A Pelican case can protect your camera gear from just about anything.

Pelican cases are trusted by hobbyists and professionals of all types, photographers and filmmakers included. Is a Pelican case the best option for you, though?

A professional camera case or bag is one of the first investments that a shutterbug will need to make as their arsenal of camera equipment grows. Pelican cases are one extraordinarily strong contender in this regard if premium insurance against a world of peril is your goal.

Born in the USA. Bred on a global scale. Are Pelican cases worth it? Absolutely. There is nothing that a Pelican case won't be able to protect your photography equipment from, rain, sleet, snow, or hail.

The injection-molded, outer copolymer resin hull of any Pelican case is shock-resistant and completely crush-proof, especially under ordinary circumstances. Pelican cases are our camera case of choice for this reason primarily.

Positive anti-shear locking mechanisms will actually prevent the lid from separating from the case in the event of catastrophic impact. Even in the aftermath of something truly tragic, everything contained within will likely still be nestled away, safe and sound.

Pelican Air cases are up to 40 percent lighter than competing polymer cases, which is an especially valuable feature for those who intend to travel with their gear. For the feeble and cerebral among us, this line has a lot to offer, especially if your camera kit includes only a few select lenses and camera bodies.

Even if you choose a model that's a little more heavy-duty, many Pelican cases also include conveniences like trolley handles and stainless steel ball bearing wheels, allowing you to roll your Peli around like a piece of luggage. If you have a lot of gear to store, we actually recommend that you go with one of these slightly more mobile units. Save yourself the struggle, and the lower back pain.

Pelican cases are known for their customary safety latches. They're fast and easy to use, all without cutting any corners in reliability. Since their initial release, Pelican has also introduced its own patented brand of press-and-pull latches, requiring nothing more than a light touch to operate.

This sense of savvy ergonomics also applies equally to the external systems offered in support of your newly Pelican-enhanced life, including vehicle mounting systems that facilitate easy side-mounting, cross-bed mounting, saddle mounting, and roof mounting. The Pelican Cargo case motto: go from locked to loose in 14 seconds, no questions asked.

Pelican cases are designed to last a lifetime, which means that they're much less likely to end up in a landfill. With that being said, though, they're also totally recyclable and produced sustainably.

Using several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to inform the Pelican production process, Pelican is able to enrich the communities that make its line of business possible globally. Safety, ethics, and quality are all top-of-mind every step of the way.

In a similar vein: not only is the inside cushioned, but it's also made of Pelican's signature cubed, pluck-and-pick foam. What does that mean, exactly?

It means that you'll be spending day one with your Pelican case gleefully tearing into the interior, using the pull-away foam to create custom compartments for everything that you plan on keeping in it. You can also opt out of this luxury and choose padded dividers, a TrekPak divider system, or just the bare plastic case instead of foam inserts.

Needless to say, this is one of the best parts of being the proud owner of a new Peli. Map out your interior layout and enjoy what essentially becomes a permanent flat lay of your stash. It's an immensely satisfying way to keep your gear safe.

For those among us who worry that we'll just end up making a mess, you can use this tool on the Pelican Foam site to map it all out digitally. You can even upload a photo of your gear as a guide.

Pelican is backed fully by the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive and the Air Transport Association. The former means that the contents of your Pelican case will be protected from temperatures between -40 and 210 degrees Fahrenheit, while the latter indicates that a Pelican case is tough enough to withstand shipment in even the rowdiest cargo bay.

We won't delve too deeply into Pelican's work in the world of medical transportation, but you can invest assured that your camera equipment will be subject to the same five-star treatment.

A barometric relief valve stands between your camera gear and the world outside of its impenetrable cocoon. If the outside has not been breached in any way, a Pelican case will actually protect your equipment from water. It's also designed to float in the case of a real disaster.

Pelican products are rated IEC IP67, which formally qualifies your case as immersible in water up to one meter, as well as resistant to damage from penetrative dust and other detritus.

You can even find select fireproof Pelican cases—the Hardigg line, to name one family, although there are plenty of testimonials that show even ordinary Pelican cases standing strong under house and vehicle fires, contents still intact within.

Pelican cases give you the ability to padlock your stuff in with at least two holes that allow you to latch the lid to the bottom. Many Pelican cases also give you a place to display your business card on the exterior, giving anybody lucky enough to find your camera equipment a way to get in touch.

Scientific gear? Specimens of human tissue? Pelican has truly seen it all, and then some. Your camera gear is in good hands when you choose Pelican. Every case is built to withstand the worst of the worst, no matter what you keep inside it.

If you've got the budget for it, you can also order a completely custom Pelican case, hard-shell and all. Most of us won't need to bother, however—Pelican backpacks, Pelican laptop cases, Pelican phone cases, long Pelican cases, top-loaders, Pelican desks, and many, many options in between will probably have you covered no matter how wild your collection is.

We use a Pelican Air ourselves, but there are a number of other selections that boast additional features aside from the broader ones mentioned here. If any of the following Pelican case benefits intrigue you, we can recommend a scroll through the company catalog online.

Pelican is the brand of choice for military transport, disaster preparedness, and first responders nationwide—you can guarantee that a Pelican case will be more than capable of getting your equipment from here to there, drama-free.

Ready to take the plunge and become a DIY filmmaker? Here's a list of essential equipment you'll need to get started.

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