I am going to have to invest in a Pelicase (http://www.peli.com/) or one of the competitors
that are available like Hardigg Storm Case (http://www.stormcase.com/) or
B&W Outdoor Cases (http://www.outdoor-cases.co.uk/).

Does anybody have any experience with these brands and their relative merits?
With the prices here in Norway at least B&W Outdoor Cases is a bit cheaper than
the others.

And I am also considering what size to get. What would be a good size for a
DSLR with 5-6 lenses and some accessories? What about wheels?

peli have a great name

wheels are worth weight in gold in urban/airports

some things to consider.

Air checkin can have a max weight per bag - so you might need two small ones - do some research

cases are unpleasant if you are moving through people or have to carry them far

all those cases look very photo

impresses clients and thiefs

I use an anonymous fake sampsonite suitcase (with wheels) with my billingham bag in - it cost $50

S

I have a Peli case and I just love it...one of the best investments I ever made for
camera gear protection...when said gear is within my immediate control and possession...

I would NEVER though use it for air travel...it may be water resistant, it may be dust resistant, it may offer first rate impact resistance, it may have a "you break it we replace it" warranty...
But I refuse to put my gear into "checked baggage"...and by "gear" I am referring to body and lenses...

Those items go in a soft bag which meets the carry on requirements for size...and the Peli stays at home.

I guess there would be nothing wrong with checking in your empty or nearly empty Pelican case/s with an ATA approved lock on it...and maybe some less valuable accessories in the case/s...

As mentioned however these cases SCREAM-STEAL ME!!!

For my purposes, the case is a mobile "vault" of sorts that offers impact/water/safe storage benefits...and it sees all travel EXCEPT AIR...and then I make it a habit to keep it out of sight as much as possible, and always within my immediate possession and control.

If you intend to put your 5-6 lenses and DSLR and accys. into one case you WILL need a BIG one with wheels...or two smaller ones...I find that one DSLR body and three lenses are about the limit for the Pelican 1550 model (one body, a 24-70 f2.8L, a 70-200 f4.0L, a 50 1.2L and a spare battery and charger and a couple other very small items). That arrangement gives comfortable room between items without overcrowding. Your experience may vary...

Whatever you end up with...I would suggest that you take your gear with you when you shop so you can trial fit the gear you have and make sure it's going to work out for you.

When I internet searched for the Pelican, I thought for sure I would end up with a 1400 series case...but when I actually took my gear and placed it onto the foam I quickly realized I was going to have to go bigger to allow the distance I wanted between lenses etc. AND to get the depth (top to bottom) I wanted for the DSLR body...and ended up with the 1550...

I wouldn't know what size to suggest if you are going to get one case except to say it's gonna be BIG for what you described...

I will hazard a guess that a pair of 1550's would hold your 5-6 lenses and one body with some accys...you might be able to "double" the 1550's exterior dimensions to get an idea of the size of a single case...

HTH

Cliff

I put a photo back pack (Lowepro or Think Tank) inside a hard side suitcase. Great protection, doesn't look like $$$ photo gear and I have a back pack to use when I get to my destination.

With respect to the "steal me" appearance of a Pelican case, one option I've considered (but haven't executed to date). Is to take something like a Pelican, lock it - maybe even using one of the "certified US unlockable" locks and basically epoxy it in place in a larger more non descript case (that for US requirements, could be unlocked...) eg: a hard case golf bag.

Obviously plan A is carry on, but there are circumstances, eg flying through Heathrow (apparently) where that is problematical. Also, on (I think) Miranda's site there was a reference to only being able to carry on 1 10k bag between Buenos Aries and Ushuaia (in case anyone's going to Antarctica). I suspect there are a number of small local flights/lines where there are relatively tight carry on restrictions.

Thank you all for your advise! I think I will take your advice and pack body and lenses
in a carry-on bag and let the rest go in a suitcase padded in clothes and another bag.

Thanks,
Ronny

I wouldn't put a significant amount of camera gear through checked baggage in ANY case. I don't care what kind of lock you put on it, TSA is authorized to break it if they want to see inside. When your bag is x-rayed, they'll see camera gear in there. And one can never predict what a baggage handler will decide to check out. But I'd bet a heavy one would catch their attention.

It might be expensive, but if you really need to take more gear than you can carry, consider packing it in multiple boxes and using FedEx, with insurance, to get it where it needs to go.

Cliff,
I probably can guess the answer but I wanted your opinion about putting gear in checked baggage. I've done the same thing as you and the others for years but recently purchased a portable lighting solution - two Quantum X5d-R heads and corresponding QpaqX power modules. I wanted to have the ability to go to 400 watt-sec for each light for maximum flexibility in a truly portable solution. I'm thrilled with it so far. So... I went out and got myself a Storm Case in zonker yellow. LOL! This is almost identical to a Pelican 1620 in size. Ok, I know <grin> but my reasoning was BECAUSE it would be noticeable and I'd be more likely to see someone carting it off at an event. Frankly it would be empty at an event anyway or locked up in a trunk if I weren't using the lights.

However I planned to fly with this kit. I just received the case and it fit everything perfectly but went over-weight. Ugg! I have my lights, two nano stands, a Hakuba carbon fiber tripod and a lightweight backdrop. I guess I'll just go out and get another smaller case to split the load up. Again, I'm just interested in anyone's input as to whether they'd risk this kind of gear in such a case. My thinking is this sort of thing would not be as tempting as a camera body and lens and most wouldn’t have a clue as to it’s real value. Certainly doesn’t LOOK as expensive as it is. <grin> My camera bodies and lenses will obviously be with me on the plane. I've traveled a lot for my IT day job using a Pelican 1620 full of computer equipment and never had any issues with theft. I use two Pelican TSA locks and they often get opened up but nothing has ever gone missing. Maybe I've just been stupid and lucky. I figure as long as I have the stuff insured and I'm carrying on the minimum I need to get the job done (body, cards, two lenses and a 550EX) I should be ok.

Thoughts anyone?

Steve

We're forced at times to fly with light kits more substantial than yours. We've settled on Tamrac's Rolling Strong Boxes for that job, but even with the smallest it's easy to go overweight. Now, whenever possible we schedule our flights into the nearest major city, then rent both a vehicle and lighting equipment (by prior contact) and drive to our destination. In many cities there are studio supply companies that rent gear at very reasonable rates, allowing us to simplify our travel arrangements while saving wear and tear on our lighting equipment. We then bill the equipment rental to the client.

A second option we apply is to air freight lighting equipment ahead of time to our destination and pick it up on arrival. As before, freight bills go to the client. It's a moving target with details varying to fit the destination and job, and there's no "one size fits all" in gear cases or strategies.

Thanks Hank for your advice. I've considered just renting but I'm just one guy on a low budget and renting would require me to arrive a day early and depart a day late so I've always nixed the idea. I could always use the case for local work and use the hardshell suitcase idea for air travel. Aren't the Tamrac Rolling Strong Boxes just as likely to cry out "steal me" as the Pelican and Storm cases? Have you ever had a problem with that aspect?

Steve

Never had any problems. The smaller version (660?) isn't all that much bigger than a suitcase, but with extending handle and wheels. In fact I take out some of the dividers and use it as a suitcase when it's not needed for gear. Our attitude is that bodies and lenses stay with us, while accessories and light kits go in baggage. Never say never, but we haven't had any probs yet. The rigid plastic material in the bottom, sides and top combined with the rigid (and movable) dividers -all padded- provide great protection in spite of the best efforts of ramp apes working for airlines.

It's also a dandy case for location work. We have the next two larger sizes as well, but the little one gets the most use. It holds plenty of gear for average shoots, and we only resort to the bigger ones if we need more than three lights and bigger- or multiple-power packs. You can jam two 10x10 muslins or one 10x20 muslin in the top pouch too, while not taking up interior space.