pelican has been robbed...... maybe I'll use Chris' idea!

I wonder if you can just stick: "Human organs, do not delay" or "Caution, biohazard" stickers on your case and be done with it. On the other hand, that's probably not ethical, but neither is opening someone's case and stealing their valuables.

Cheers

James

I wonder if you can just stick: "Human organs, do not delay" or "Caution, biohazard" stickers on your case and be done with it.

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You often hear people making this suggestion, but it would be just as likely to land you in hot water. I don't ship human organs all that often , but we do ship and receive a lot of potential biohazard materials. This generates a huge chain of paperwork, correct UN number stickers etc etc. I would be concerned that just sticking a bioharzd sticker on the box could set yourself up for prosecution, draw attention to the shipment that you don't want, and cause unnecessary delays. I had a consignment of samples coming to me from Australia that got stuck in Agriculture inspection for 3 weeks because the non-contagious certification note was not on official letterhead paper!

The scungy old duffel bag trick has worked well for me for years, but fell down this time when somebody (in either DFW or LAX) decided that they would really like my hiking boots on the way out to Australia. Rass'nfrass'n tea leaves

Hi Craig, welcome back? Did you just get back from Oz? How long before the "big move?"

Cheers

James

...just sticking a bioharzd sticker on the box could set yourself up for prosecution, draw attention to the shipment that you don't want, and cause unnecessary delays...

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I kinda thought that was a questionable suggestion! So what COULD we write on the outside of a case that would be legal, yet make it unappealing to would-be thiefs? Prehaps...

"Contents: dirty laundry"

"Contents: wet swimwear"

"Contents: 8-track tapes"

"Contents: Self-help cassette tapes"

"Contents: Life insurance brochures"

"Contents: family reunion VHS tapes"

i just got back after putting my pelican into a duffle bag wrapped in my dirty laundry. TSA asked me to unzip the bag and after seeing the laundry, they poked at it with a pen and said to move on.

this is the same group of people who asked me about my two bottles of rum. I said - what my twin DS-125 special blended strobes?

idiots.