I've read a great deal, both here and elsewhere, regarding both of these cases. I'm preparing for my first African trip next year (sound of angels singing in the background) and would like a few experienced opinions. I have the 1750 Pelican case now. With two rifles and not much else it comes close to the 50-lb limit. The 17-lb Tuffpak would allow me to add quite a bit of clothing into the same case and seems appealing for that reason. It even seems possible for me to get away with just a Tuffpak, a maxed-out carry-on, and an overloaded multi-pocket travel vest.

What's the general concensus on these two options?

John

I have not used the Pelican, so I can't comment on that piece of gear, although people tell me it is a great case.

I have used a Tuffpak, and I like the versatility of it. It will hold up to three long arms (stored in soft cases), as well as clothing for padding, bulky items like boots, etc. They sell a removable nylon liner for the Tuffpak. Pack your rifles inside that, with buttstocks facing the opening. That makes retracting the rifles for inspection a breeze - avoids having to repack the entire contents!

The only thing I would change from your suggested packing list, would be to include an ultra light duffel in your Tuffpak - just in case anybody insists the ammo must be checked separately. It will also act as backup luggage in case you want to bring home extra stuff.

- mike

Ditto, I haven't used the Pelican either.
The tuffpack is easy to load over 50lb with 2 rifles but is easy to wheel thru airports, provides a safe lockup while you are in camp and doesn't look like a gun case so customs has never asked me to open it except to get gun permits when entering foriegn countries. When we went to Tanz last year I took the TuffPack, one duffle and carried on my daypack. That got me thru a month. Only hitch was when we were leaving Dar, the ticket agent made me rearrange items because I was 1 kilo over 40. The rest of the ticket agents were rolling their eyes but the little miss was adamant that we couldn't be over 40kilos or she was going to charge us extra.

jwm

I have flown with a Pelican case a several times, no problems, but this was before I found out about the TuffPak.

Since then the Tuffpak is all I use.

In fact on my last Safari I used 2 Tuffpaks, one standard rifle size, and one takedown Tuffpak as my 2 pieces of checked luggage.

I have used a Tuffpak on several plane trips and much prefer it.

I had a problem with one of the brass pelican locks.While my rifle was behind the landcruiser and I was being driven to the plane,something happened to the brass combination lock and when I was at the Harrare airport and they asked me to open it,the lock would not open.I was lucky the guy said it was ok and no one else in the US or Canada asked me to open it.I had to cut the lock with a grinder when I got home.

I've had a problem with one of the pelican brass locks also. My last trip I just used regular heavy duty key locks. Those of you that use Tuffpaks, have you added any extra locks to it or have you just used the factory installed lock - regular lock or the TSA lock?

My tuffpak is the pre TSA lock variety and I have not had any problem checking it. You just show the guns and lock it up as usual and as far as I know, that's good enough for TSA.

I have used both the tuffpak and the pelican.

I sold the tuffpak.

I've got both and used each once for my two africa trips. I prefer the Pelican largely because of the current TSA rules. They will often want to inspect a gun but won;t allow you to touch it. I found that the Tuffpak worked well when I could pack it carefully but had no confidence in the TSA guy repacking my padding properly. Also, with the 50 pound limit, you aren't going to get much else it it anyway. I now use the Pelicans for nearly everything; much more idiot proof.

My acid test for this is: Are you prepared to throw the case (and rifles) off the truck onto a concrete surface? How many times? If the answer is not repeatably, use something else. Pelican's are the ojnly one that pass for me and I own cases from Tuffpak, Pelican, ICC, Cabelas, Boyt, Americase and a host of no names

I tried most of them over the years including the pelican, but ended up some 20 or 30 years ago perhaps with the Tuffpak and that is what I have been using ever since, in fact its the same one...will never change I don't think..It just works for me. It has taken a beating and kept on ticking..It has been to Africa and many other countries more times than I can count.

You may want to check out a trip report posted on July 22, 2007 by martinbns. When he was at SAPS he saw some hunters with Tuffpaks and commented about them and his datrek golf club travel case which he thought was much better and weighed 13 lbs and cost about 1/3 of the Tuffpak.

I had great luck with my SKB Golf case! Here is a photo of my daughter with the luggage in our back yard. We took all of this to Namibia. We each were allowed two 50 lb bags but we only needed two, plus the gun case. The golf bag worked great! I put two rifles in it, in the soft cases. Then put some gifts for the PH and staff, our large jackets, tripod for the cameras, and 5 deflated soccer balls for the kids plus a few other miscellaneous items. It weighed exactly 50 lbs. On the way home we loaded it with some long souvenirs like a spear and some hand made arrows, plus other items. It worked great for taking things back home. Not one bit of damage to any thing or to the golf case. My rifle was dead on when we got there and my sons was off about 4 or 5 clicks.
We each had a back pack with an extra change of clothes. We also had one large bag with our other collective items (women travel a little heavier than men) and the small hard side suite case had my ammo and other items. All the other five large bags were 50 lbs each and full of donation items for the ranch hand families and a Bushman school. They were cheep 20 bags from the swap mart; we left all but one bag there. It left us an empty bag to bring other souvenirs home.

458lottfan - Wow, what a great gesture taking all those things for the folks you were hunting with and their staff. I checked the SKB site and noticed they had several models of golf club cases, which model do you have? Also I didn't see case weights listed for any of their items. Do they have this info available somewhere? Thanks for the additional information.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

I have a Tufpack and a Storm case (similar to the Pelican). If I were traveling with one rifle I'd likely take the Tufpack, as it would be the only bag I'd need (unless as mentioned you go through SA and they want you to have ammo in a separate bag). With two rifles, I was very close to the weight limit, so I went with the Storm. This Oct. I'm going to South Dakota to hunt pheasant and will be taking one shotgun in the Tufpack.

I own and use both the Pelican cases as well as the TuffPak.

For convenience and efficiency, the tuffpak is a good choice.

For the most protection, the pelican is the winner IMO.

After a lot of research, I ended up going with the Tuffpak. It works very well for my needs. I wish it was a bit lighter but other than that it's fine.

I have had good experience with the "Bullet proof Safari" 2-gun alu case from Cabelas. Extremely sturdy.. Tuffpack is not for us here in Europe where regulations imply that we pack ammo and guns in seperate bags - so we need 2 bags anyway..

But whar about the Pelican (or Storm) cases - will they offer even better prtection than the "Bullet proof" case from Cabelas?? Any who knows or have used both cases??

I've used all three. Tuffpak is great because of flexibility to pack lots of stuff with rifle. But, it's a pain to pack and unpack as well as some customs officers don't like them. For just transporting rifles Storm/pelican IMO offer best protection. Cabelas case doen't seem as durable as Storm. I almost always have to check a second bag in addition to Tuffpack so I don't use my tuffpack as much as I used to. Storm double rifle case and large rolling duffel.

quote:

Also I didn't see case weights listed for any of their items. Do they have this info available somewhere?

The SKB web site indicates their TSA friendly golf case weighs 15.5 lbs.

Do not laugh but I use a Doskocil case. It is well built and you can lock it in two places. This case has flown with me several times and I use it to go to the camp throughout hunting season for the last 10 years.
I have my Ruger No. 1, Model 70, and BPS in the one case. It is deep enough to cut the center foam and place the 3 firearms upright without scopes. 1 1/2" Foam on top, 1 1/2" foam on bottom, and foam all the way around. Slightly under 43 pounds.

Tuffpak works well for me. Rolls easy. Allows you to bring soft cases without packing them in luggage.

I gave my pelican away. Unless they have changed them, they had wheels, but they wouldn't stand up. Hence, everytime I let go of the case, it would hit the floor and roll away.

I have used other cases and my go to case is an ICC. Nice handle, wheels and it stands up.

Regards, PG

The Pelican provides superior protection.It is the case I use most. I use the Tuffpak when traveling with only one rifle. Two heavy rifles in a Tuffpack makes it hard to add the necessary padding and stay under the weight limit. I will probably take the Tuffpak on my upcoming goat hunt in AK. I will only take one light rifle, and will use the remainder of the room for clothing, gear, etc. The pelican is still my preferred choice for Africa.

Bill

I have used the TuffPak for years and have had no problems with it. It has taken a beating, for sure, but it keeps out unwanted and unauthorized eyes and hands with its vendor style lock.

I have all the above and now always use the Storm. Just my opinion.

It looks like I have the same case (SKB ATA STAFF TRAVEL CASE) as 458Lottfan, but if I had to do it over I would have bought one a little lighter. It weighs 24 lbs. I packed a 270 & a 338 wn mag with soft cases a spotting scope, cleaning materials, some tools, a few shirts and bubble wrap. It weighed just under 49 lbs.

I went to Florida and back to Michigan twice on two different airlines and had no problems. I paid $173.52 from Budgetgolf.net. The price included shipping.

I just loaded my Tuffpak with 3 rifles, t-shirts, socks, and such and it's now ready to go with 10 pounds to spare before hitting the airline limit.

I'm with PG. I've been using an ICC for 18 years, it looks terrible and it is heavy but I've never had a gun damaged in it. It can hold 2 rifles, spare scopes and my whole shooting kit. Unless this case fails I'm not about to buy anything else.

Mark

All I took for ten days.



Andy

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I tried most of them over the years including the pelican, but ended up some 20 or 30 years ago perhaps with the Tuffpak and that is what I have been using ever since, in fact its the same one...will never change I don't think..It just works for me. It has taken a beating and kept on ticking..It has been to Africa and many other countries more times than I can count.

Ray

Not unless you got a prototype, like the Woodleigh bullets you started using in 1970 and the Larium in 1980. Or your trips to Africa hunting in the '60's. Toughpaks have been around for less than 15 years.

You must measure time in Dog years.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I tried most of them over the years including the pelican, but ended up some 20 or 30 years ago perhaps with the Tuffpak and that is what I have been using ever since, in fact its the same one...will never change I don't think..It just works for me. It has taken a beating and kept on ticking..It has been to Africa and many other countries more times than I can count.

Ray

I am afraid that your memory blurs a bit,

from Tuffpack

"Tuffpak was designed from the ground up with the airlines in mind. Over the past 15 years we've made a concentrated effort to design a case without items that wear out and break. (A full-length hinge, once bent, will flex and fatigue the metal every time the case is opened. It will eventually fail. Protruding latches can be damaged easily. Once damaged, they can prevent proper closure of the case or maybe even your ability to get into it.) We are always asking ourselves "How could this thing break? How can we design that weakness out of the case?" The result is the Tuffpak, an airline approved travel case with a nearly perfect track record for almost 15 years now.

http://www.huntersheadquarters.net/tuffpak.asp

quote:

Originally posted by jbderunz:

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I tried most of them over the years including the pelican, but ended up some 20 or 30 years ago perhaps with the Tuffpak and that is what I have been using ever since, in fact its the same one...will never change I don't think..It just works for me. It has taken a beating and kept on ticking..It has been to Africa and many other countries more times than I can count.

Ray

I am afraid that your memory blurs a bit,

from Tuffpack

"Tuffpak was designed from the ground up with the airlines in mind. Over the past 15 years we've made a concentrated effort to design a case without items that wear out and break. (A full-length hinge, once bent, will flex and fatigue the metal every time the case is opened. It will eventually fail. Protruding latches can be damaged easily. Once damaged, they can prevent proper closure of the case or maybe even your ability to get into it.) We are always asking ourselves "How could this thing break? How can we design that weakness out of the case?" The result is the Tuffpak, an airline approved travel case with a nearly perfect track record for almost 15 years now.

http://www.huntersheadquarters.net/tuffpak.asp

And the "blurred memory" surprises who??? Vintage McBragg!!

My first case was a cheap metal gun case marketed as a "winchester" gun travel case--total crap. It made one one trip to africa and back --but barely. The airline monkeys bent it up so bad it couldn't properly close it.

may next case was the tuffpack. I still have it but rarely use it anymore. Hunting boots and clothing DO NOT make good packing. If my gun was in a case at home and my kids through boots, clothing , etc. on top of it-----I would be pissed off. So Why do I want to pack my guns with it now and add the airline monkeys into the equation? I don't dispise the case or out right hate it, I just found the case a pain to check your guns with. Removal of guns and then repacking at the airline was a hassle. If I could easily remove my guns, then my guns were not packed in snuggly allowing them to bag around in a tube. If I packed the gun in tight, then removing them for inspection was a hassle.
Some like the case some don't--you will have to decide for yourself the pros and cons. Research AR for comments on pros/cons on the tuffpak.

My last and most liked case is the Storm case. Built similar to the pelican but I think it is stronger and over-all better. Love this case . Check it out if you like the design of a pelican.

just my worthless thoughts

quote:

Originally posted by Blacktailer:
Ditto, I haven't used the Pelican either.
The tuffpack is easy to load over 50lb with 2 rifles but is easy to wheel thru airports, provides a safe lockup while you are in camp and doesn't look like a gun case so customs has never asked me to open it except to get gun permits when entering foriegn countries. When we went to Tanz last year I took the TuffPack, one duffle and carried on my daypack. That got me thru a month. Only hitch was when we were leaving Dar, the ticket agent made me rearrange items because I was 1 kilo over 40. The rest of the ticket agents were rolling their eyes but the little miss was adamant that we couldn't be over 40kilos or she was going to charge us extra.

I'd like to hear the story about your buff. Where did you hunt? with what outfit? Who was the PH? What rifle? Etc. By the way, it a nice bull.

quote:

Originally posted by Bwanahile:

quote:

Originally posted by jbderunz:

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I tried most of them over the years including the pelican, but ended up some 20 or 30 years ago perhaps with the Tuffpak and that is what I have been using ever since, in fact its the same one...will never change I don't think..It just works for me. It has taken a beating and kept on ticking..It has been to Africa and many other countries more times than I can count.

Ray

I am afraid that your memory blurs a bit,

from Tuffpack

"Tuffpak was designed from the ground up with the airlines in mind. Over the past 15 years we've made a concentrated effort to design a case without items that wear out and break. (A full-length hinge, once bent, will flex and fatigue the metal every time the case is opened. It will eventually fail. Protruding latches can be damaged easily. Once damaged, they can prevent proper closure of the case or maybe even your ability to get into it.) We are always asking ourselves "How could this thing break? How can we design that weakness out of the case?" The result is the Tuffpak, an airline approved travel case with a nearly perfect track record for almost 15 years now.

http://www.huntersheadquarters.net/tuffpak.asp

And the "blurred memory" surprises who??? Vintage McBragg!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeE6fmXAXEc&feature=related

"This is the World of Commander McBragg
Your hair will curl in the World of McBragg.
He fights monsters galore
And then asks for still more
Or so says the brag of McBragg.

When on the hill the marines plant a flag
They may be led by Commander McBragg.
With a cannon in hand
He can beat any band
Or so says the brag of McBragg.

Fencing and fighting and round table knighting
And slaying of dragons, too.
Shipping and sailing and great harpoon whaling
There's nothing McBragg can't do.
Hunting and trapping and gold miner mapping
And flying to Timbuktu.
Roping and riding and Indian guiding
Commander McBragg comes through.

This is the World of Commander McBragg
Your head will whirl in the World of McBragg.
He can do anything
In his world he's a king
Or so says the brag of McBragg."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luk21ilLh2E

I have used the big Pelican for the last 4 years and don't think i will change any time soon. The case has had the crap beat out of it by SAA and other rough luggage handlers. Just a few scratches. The locks are Master locks not the pelican variety. They are also working fine. I like the idea of the Tuffpak but I don't like the idea of having someone from the TSA repacking my double gun/s.

quote:

Originally posted by Gator1:

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I tried most of them over the years including the pelican, but ended up some 20 or 30 years ago perhaps with the Tuffpak and that is what I have been using ever since, in fact its the same one...will never change I don't think..It just works for me. It has taken a beating and kept on ticking..It has been to Africa and many other countries more times than I can count.

Ray

Not unless you got a prototype, like the Woodleigh bullets you started using in 1970 and the Larium in 1980. Or your trips to Africa hunting in the '60's. Toughpaks have been around for less than 15 years.

You must measure time in Dog years.

Gator, Ray is an old dude like me, cut him a little salck on his memory.

I think I have tried every case on the market and have settled on the Tuffpak as the one that takes a kick'n and still gets r' done. I also have a Storm case (better and lighter than Pelican) that is currently in use for 1 gun trips and that has also served well -- but -- for a two gun trip and a bit of camp security the tuffpak is the one I take.
In the for what it is worth column -- I also have a SKB bow case -- new one in fact as they just replaced the one I took to Africa -- it was bowed so bad when I returned - that it could not be closed -- thanks to the baggage gorillas -- jerks!
I also take a lightweight bicycle cable lock to secure either case to something for the just in case issue – so far no problems – not sure if that is a deterrent or the tuffpak is of such a size that would make it tough to haul away without being noticed.
G

Regardless of whether Ray used a time machine to travel from the 1960's to the 1990's to buy a Tuffpak and then travel back to the 1960's for his safaris, here are my comments.

I have used both Tuffpak and Pelican. The Pelican gets my vote. It holds the rifle firmly and surrounds it with custom-cut foam. The Tuffpak has a slick interior and your rifle is going to hit the end of the case if it is dropped on its end. Further, although the Tuffpak allows you to put hunting coats, etc. around your gun cases, when TSA takes the gun out to check it you are not allowed to touch the gun or repack, so you have to rely on the TSA guy to randomly pack your rifle correctly. I had a double go out of regulation from hitting its end inside of a tuffpak. Another member had a double break its stock inside a tuffpak.

I have used Cabelas Safari rifle case for years, similar in construction to the same case from ICC. Made of .065" aluminium. I have seen a friends Storm case - and the ICC / Cabelas case seems a lot stronger and more protective.. I will continue using Cabelas - it has served me well for 7 trips to Afrika - never a problem.. Though they are heavy..
For all my other gear I have just bought a Storm IM2950 Case - should provide excellent protection of ammo, bolt, binocular etc