Because of my job in the Air Force, and as a writer, I spend a significant amount of time traveling around the world. Over the last 12 years, I’ve been away from home for almost half of it, whether on course, exercise, deployment, or off on a writing gig.
While I am not a professional photographer, I drag my camera everywhere I go. Photography has been a great motivator for perfecting the art of capturing memories, and more importantly, it keeps me active despite my hip injury.
I originally started using a Nomatic Mckinnon Camera Pack 35l, but with all my electronics, the pack weighs a ton. This isn’t a fault of the pack — it works wonderfully — my hip just wasn’t a fan of carrying over 50 pounds of electronics on my back.
I was looking for an alternative and the chance to check out the SKB iSeries 3i-2011-7DL rolling camera case came along. After using it during a few weeks of travel in Iceland and at home, I’m thrilled with how it performed. It just might be my perfect setup.
Why a hard Camera case?
The answer to this is two-fold in my mind: protecting my gear and ease of movement.
Protecting your Investment
The iSeries case with Think Tank Camera Insert provides optimal protection for the plethora of electronics I both need and want to drag around the world with me.
On my recent trip, I had this case packed to its limits. This list isn’t exhaustive but it included:
- Three lenses
- A camera
- Drone and controller
- Gaming laptop
- Power plug
- Travel adapter
- Power bar
- Filters and other accessories
- My trusty tripod
The contents of this case are worth more than what I make in several months of work. Damage to anything in it would be both depressing and a monetary setback that I would prefer not to deal with.
I need a case that can be carried onto a plane or secured on military flights with massive cargo straps. A soft bag could potentially get damaged in these situations. There’s also the risk of being forced to check your bag, where it will likely be tossed around like a rugby ball or left out in the weather.
The weatherproof, lockable, hard plastic outer with the padded inner lining of the iSeries case with inserts, ensures that someone would really have to try to destroy or steal the contents.
Ease of Movement
The second benefit of a rolling hard case is not having to carry all that gear on your back. It doesn’t matter if it is tarmac, concrete, carpet, or the mean streets of Iceland, the rubber rollerblade wheels make it to drag this case behind you.
The case wasn’t meant to be drug on rocks and trails, but then again, why would you be taking this case into those areas? Instead, you can strap it to your roof rack or canoe, or if necessary, use the comfortable side or top handle to carry it over these obstacles.
The extendable handle only locks into a single extended position but due to the case rolling on two wheels, it will work with people of various heights. For instance, I am 6′ 3″ and my wife is 5′ 4″ and we both find the handle to be a comfortable height.
Speaking of the handle, I also use it to attach my small sling camera bag when traveling. I leave the case in whatever vehicle we have when adventuring and toss essentials like a drone and controller, or a camera and spare lens, into the sling bag. This setup has allowed me to pack for whatever situation I want to photograph without adding bulk to my body.
Exterior Features
The exterior of the case doesn’t have a ton of features but the ones that are there, are well thought out.
The rollerblade wheels are user-serviceable and replaceable with a single screw. This means you can remove them to clean out the bearings and oil them if they get filled with gunk. If you eventually wear them down, new ones can be installed.
Handles
The case features three handles: two fold-out handles, one on the side and one on the top, as well as an extending handle. The fold-out handles have a rubber overmold for improved grip and comfort when carrying the case, while the extending handle is made of plastic. The fold-out handles are designed with a light friction hold to stay securely in place when folded, and the extending handle can be easily extended by pressing a red button.
Latches, Lock Points, and Pressure Release
The case is equipped with two SKB Trigger Latches, each featuring a spring clip. This latch design is one of the easiest to operate among the hard cases I own. The latches are secure and can not be forced open by fingers without extreme force unless the spring latch is depressed first.
A metal-reinforced locking point is located to the outside of each latch. Not every plastic case has this feature and I have noticed that other brands show wear on around their locking points from repeated lock insertion. So far these look pristine on my sample with no wear to the holes.
I used both locking points in conjunction with a bicycle cable lock to secure the case in a vehicle when I was not around. I find a sturdy section of the seat that I can run the cable through, mount it, and then lock both locks over the cable. Let’s be honest. Locks keep the honest and lazy out and my only hope is that this setup will slow down a would-be thief and encourage them to move on to an easier target.
Between the latches is an automatic pressure release port that equalizes the pressure inside the case with the outside. Significant changes in elevation, temperature, or external pressure can create a pressure differential inside the case, similar to how a plunger can stick to a flat surface. This can make the case difficult to open. The automatic pressure relief valve allows for easy opening by maintaining equal pressure, all while keeping dust and water out of the case.
Interior Features
Padded Dividers
The inside of the SKB case has an ample amount of Think Tank padded dividers to help keep your gear safe. Running left to right inside the case are two thick, felt-covered, foam dividers. This is the main shock protector for your gear. The righthand corners of the case basket are rounded and padded to accommodate the wheels.
The case includes an ample amount of removable mini dividers in three different widths made of thinner foam. These dividers have hook-and-loop fasteners on them and are placed into the case front to back to divide into columns, allowing you to snugly fit lenses, cameras, and other items. The thicker dividers can bend and attach to the front and back walls of the case to accommodate less boxy-shaped items like your camera.
When you receive the case it is set up so the camera is placed in the bottom left, and one of the mini dividers can be adjusted to fit various lens lengths or just the camera body. If you need to use the case for other items, the entire padded basket can easily be lifted out.
While on my recent trips, the padded camera area was able to carry all of the typical gear I would want with me. Everything Jenga’d in with ease and arrived with zero damage despite some rough handling in and out of vehicles.
Lid Organizer
The Think Tank lid organizer has three zippered pockets: two running horizontally on the laptop pocket and a deeper vertical pocket on the right side of the lid. The laptop organizer securely held my MSI 15″ gaming laptop. My only gripe is that I wish the top of the sleeve had a bit more accordion-style flexibility to help thicker laptops clear the rim of the lid more easily. This won’t be an issue with a tablet or super thin laptop. The laptop is kept snug in laptop sleeve with a velcro strap at the top.
I used the horizontal pockets on the laptop sleeve to store various USB cables, a portable SSD, and aUSB hub. The vertical pocket easily accommodated my travel wireless mouse, spare drone parts, and tools, with loads of extra room.
Final Thoughts
The SKB iSeries 3i-2011-7DL case is now part of my travel rotation. The combination of the well-thought-out and sturdy SKB case with the Think Tank internals protects my gear and helps relieve travel anxiety. The rubber wheels and three handles make it easy to navigate buses, cars, planes, airports, and hotels. The extended handle conveniently holds my sling bags, which count as personal items on flights.
With this setup, no more will my shoulders and hips feel like they are going to crumble when I decide to bring 70 pounds of electronics, glass, and plastic. Plus, these cases are made in America by a company that has been around employing Americans since 1977. Check out SKB Cases for this camera case and other cases that might help you protect your investments and better organize your gear.
