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looking for thoughts/ideas on rifle cases and the Tuffpak case in particular. Who has used what and how did it fare? On my first trip to SA and Nambia in 2003 I used a conventional rectangualr rifle case (don't recall the brand name) and everthing went okay, tho I had lost the origanal keys and getting replacement keys was a no go so I added a couple lockable type hunbges and used 2 padlocks and everthign went okay. The issue with this case I still own is its HEAVY and cumbersome and have heard about the tuffpak case and looking for some info from folks who may have really used one. The other side of this is WHERE did you purchase your tuffpak from and where can get the best price deal on one of these before my next Africa trip (planning on '08, probably to Zim). What about the duffel that fits inside the tuffpak, worth getting or not. Ideas on how to pack this thing also usefull, Ive been to the manufactures web site on packing the thiong, but looking for some "real" world experince about it. Willi | ||
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Search this forum for TuffPak. You will find all the answers to your questions. George  | |||
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Personally I really like the Pelican/Starlight style cases but they are kind of heavy. The plus side is that they are nearly indestructible and I doubt the luggage gorillas could harm a rifle inside without explosives or a jackhammer (though stranger things have happened). I just purchased a Tuffpack at SCI because I normally hunt with my dad and we need to take more then 2 rifles most of the time. If you are looking for the best price on a Tuffpack (or just about anything else) I would try froogle.google.com . It is a search engine that finds the lowest prices for a given item on the net. | |||
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I've used Pelican in the past. But since I changed to the Tuffpak, I would never use anything else. I like the flexibility it provides and the protection. Regards, Terry  Msasi haogopi mwiba [A hunter is not afraid of thorns] | |||
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I will second the Tuffpack. I used it and love it. | |||
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Tuffpak, it's the ooooonly way to fly! And yes, get the tuffsack as well. Very handy item. Contact "Harry" on this forum. He is a dealer for Tuffpak and will take care of you. John | |||
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I have Tuffpak in stock and make sure you get the Tuffsak too. The sak comes in colors of Sand, Black or Woodland Camo Green. Orders in by 4 PM go out that day. I would be happy to be of service to you. You may order by phone or off the secure page on our site. Better tomorrows, Harry www.hunters-hq.com / 817 267 3700 You can borrow money but you can not borrow time. Go hunting with your family. | |||
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Me too...Tuf Pak... I'll bet there's a decent business to be had renting Tuf Paks..... at the airport in Atlanta!!!! /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." Winston Churchill | |||
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I have flown with several different kinds of cases, including aluminium and the Pelican. I now use the Tuff-Pak. It has worked perfectly on trips to Zimbabwe, Canada, and California. I will be using it when I fly back to Zim. I recommend the Tuffsak. DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY | |||
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If you use the site recommended by Bulldog you will find Tuffpak but...they are not the cases you want...they are the ones made for the TV/Movie industry to carry lighting and tripods adn this is from Nalpak, the parent company of Tuffpak. The ones that I carry are the ones made for guns and bows. If you bought one in Reno in the last few years...the ugly looking, gray haired old fart that sold it to you was most likely me.  You can borrow money but you can not borrow time. Go hunting with your family. | |||
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Another vote for the TuffPak, and the TuffSak. Best rifle protection, and clothes carrying combo I've ever owned.  | |||
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Bisonhunter1, Save money in the long run, buy your TuffPak first and be done with it. Doug | |||
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The tuff sack to store all in and slide into the tuff pac...Third safari coming up in July.. Mike | |||
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The only thing that worries me about the Tuffpak is how much it can flex in the middle. Seems like something heavy enough could seriously damage the contents. What do you guys think? | |||
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bisonhunter1, I have only taken the Tuffpak on 2 hunts so I don't have alot of experience in that regard but, I have lived out of a suitcase for long periods of time while traveling(flying) across the lower 48 on business so I have some pretty strong opinions about how I want to "deal with" the airlines and what makes it easiest for me to get from point A to B and back. As far as I can see the Tuffpak is the most versatile and convenient rifle case on the market. I can't think of a better case to use and I have looked at quite a number of them. I bought my Tuffpak from Mims Reed at Hunters Headquarters. Mims does post here on AR under the handle Harry. Hunters Headquaters How to pack is the best part of the deal. If you do go with a Tuffpak get yourself one of those closed cell foam seat cushions used for hunting or the ball game etc. Trace the opening of the Tuffpak on the pad and cut to match. Drop the cut foam pad down into the bottom of the Tuffpak. This takes up almost no room and helps to cushion the rifles and any other case contents. For clothes and the rest look into purchasing several camping style "stuff sacks" or "compression sacks". If you are not familiar with them they are small "bags" generally made of nylon and have a draw string at one end. In the case of compression sacks they ususally have "belts" of sorts to allow you to sinch down the contents to the smallest possible volume. (Watch the weight when you use compression sacks...it adds up quick.) Both types come in a large number of shapes, sizes and colors. What I have found is that the Tuffpak works best when you pack small to medium sized soft items inside it and save the bigger bulky stuff like coats, boots etc. for the duffle. I usually put a larger sized stuff sack in the case first which is filled with something soft like long sleeve wool shirts. This is followed by the rifle(s) in soft cases muzzle down. Next I drop the various stuff sacks all round my rifles making sure they are well supported/protected 360 degrees from bottom to top and especially in and around the scopes. The stuff sacks being nylon slide in easily and if a repack or adjusting is required it is MUCH easier when eveything is first packed in these small bags. Remember there is alot of room at the bottom of the Tuffpak which is only filled up with a couple rifle barrels. You don't want to under pack this case and have the load shift during transit there by no longer supporting and protecting your rifles!!! Be sure to fill it up firmly but, not to tightly. If an airport firearms check is required it is fairly easy to pull out a few of the stuff sacks at the top of the case and unzip the soft rifle case and get access to your weapons and then quickly repack. When you get to your destination unpacking is easy as well just remove the rifles and turn the Tuffpak over and you done. I find I prefer to live out of the stuff sacks and never totally unpack all of them for the duration of my trip. You can also add small luggage tags to each stuff sack recording its contents to save time rummaging around looking for a particular item. Campmor - good selection of stuff sacks Some other examples of Stuff & Compression sacks Sorry, about being so long winded...hope this helps. Regards, Dave | |||
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Bulldog, Read Harry's second post above. Are you sure you are using the proper Tuffpak for rifles? Mine does not flex at all. ____________________________________________ "Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life." Terry Pratchett. | |||
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I think so since I bought it at SCI last month. I have not gotten it yet so really haven't had time to really mess with it, it just seemed that way to me. I guess I was mistaken. | |||
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Better put me in the Tuffpak camp as well:  Only one trip to Africa but I also use it around Texas, although I am apparently the only one who does. | |||
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If you bought a Tuffpak at Reno, Dallas or Houston Safari Club Conventions...you have the correct case. ALL MAJOR ARMS MAKERS are traveling to Reno, SHOT and shows around the world in Tuffpak cases. Not brag..just fact. That goes from Holland and Purdey to Searcy an Browning. A&S, Kreighoff (has bought 13 to date), Dakota, Westley Richards, not to mention Leupold and Swarovski (they have two), Merkel, Empire and many other. Many posters on this site are using them on any air travel they go on. Stop worrying and get one.  You can borrow money but you can not borrow time. Go hunting with your family. | |||
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I already did. | |||
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At the DSC convention three years I did a test on the strength of the Tuff pack. I weigh over 350, Susan is around ###, Steve is about 150, and Harry is about 170. With me in the middle and the rest of the group distributed on the damn thing it never gave in to all that weight. That proved to me that although shit can happen, it is gonna take a whale of a load of shit to damage a Tuffpack!!! My tuffpack has been to Africa 6 times, Alaska 4 times and to various other locations by air 4 times. All in all no damage, no theft, and not a single reticle shift due to the beating the rifles get in airports. The other thing I like is the security factor. At camp I always store my valuables, extra camera, money, and all of the extra stuff you don't want to be without in the Tuffpack. It is my security vault for camp. Large enough for my laptop as well as most anything I don't want people to mess with. I have two, All of my traveling friends have one or two. They are a true asset to my hunting gear. square shooter | |||
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Well bisonhunter, you started this thread and it looks like you got an answer!! John | |||
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These are excellent tips from Dave. The need for putting good foam at the bottom of the Tuffpak is important. I use packing cubes Ebags Packing Cubesfor all my clothes (but Dave's stuff sack idea is just as good). Really easy to get the rifles out, just unzip the soft cases and slide them out (always have the bolts removed from the rifles). Take an extra duffel bag (simple nylon duffle) and you have a place keep all of your stuff when you unpack your Tuffpak in camp. Regards, Terry Msasi haogopi mwiba [A hunter is not afraid of thorns] | |||
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Will the Tuffpak fit in the charter planes commonly used in TZ? Is there a possibility of having to leave the Tuffpak in Dar? Would this mean the softcase would have to be very padded instead of a simple sock? It scares me to not have a hard case on my rifle in transit. I have piloted small planes in the US and there is no room for Tuffpaks or even regular gun cases. Don_G ...from Texas, by way of Mason, Ohio and Aurora, Colorado! | |||
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Don, Every charter I've been on in Africa had room for my Tuffpak. You will want to take soft rifle cases (not a gun sock) - you'll want the rifle case for use in the hunting car. Regards, Terry Msasi haogopi mwiba [A hunter is not afraid of thorns] | |||
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Don, The charters I have been on in Tanzania sometimes do have room for a Tuff Pak (Caravan) and sometimes do not (Cessna 182RG, 206 or 310). In my limited experience of two trips you do not know which plane you will be on until the day of the charter. I just leave the Tuff Pak at the hotel (Sea Cliff) in their storage area. Inside it I lock up anything (such as flying clothes, books I read on the flight over etc.) that I do not need at camp. I have never seen a need for the Tuff Pak during the charter flight nor in the camp. Once the charter flight lands at the bush strip I put the rifles in the Land Rovers gun rack. I take padded gun cases on the charter flight and as Terry said - for use during the hunt. ALLEN W. JOHNSON - DRSS Into my heart on air that kills From yon far country blows: What are those blue remembered hills, What spires, what farms are those? That is the land of lost content, I see it shining plain, The happy highways where I went And cannot come again. A. E. Housman | |||
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Here is food for thought. If you can not take your Tuffpak on the charter that is not a problem if you have a Tuffsak...pull the sack from the hard Tuffpak and continue on. You will still have your firearm(s) in the soft case(s) which you will need for the safari car plus all your other gear you need in camp. The hard Tuffpak stays at the PH's house in town or where ever. IMO you need soft gun case(s) and you need the Tuffsak that goes on the inside of the Tuffpak. You can borrow money but you can not borrow time. Go hunting with your family. | |||
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I have a Tuffpak, but I would not go that route again. A tuffpak just does not protect guns as well as a Pelican or a Starlight. | |||
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500, you dang iconoclast! I have used the starlight on three trips to Africa and I can't imagine a better way to protect your rifles. With the Starlight there are three layers of 2" thick foam. You trace your rifles on the middle layer and cut out the foam to fit the exact shape of your rifle. this way any shock is distributed evenly over the entire rifle. If some ape drops the case on end the shock is absorbed by the toe line of the stock, the front of the pistol grip, the front of the scope, the end of the fore end, the nose of the comb, the front of the trigger guard, and the sights and sling studs in addition to the crown of the barrel. In a case like the tuffpack the crown is the only thing absorbing all the abuse if dropped end down. But what really scares me is the thought of the Tuffpack being dropped with the rifle positioned with the scope towards the bottom of the case. I have never seen a soft case that I would trust to protect a scope in such a fall. That said, you won't hear many Tuffpack owners complain. Jason Jason "You're not hard-core, unless you live hard-core." _______________________ Hunting in Africa is an adventure. The number of variables involved preclude the possibility of a perfect hunt. Some problems will arise. How you decide to handle them will determine how much you enjoy your hunt. Just tell yourself, "it's all part of the adventure." Remember, if Robert Ruark had gotten upset every time problems with Harry Selby's flat bed truck delayed the safari, Horn of the Hunter would have read like an indictment of Selby. But Ruark rolled with the punches, poured some gin, and enjoyed the adventure. -Jason Brown | |||
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Terry Carr Why do you remove the bolts from your rifles and where do you store them? Thanks ............................................. | |||
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Oldcoyote- SAA in particular requires that your rifles be dismantled, meaning the bolts removed. I wrap mine in a towel them duct tape it to the outside of my padded gun case (which then goes into my Tuffsak then into my Tuffpak). John | |||
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Serious Protection Jim "Bwana Umfundi" NRA | |||
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I have tuffpack and have good and not so good points. I like it better than my old flat Alum. case. After few trips with the metal flat case--it was so bent up I problems getting it to shut and lock up---not to mention the locks getting broken off. Tuffpack wins here hands down. What upsets me with tuffpack(not big deal though) is pulling all of your crap out of the case at the airport and then trying to get it back in. At home you can pack your stuff nicely to protect your guns but trying to re-pack at the airport with everyone waiting on you is difficult at best. also, if your packing shifts in the tuffpack while in transit, your guns will then be less protected. What I did was to go to my local upholstery shop and have them cut, glue and shape some very dense three inch foam to fit over my scopes. It is about 8-10 inches long and fits over the scope like a formed half tube. I then lash it to the rifle and jam it into the soft case. The foam padding compresses enough to get the hole thing into the soft case but really adds to the protection to the scope.However, doing so will surely limit you to two guns only--no chance for three with this added padding. now if my crap shifts in the tuffpack (shirts etc.) my guns are not banging around in the plastic tube tuffpack. The soft case with foam added sort of jams the guns in a fixed position. not great solution but it works. nothin sweeter than the smell of fresh blood on your hunting boots | |||
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I have a tuffpack, but I have gone back to my old standby of an ICC (Impact Case Company) case. I have one case that started with my dad on a hunt to the Yukon in 1989. Since then it has been around the world a few times. Its had some gashes and taken a couple good poundings, but guns have always stayed sighted in and have been protected well. I have bought two more of there single gun cases, and both have worked great. Mink and Wall Tents don't go together. Especially when you are sleeping in the Wall Tent. DRSS .470 & .500 | |||
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