I need a very protective case...

[spartan sojourner]

Hey everyone, I will be going on a Short term mission trip to Mexicali, Mexico in April and need a very protective case. Right now I have a Lowepro Slingshot 200AW and I love it. I am worried that my current bag will not provide enough protection against the dust storms that pop up. With that said, I am wondering what suggestions any of you might have for cases that would provide the level of protection I need. I have been doing some research into Pelican hard cases and some of the different padding and soft bag options designed for these cases. Thanks for the input!!!

[banbro]

Spartan,

For what it is worth, I went with the Doskocil 65300 case for my equipment based on a few different factors. I liked the fact that it utilized 4 latches, I feel this adds to the environmental protection by ensuring a tight seal all around the case at all times. Although I don't anticipate utilizing it often the equalization valve is a nice option to have available. I felt the overall concstruction of the case was very strong and sturdy, I had read reviews from several professional photographers who mentioned they had used the case to stand on when needed and their equipment was perfectly protected.

I do not have any complaints about this case and this past Christmas when we went travelled home it completely paid for itself. Not only could I pack it in the vehicle without worry of being crushed, my son had re-arranged our luggage while looking for his MP3 player and I unknowingly lifted the rear hatch only to discover my camera equipment and other luggage fall and crash onto the concrete. The case now has some deep scratches and scrapes but my equipment is none the worse for the fall.

Good luck making your decision.

[Paemt]

I realize this is a little old but I have a suggestion for anyone looking for a hard case.

PELICAN!

Pelican cases are probably the best, most well known hard cases out there. They come in any size imagineable. You can get them with removeable foam inserts that allow you to configure them how ever you want.

Chad

[spazoid1965]

Please don't take this wrong. I'm not trying to make a joke about this. Mexicali, Mexico is one of the nicer border towns in Mexico. But it is still a border town in Mexico. A fancy camera case yells, "here's something worth stealing". A cheaper alternitives would provide excellent protection and not attract as much attention. These would include an icechest, hard sided suitcase, etc. Just cut rubber foam to fit the contents. Or you can cut the foam to fit you current sling bag. Just put you current bag inside the icechest. The icechest will not get as hot on the inside due to the insulation. But if you use the icechest don't put ice in it.

[spartan sojourner]

Since I am leaving in just three days, I would like to let you know what I decided to do and why. I ended up going with a Pelican 1450 Case and a Lowepro Omni Traveler for the inside as well as day to day carrying.

Why this equipment? My first and biggest concern is sand. Since I will be spending the duration of my stay in tents, sand and dust storms is a real concern. This is why I wanted to go waterproof. Pelican and Otterbox are both names I have come to trust from personal experience. Otterbox doesn't make very large cases anymore, but Pelican does.

My next concern was being able to have an easily manageable day bag that fit securely inside the pelican. I looked at both the Lowepro Omni series and the Pelican PCS bags. Combining these options, the desire to keep the case as carry-on luggage, and the equipment I wanted to take, my options were boiled down to either the Pelican 1450 with and Omni Traveler or a PCS 145, or a Pelican 1520 with the Omni Pro or PCS 152, 1522, or 1527 bags.

All in all, I think it will be the right decision, though I cannot say for sure until I get back in two weeks. The advantage of the 1450 is that I can fit into a larger backpack to take on the plane and keep discrete. The downside is that it just barely fits the equipment I wanted to take.

Again, thanks for the input and stay tuned for my post-trip summary :)