Anyone around here use a pelicase 1400? I'm wondering if it will fit in the back of my creeker..? I currently use a WS diesel 75 but it will soon be a habitat 74.. (maybe 80, if i have to go big to get the peli in )

Exterior Dimensions
(L x W x D)
13.37\" x 11.62\" x 6.00\"
(33.9 x 29.5 x 15.2 cm)

Hey Jasperp,

The biggest Pelican I've got is the 1300.

www.pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1300

There's no way I'd fit that into the back of my creek boat. The 1400 is a bit of a different shape so maybe, maybe... it would squeeze in.

www.pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1400

I would guess that it wouldn't fit. 2 possible solutions I reckon. Put the case in betweeen your legs. This is the dangerous option. You could end up in a dodgy situation or lose the damn thing. Or, get a boat with a hatch at the back.

I'm assuming you want to put a SLR or video equipment in the case.. Always a problem when it comes to those cases. They are so big..

Adrian, thanks. Yeah its about my dlsr and lenses.. i have a second option, i might just get the 1200 case and get one of those cheap ass walkaround lenses for on the water. The 1200 should fit in easy, i'd just have a body and 1 compact lens in it (sigma 18-125 or something like that).

Speaking of the options, consider Watershed or even a simple drybag. I've seen them all the dry options get water in them. I personally feel Watershed is a bit ahead of the others on water proofness, but not foolproof. One big thing to think about with Pelican cases is weight, with the 1400 and foam you are lookin at almost 5lbs in the case alone. That's about as much as a kit of minimalist overnight gear....

Plus taking the lens on and off all the time, most notably on the river where mud and water spray are present madates having the camera cleaned professionally on a regular basis.

Personally I just use a NRS toughsack, and won't use one that's over a year old. Amazingly dry so far, even with my boat getting stuck in a hole for over a minute. Bonus is that it's easy to get in and out of a boat with the lens on the camera, and not a lot of extra weight outside that of your camera.


The Sigma 18-200 is a nice lens for on the river as long as there is decent lighting. I use it 95% of the time, but also carry a 50mm 1.8 lens for the really dark days. With the Sigma wide-zooms, make sure you zoom all the way in, set your focus and zoom back out. They love backfocusing and this will help a lot.

Darin, thanks for the tips. I've dumped the idea of a big case with my normal lenses, it would be too heavy. I'd love my 2.8 stuff on the river, but its just too much of a hassle (and probaply not even possible).

I really want to go with a smaller peli tho, cause I like the bombproof construction. The thing is, that if you keep your lens on the body, there will be alot of stress on the camera mount on drops and in hole poundings. Apart from that, my body (10D, some filthy dickhead stole my 1D ) is about 11cm high, so upright i'd need about 12 cm of height in the case as least, and that means a 1300 or bigger

Therefore, my idea was to get a cheap-ass superzoom (for example the sigma 18-125 or even the 18-200 as you mentioned) and use that on the river. Get it of the camera and put it next to it in the case, so you can put your body on the back, meaning you need less height and can fit it into a 1200. I'd have to clean my sensor more often then, cause you have alot of lens changing in dirty/wet conditions.

Just intrested, how do you take your camera? You said a drybag, but I cant imagine you just put the cap on and throw the camera into the bag How do you protect it?
Thanks for the input

I hear you on the theft problem, I just got scammed on a D200


I glued some foam padding in a small drybag, maybe 1/2\" all the way around where the body sits. I just set the camera in with the lens facing up and it works pretty well. Been using this method for about a year with no problems, even through several blown out skirts and swims.

Any route you go, it's the stupid human mistakes that will ruin the equipment, dropping a lens in the water or not sealing a bag right, leaving something small in the gasket area of a pelican case and such.

Half the reason I would switch to watershed is they are nice to carry around, more durable, and if you get black they really blend in while traveling, less theft temptation imo.

Pleasently surprised with the Sigma 18-200, although I have heard they are hit and miss on sharpness. All the mexico shots on my site are with it, except day two of exploration which is from a friends 10d. No complaints on my end except on the dark days it's certainly lacking.

Alrighty, thanks for the input! I'll check out the bag-option and have a look at the sigma.. looks like a nice alternative!
Cheers,
Jasper

I've been using a watershed bag with padded liner for a while now. Ok it's not as solid as the pelicase but you can get it in your boat, and the watershed bags are as waterproof as a pelibox easy.

As I'm into having a large-ish travel towel to dry my hands on this goes into the dag with the camera to help pad it. The bag goes into the back of my boat and is held in place by the air bag and clipped in.

As the kayak acts as the protection in the first place the drybag only needs to protect the camera against me shoving it in with too much force and the water.

Watershed also do military dry bags that are superdry for special forces (avalible in green) but they are much more expensive.