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Archive 2011 · Recommend a locking hard case to store my gear in my car?

  
 
fuzzybabybunny
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Recommend a locking hard case to store my gear in my car?


I travel around a lot and frequently need to leave gear in my car (hatchback with tinted windows). I'm looking for a case that could store maybe 4 bodies and 4 lenses.

The case needs to:

1. Lock.

2. Be able to be chained/cabled to something, either to somewhere in my car or my garage for storage.

Any ideas? I've looked at Pelican cases, but I don't know if I need all the features plus everyone knows Pelicans cases always hold expensive stuff.



Nov 26, 2011 at 01:24 PM
sjms
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Recommend a locking hard case to store my gear in my car?


any hard case tends to hold expensive type stuff. i mean why would one invest in one to begin with? in fact any case that one can see perks the opportunists interest.

your choice is to park in a secured lot
and i suggest against storage in your garage



Nov 26, 2011 at 01:34 PM
EB-1
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Recommend a locking hard case to store my gear in my car?


You can put bars on the windows and install 3rd party locks like a utility vehicle, but insurance and common sense are the best bet.

EBH



Nov 26, 2011 at 01:56 PM
Roland W
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Recommend a locking hard case to store my gear in my car?


So a Pelican case can slow them down a little, or in some cases save your stuff. I have use one for car travel where I needed to leave things in the back of an SUV at times, and it worked OK for me. Half of the people that would steal from you might be defeated by a locked Pelican secured to the car, but the other half will just cut or break and get the stuff anyway. I would never recomend doing this for routine storage, and only for times when you have no other choice. I do use Pelican cases for some of my storage in my house, but not for security reasons.

The newer versions of the larger Pelican cases have a pair of padlock holes that are large enough for a padlock. I used a security cable run through tie-downs in my SUV, and around the Pelican, and then with the two loop ends of the cable in the hasp of the padlock that was also securing the case closed.

Making things less visible by covering them with "junk" that actually looks "normal" for a car will also relieve some of the temptation to break in. Obviously you can not get some of your gear out of the car at the destination without telling the bad guys that you are a good target, so stow the things in back before arrivial, and make it look like you took all the expensive stuff with you as you walk away.



Nov 26, 2011 at 07:55 PM
wickerprints
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Recommend a locking hard case to store my gear in my car?


Insurance is a no-brainer, but you still don't want to just leave things in your car without making it as difficult as possible for thieves to steal. Yes, the best thing you can do is to never leave gear in your car unattended, period.

If you absolutely MUST leave camera gear in your car, the most secure way to do it is to have a lock box bolted into your trunk/cargo area, closed with a strong locking mechanism. No, it will not be bomb-proof. It's not about stopping some thief with 30 minutes and industrial bolt cutters. But it's the most reasonable solution and it will prevent all but the most determined acts of theft.



Nov 26, 2011 at 08:21 PM
watkinssr
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Recommend a locking hard case to store my gear in my car?


I have one of these bolted to the floor of my Isuzu:
http://www.tuffyproducts.com/p-96-025-super-security-storage-trunk.aspx

I wouldn't leave anything in there overnight in a bad neighborhood, but in a well lit parking lot of restaurant or something I can be pretty certain that it'll be there when I get out.

It would make too much noise to get into it in a populated area with a crowbar or something.

that particular box will hold my boda bag, a camera body, and either my laptop or my qpaqx and a couple of heads for it. But they do make bigger ones, and they are pretty tough.



Nov 26, 2011 at 10:35 PM
rkgatteleport
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Recommend a locking hard case to store my gear in my car?


Camouflage and not drawing attention to the fact you have something valuable
in the back is often your friend.

the problem with any kind of "box" in an area like that is that it can still be seen even through tinted windows (you gotta love those led flashlights I guess), and that can be an invitation for somebody to just pop a window to see what's in there (though there's less chance of that if it doesn't look valuable or looks too big to carry off easily).

Does your vehicle have one of those retracting fabric covers over the area where you want to stow your gear? If so, then maybe a locking case that bolts
to the floor would work out, though I'm never sure how far overboard to go on these -
it doesn't actually take all that much to stop the casual "smash and grab" type of thief, but
even the best locks can be defeated pretty easily - either by somebody who knows
what they are doing or by simply pointing a gun at your head and asking you to
open it...

If this is your job or something, you might also consider changing cars and getting
something with a real trunk (and then putting a bolt-to-the floor case inside of that),
and again make sure you never get anything out of it at your destination so nobody
can see you might have something valuable in there...).

Good Luck,

rkg
(Richard George)








Nov 27, 2011 at 02:05 PM
pompeio
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Recommend a locking hard case to store my gear in my car?


You might also want to consider looking at PacSafe's mesh bags to place your bag/case in. I have cable locked my ThinkTank Airport bags to the floor hooks in my van when I am not in the vehicle. I believe a thief, and not a slash and grab opportunist, would have to have some tools (not just a knife) to cut the mesh.


Nov 28, 2011 at 11:41 AM
sjms
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Recommend a locking hard case to store my gear in my car?


yep, they're called heavy duty diagonal cutters. about 12" in length and makes fairly quick work of the pacSafe cabling. these are 7.5" long. designed for wire rope multi strand up to 6mm.

http://www.knipex.com/fileadmin/site/knipex/scripts/mediando/images/KNIPEX/Produktfotos/web/normal/95611904k.jpg



Nov 28, 2011 at 12:15 PM
Zebrabot
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Recommend a locking hard case to store my gear in my car?


just leave the stuff closest to the cheapest to replace window you have.


Nov 29, 2011 at 03:28 PM
GroovyGeek
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Recommend a locking hard case to store my gear in my car?


This may be a cheap solution that is surprisingly robust and also tends to be an effective disguise, particularly if you use a beat-up cooler

http://www.pronaturephotographer.com/2011/11/michele-westmorlands-unique-tip-on-packing-equipment-for-international-travel/



Dec 02, 2011 at 02:26 AM
EB-1
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Recommend a locking hard case to store my gear in my car?


It depends on the destination. In a national park a cooler might be good. In a big city I'm not so sure that the thieves would not think it contained something valuable.

EBH



Dec 02, 2011 at 07:37 AM





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