Sign In

Pelican Cases 101 – Mission Essential Gear

Share This Article

If you spend anytime at all in the modern military, you’ve likely seen Pelican Cases. These cases protect sensitive equipment ranging from Tough Books to 50 Caliber SASR rifles. They are everywhere, and one might as well be in your pocket. One of the first things I purchased when I hit the fleet was a mini Pelican Case, model 1020. This little sucker lived with me through every field op, every deployment, and is used to this day when I do fieldwork for the Forest Service or when I camp or kayak.

I initially used the Pelican 1020 to protect my cell phone in the field. Smartphones were much smaller back in the day, and the 1020 fit mine, with an extra battery, perfectly. The case never failed me in its many years of use. The Pelican 1020 micro is still produced today, as is a ton of different sized Pelican Cases. They make one for literally anything. I’m pretty sure they’d make a coffin if I asked them to. Hmm, that’s not a bad idea… Tactical funerals…. Hmmm…

Pelican has addressed the fact that phones are growing and their personal utility cases have grown too. The G40 Personal Utility case is a perfect example. They even make one with an internal battery, so charging your phone on the go is possible. I could suggest one of these micro cases more for the field. Smartphones aren’t cheap, and you can argue you don’t need them in the field. However, that likely won’t stop most servicemen and women from bringing one.

If you bring it, it’s a smart financial decision to protect it.

Pelican Cases – What Makes Them Great?

Pelican was started by an experienced diver looking to create products that would serve scuba divers well. These products aimed at making diving safe and one such product was a First Aid kit. The case around the kit was the first Pelican case, and it became an instant hit with divers. Many of these divers tossed out the first aid kit supplies and started carrying valuables in the case.

From there, Pelican exploded into success. The cases Dave Parker designed have since become a hit with every type of adventurous lifestyle. Firefighters, cops, Soldiers, Marines, hikers, kayakers, and beyond.

Pelican Cases are designed to be used and abused and designed to protect your valuables from water dust, falls, and more. The Micro Case series presents the most value for your average user.

Protecting What’s Yours

If you are looking to protect small electronics from field ops and deployments, then Pelican is the way to go. Micro Pelican Cases offer your gear superior protection at a relatively low price. These cases are rated IP67, which is a waterproof rating known as an Ingress Protection code. The numerical rating displays just how well protected it is. The 67 rating means the case is waterproof in water as deep as 1 meter and is protected for at least 30 minutes.

The case is completely dustproof, and that doesn’t sound as important as waterproof. In some situations, you’d be right. Moondust, which is very fine sand found in deserts, can destroy electronics when it seeps into their cracks and crevices. Take a peek at the collection of dust my 1020 has gathered in its lifetime. Your gear and electronics need dust protection as much as they need water protection.

Lastly, the internal padding of Pelican Cases is rubberized, which both acts as a seal and protects your gear from being dropped, kicked, and thrown. Once your gear is packed in a Pelican case, you can toss it in your pack and forget about it. You can have complete confidence that your phone, first aid kit, Gameboy, or whatever else you toss in the case is well protected from the rough world around it.

These cases are outfitted with stainless steel hardware for corrosion resistance and strength. Pelican Cases are fitted with an automatic pressure equalization valve to keep water out and balance interior pressure. The massive front latch is easy to open with gloves and snaps in and out of place easily.

Mission Essential

Pelican Cases are, without a doubt, the best choice for protecting gear in the field. Be it luxury gear like a phone or necessary mission essential gear like a Garmin GPS system. These cases can easily be considered essential mission gear. An investment in your investments is never a wasted investment.

Related Posts
Travis Pike

Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine gunner who served with 2nd Bn 2nd Marines for 5 years. He deployed in 2009 to Afghanistan and again in 2011 with the 22nd MEU(SOC) during a record-setting 11 months at sea. He’s trained with the Romanian Army, the Spanish Marines, the Emirate Marines, and the Afghan National Army. He serves as an NRA certified pistol instructor and teaches concealed carry classes.