Pelican Micro Cases

Test Review by Sophie Pearson

Edited by Ken Bigelow

Last Updated: December 12, 2009

Review Status: Complete

Product Information

Manufacturer: Pelican

Website:www.pelican.com

MSRP: not listed

Models tested: 1030, 1060 (1010, 1020, 1040, 1050 also available)

Colors tested: clear with yellow (red, blue and black also available for some models)

Model	Dimension	Listed	Measured
1030	Interior Dimensions	6.37 x 2.62 x 2.06 in (16.2 x 6.7 x 5.2 cm)	6.3 x 2.6 x 2.0 in (16.0 x 6.6 x 5.1 cm)
	Exterior Dimensions	7.50 x 3.87 x 2.43 in (19 x 9.8 x 6.2 cm)	8.0 x 4.1 x 2.5 in (20.3 x 10.4 x 6.4 cm)
	Weight	0.61 lb (0.28 kg)	0.6 lb (0.27 kg)
	Accessory	Carabiner	Carabiner
1060	Interior Dimensions	8.25 x 4.25 x 2.25 in (20.9 x 10.8 x 5.7 cm)	8.3 x 4.3 x 2.3 in (21.1 x 10.9 x 14.5 cm)
	Exterior Dimensions	9.37 x 5.56 x 2.62 in (23.8 x 14.1 x 6.7 cm)	9.5 x 5.5 x 2.5 in (24.1 x 14.0 x 6.4 cm)
	Weight	1.03 lb (0.47 kg)
	Accessory	Carabiner	Carry strap

Product Description

Pelican Micro Cases are fairly small, hard-shell waterproof cases that are designed for items like cell phones and other electronics. They are designed to protect items from water, dust and hard knocks. They are not designed for swimming, diving or otherwise being submerged. According to the website they have been tested at 1 m (3.3 ft) submersion for 30 minutes. They float, with a maximum buoyancy of 2.49 lbs (1.13 kg) for the larger one, and 0.99 lb (0.45 kg) for the smaller one . They can cope with temperatures from below freezing to almost boiling, and come with a full lifetime guarantee.

The Pelican Micro Cases have a hard, clear plastic shell with ridges in the top and bottom. Inside each one there is a rubber insert, which can come in a variety of colors and can also be replaced. This also serves as the o-ring for waterproofing. The 1060, larger case has a thick solid rubber liner, while the 1030 case has a thinner rubber liner that is wavy, with air between it and the plastic case allowing it to have some give. They both have a small round Automatic Pressure Equalization Valve in the center front of the case which balances the interior pressure and keeps the water out.

There are two hinges at the back of each case which are 2.25 in (5.7 cm) long, made of plastic with stainless steel pins. The fronts of the cases have a long latch which is slightly deeper at the ends, where it hooks over the lip of the bottom of the case. The one on the 1060 case is noticeably bigger.

The smaller, 1030 case has handles at each end to and a loop where a carabiner is attached. The 1060 has a handle at one end, and a smaller loop where a carry strap is attached.

Initial Impressions

The Pelican Micro Cases are light-weight, sturdy containers that fit more than I would have thought. The larger case fits my camera, phone, keys and wallet without too much effort. The smaller one looks long and skinny, but I found that because of the flexible plastic it fits my camera perfectly, with a square of space to the side for car keys or something similar. This rubber really protects the camera because it holds it in place even upside down. Otherwise the cases protect from impact if they land the right way up, and absorb some of the impact if they land on their hard, unpadded lids.

The latches to each case are a tight fit and require both hands to open. If I am not careful they catch on under my nail too and tear it back, which it hurts! Although it is slightly awkward to open, especially when holding a kayak paddle, I am fine with it because it means that they are less likely to come open. It also ensures a good seal. The rubber padding/o-ring seal seems like a simple and effective design. I am a little bit worried about it because it needs to be clean and in Florida it is impossible to avoid getting sand everywhere. Hopefully just brushing off the sand will be enough to keep a good seal. When I had the larger case outside it did get a bit of condensation in it, but I am not sure if that is from the things that were in there, the 85% humidity, or the box itself. I will certainly have plenty of opportunity to thoroughly test that out!

As the cases are hard with ridges, it protects the boxes from scratches, but unfortunately it is likely to be my kayak’s paint job that suffers. I have a 36 year old Kevlar sit-in which is sensitive, to say the least. When I put the larger box on the deck of my kayak to keep my camera accessible, I could notice a little bit of a scratch there. I am hoping to improve the paint job within the next few months, and will certainly keep an eye on how the boxes impact the things around them. My current plan is to keep the small case on the kayak deck, with the carabiner clipped around the deck bungees. That way my camera will be readily accessible. I will have the larger case inside the kayak with my cell phone, wallet, car keys and probably a pack of cards in there. As I do not have bulk-heads it will be interesting to see how much the case slides around inside my kayak. The carry strap is useful for carrying (!) but I will probably clip a carabiner onto it for attaching it to things.

I have coveted Pelican cases in the past, but always ended up buying a small, soft dry bag for electronics. I am really looking forward to trying out the hard-sided Pelican cases and seeing how they hold up with several months of frequent use.

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Field Conditions

I used the Pelican cases on numerous day and evening kayaking trips around central Florida, where temperatures ranged between 50 and 95 F (10 and 35 C). Humidity was often above 80% but I did not go out in the rain as it generally comes with lightning! I also took the Pelican cases on a 3-day trip on the Suwannee River in northern Florida. We paddled 67 miles, hit some minor rapids and had some rain in the evenings (although not while we were on the water). Temperatures were similar to those in central Florida.

Review

These cases have been all that I hoped they would be. The first time I used one I just took the small one on an evening paddle and had my camera, car keys and cell phone in it. It was a tight fit, and every time I wanted to take a picture I was worried that my cell phone might take a dunk, so I now use the small case for just my camera. It really excels as the shape provides padding and keeps it in place and the case does a great job at keeping the camera dry. It has fallen in the water a few times and my camera has not had any ill effects. Condensation is also less of a problem than with my soft-sided dry bag. The only problem with it is when I am using the camera spray and humidity can get into the case while it is open, and this stays in there once the camera is back in there. So far the camera has never fogged up or had more than a drop of moisture on it though, which seems unavoidable with this setup.

I have started keeping my cell phone, wallet and car keys in the larger case, and anything else that I would want to keep dry. It has worked perfectly. For the evening paddles I keep my headlamp in there and don’t bother with my wallet (it couldn’t fit both). Even when it has been splashed or sitting in water in the bottom of my kayak I have never noticed any moisture inside the case.

The biggest criticism I have of both Pelican cases is scratches. The corners of both cases are now looking quite scratched as well as a few on the top, but that is purely cosmetic and they don’t seem to be in any danger of cracking. However, the ridges and corners of these hard cases have caused some issues on my kayak’s paintwork. Granted it is only a temporary paint job and I knew it would scratch easily, but I could see this being an issue with more permanent paint jobs too.

The hard, square cases are great at protecting the things inside, but they can be a bit tricky to pack. As my kayak is very curved they have to be strapped down and take up more space than their shape. For an evening paddle this isn’t a problem, but on the three-day paddle I found that I ended up pushing the larger Pelican case (which contained my valuables) right to the end of the kayak and just leaving it there for the trip so that it wasn’t in the way, or rubbing the Kevlar of my kayak or the more flimsy material of my dry bags.

I have noticed that the cases stay a bit open when they are not snapped shut. To be honest, I can’t remember if they were always like that or if it is sand in the hinges. When I push down on the lid they both close fine, but I am a bit worried that grit might compromise their functionality. I will wash them before next use and let them thoroughly dry and see if that makes a difference.

Overall I really trust these cases to keep the contents dry and protected. I am still trying to find the best spot for them in/on my kayak but other than that they work great!

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Further Field Testing

I have continued to use the Pelican Micro Cases on a number of day and overnight kayaking trips. These were all around Florida. Temperatures ranged from 45 to 80 F (13 to 27 C). Once again we managed to avoid rain. I used the cases on one overnight and one two-night camping-kayaking trips to eastern Florida, one 2-night car-camping kayaking trip in the Everglades, and two kayaking day trips. Therefore they saw 10 more days of use in generally temperate, humid weather, over about 100 miles (160 km).

Final Impressions

The Pelican Micro Cases have continued to function perfectly. They have never let any water in and have always protected their contents from getting knocked as well as getting wet. They have gained a few more scratches but I have never even worried slightly about them breaking. The cases are really amazingly durable considering how many times I have dropped them.

Despite being used frequently over the last few months the cases remain quite hard to open. It takes both hands and although I now have the knack of it, it has taken a few attempts sometimes. There is definitely no danger of them falling open!

My biggest complaint with the cases remains the fact that they damage paintwork. Both the gelcoat and the temporary paintwork have gained quite a few scratches. I now keep the big case down the side of my seat, but I like to have the small case on the deck of the kayak. I don’t know if there would be a way to make the edges of the ridges less sharp, or to not have them at all, but it is definitely a problem. Worth the trade-off that they protect things so well though!

I will certainly continue to use these cases. The small one is perfect for my camera, and it has protected it when it got dropped on quite a few occasions. I like to keep it on the deck with the carabiner clipped around a bungee, and this setup is really ideal for me. The larger case keeps my other valuables safe. I normally keep my car keys, cell phone, wallet and headlamp in there (I have a new smaller wallet so they all fit). I used to wrap the strap around the deck bungees and keep the case on the deck, but because of scratching I started keeping the case inside the kayak. There really isn’t a way to strap it so I have to rely on the fact that the cases float if I ever capsize. The strap has been a bit longer than I needed, and a carabiner would be nice for flexibility, but it is not a major issue.

Summary

The Pelican Micro Cases are durable, hard-shell plastic cases that have done a great job at protecting their contents over the last few months. Neither of them have ever leaked, and the perfect fit of my camera inside the smaller case has also protected it when I dropped it, even if the case landed upside down. I really like and trust these cases and will continue to use them for the foreseeable future.

Likes
Keep all water out
Durable
Protect contents from getting knocked
Float
Cases remain securely closed
Clear top keeps contents visible
1030 fits my camera perfectly
Carabiner and strap allow cases to be attached to kayak

Dislikes
Scratch kayak’s paintwork
Hard to open and close
Solid shell means they are harder to pack
Relatively expensive compared to soft-sided dry bags

This concludes my report. Many thanks to Pelican and to kayakgearreviews.org for the opportunity to test the Pelican Micro Cases.

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Paddler’s Bio

Name: Sophie Pearson
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Height: 5′ 8” (1.71 cm)
Weight: 180 lb (82 kg)
Location: Tampa, Florida
Email: sophiep3 at gmail dot com

Paddling style: I first got really hooked on kayaking in January 2008. I paddle a 36-year-old 13.5′ (4.1 m) sit-in kevlar kayak. I do flatwater kayaking on oceans and rivers year round. I prefer to do long-weekend paddles covering 50+ miles (80+ km), but also do many relaxed day trips, the odd race or two and some week-long paddles.

Read more posts by Sophie.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 31st, 2009 and is filed under Water Cases.