July 26th, 2007

Torture Testing - The big case test - Part 3

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 7:23 am

Categories: Torture Test

Tags: Latch, Abuse, Hinge, Foam, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

This is Part 3 in a 3 part series of posts –> Post 1 | Post 2

Conclusions and closing thoughts

OK, time to draw a few conclusions.  Overall, I’ve been impressed with how much abuse some of these cases can take, and some seem capable of absorbing and shrugging off extreme levels of abuse. 

Let’s start with the Storm Case iM2050.  Everything about this case is designed with robustness in mind - the latches, the durable plastic, the strong hinges, the secure seals, the foam that can be easily cut to provide a custom fit for your gear.  I wouldn’t go as far as to call it bombproof (because I don’t have a bomb to hand … :-), but it’s as close to indestructible as cases go.  I’ve not seen a case able to take so much abuse without showing any signs of failure.

Personal note: We’ve had first-hand experience of just how much abuse Storm cases can take before - one of ours (an iM2100) was in a traffic collision a few years ago which resulted in the case being crushed between a door and a bulkhead (so much so that an imprint of the case could be seen on the outer skin or the door).  Inside this case was a fair bit of photographic and electronic equipment.  When I saw the vehicle and how the case was embedded inside it I didn’t hold out much hope for it or the contents, however, when I managed to free it, both the case and contents were fine - and the case is still in active duty.  We look at the battle scars as medals of honor.

I’m also impressed with the Seahorse SX 300.  Even though this case leaked water in the rain test, this case is both compact and very strong.  It doesn’t feel as robust as the Storm Case iM2050 (the plastic shell of the Storm Case feels soft and rubbery while the Seahorse feels harder and more brittle, also the stainless steel fittings and the strong latches on the Storm Case feel more robust) but in reality it still offers a very secure shell for your electronic gear.  One critique of the Seahorse is the foam.  Personally, I’d feel happier if it came with two layers of thick foam and a thicker bottom layer.

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