I travel for work somewhat frequently. With rising costs and limited budgets, I try to avoid checking a bag when traveling: It’s up to $100 (round trip) in some instances. This, of course, comes with its own challenges—I can’t bring a pocketknife with me on these trips, and I have to be hyper aware of everything in both my carryon and my backpack to make sure I don’t run afoul of TSA.
Something that happens fairly frequently is that a call will go out at the gate for people to check their carry-on luggage. Overhead space is limited, as checked bags get more and more expensive fewer people are checking bags and cramming everything into carryons, as a result, those of us traveling in peasant class wind up with no space for our bags. I’ll often volunteer to check my bag simply so I don’t have to run the gauntlet of overhead space.
What this means, however, is that a bag meant to be carefully placed in an overhead bin gets remanded to the cargo hold, where they’re tossed in with everyone’s golf clubs, ski cases, hard-sided luggage and (apparently, judging from my last few carryon bags) giant boxes of bricks, cinder blocks and bowling balls. Soft-sided carryons (and even some of the hard-sided ones) don’t stand a chance.
Enter Pelican. The company long known for its nigh-indestructible cases used to transport firearms, high-end electronics, cameras and other delicate items, has recently delved into luggage. There’s a fairly complete line of checked bags, carryon bags, even backpacks available, all with the legendary Pelican toughness. The case we have here today is the 1535 Air Carry-on Case, which is sized for most airlines’ overhead compartments for a rolling carryon bag.
The 1535 Air Carry-on Case comes in a variety of colors and configurations. In the most basic configuration, basic black with no add-ons, the MSRP is $269.95; adding foam, padded dividers or Pelican’s proprietary TrekPak system adds to the price, as do other case-color options. Pelican Air cases are constructed of a proprietary, rugged polymer and are waterproof, crushproof and dustproof. There’s even twin steel-reinforced locking areas for padlocks to secure your case. Wheels are extremely low profile, maximizing interior volume; however, they’re not the caster style that allow you to roll the bag sideways.
Okay, okay; I hear you loud and clear: The roll-aboard bag at the local big-box store is 1/3 that price. Why would you spend nearly $300 on a carryon bag? The truth of the matter is, if you don’t fly all that often, you really don’t need to. For years, I relied on the American Tourister luggage set I got as a wedding present back in Bill Clinton’s first term. When you travel once or twice a year, and usually check a bag anyways, the stoutness of your carryon really isn’t a big deal. It was only in the past decade or so, when I started traveling on shorter trips, that it really drove home how fragile the box-store luggage really is. I have literally replaced my carryon three times now – had I opted for the Pelican case at the onset, I’d be ahead of the game.
It’s hard, too, to put a price on peace of mind. Knowing that I can check my carryon if needed is a huge plus—and believe me, when it’s a Pelican case, you can check it. There’s no mental calculation of “well, if I bring [fragile item] with me and have to check my bag, it could be damaged” that prevents you from volunteering your bag. Knowing that your luggage can withstand the rigor of air travel and baggage handling should you decide to check it means you don’t have to hide at the back of the gate hoping you’re not volun-told to check your bag.
If you’re a frequent flier, Pelican’s 1535 Air Carry-on Case should definitely be something to consider fitting into your travel plans. Big enough to handle the better part of a week’s worth of travel necessities, small enough to fit in an overhead bin without undue contortions (or needing to be a bodybuilder to lift it), it handles air travel with aplomb. It’s also weatherproof, so if you have to toss it in the uncovered bed of a pickup or side-by-side, your gear will stay nice and dry. That’s a serious level of peace of mind.
