Condition 1Condition 1 22" Large Rolling Lockable Hard Storage Case with Foam, Model 300, Waterproof Protective Box for Camera, Tactical, Scientific Gear, Made in USA, 21.84"x13.82"x9" Tan

20200229I want to like it more ... but I'm having a hard time. It has some attractive aspects, particularly that it is made in Texas. The case has many contradictions, such as the shell being sturdy, really sturdy, but the interior foam not so much.This case is great to have for protection that conforms to TSA specs, but it will force you to make some hard choices. Why would you want this case, rather than a regular camera bag? Because airlines are not very friendly, and they don't care who is carrying what, so if you get on the plane, even being a good flyer with only two carry-ons, and there is no room because the people in front of you are not such nice folks, the airline will make you check your bag. The airline won't ask if your bag is more important because it has expensive camera gear, the flight attendant will just order you to check it. They don't care. So, if it gets checked, it needs to be able to be locked, and it needs to be able to withstand the abuse dished out by the baggage handling.Hence, the Condition 1 case. This case is the 22" you-can-carry-it-onto-the-airplane size. That is nice to be able to carry it on, but the foam padding is so thick, don't expect to put very much into the case. The problem is the foam, it is not very dense, and it is the "pluckable" stuff that you customize for the items. Customizing is great, but BEWARE, it is a one-way trip. The foam is pluckable, which means once you've pulled it apart, there is no going back. Also, since the foam is not that dense, you need to leave a lot of foam between each item. I found that anything less than 2 cubes of foam was unworkable, and I tried to leave 3 pluckable cubes where possible.The other problem with the foam is it is not very dense. Not being so dense, more foam is needed to properly cradle the camera equipment.The next big problem is the size. This is not Condition 1's doing, it is the limitation of the 22" max for the airplane. The problem is this limits choices. Optimally, in the pluckable foam setting, it is best to place items vertically. For cameras, this means the lenses going up and down. For pistols, it would mean barrel down (or put another way, not laying things in horizontally). Doing this will get more items into the box. BUT, what lens will fit in there vertically. NOT the Sony G master 70-200. Certainly not the Sigma 150-600. Placing lenses in vertically, I can store a 100mm prime, a 50mm prime, one Sony 24-240 zoom, a camera body, and some incidentals (batteries, cards, and straps).Condition 1, if you are reading, you could have done a very different and much better system for this one box, specifically for camera equipment. Something more like what camera bags use, but just a little heavier.And, Condition 1, get better foam. This stuff is too light, feels like it will disolve in a few years. And, just use solid foam, not the pluckable stuff. The problem with pluckable foam is it will "pluck" by itself. Or, one mistake, and a piece is missing that you cannot put back. Solid foam, a sharpie, and a sharp blade would work much better. Or, as I said, a real padded divider system. ESPECIALLY since you are charging more money for this than some of the larger boxes.20200312 UpdateI took the case on a trip. I fits perfectly in the overhead bin, it fills the bin almost completely. The size is just so there is enough slack to get the case in and out. I also took an empty LowePro camera bag with me, which was a good thing, since this case is nearly useless for doing anything outside of a car or an airport.Walking through the airport, the case is a bit unstable. Even the slightest bump or lift in the floor will upset the case, causing it to wobble back and forth. Twice it completely tipped over. Once the case gets off-balance, it wobbles back and forth with increased motion. I have not tested it more, or measured it, but I suspect that the wheel base is not appropriate for the righting arm, so once it is off balance, the motion will increase rather than decrease. Keep a firm grip on it.The carry-behind handle release is not ergonomic. To release the handle (to extend it) you must press on a plastic retainer. This requires two hands. Two hands are not always available when in the airport dealing with other items.Also, the case shape sacrifices interior space for exterior asymmetric reinforcing. The case could have been made to have a bit more room on the inside. Changing the shape of the case would also allow spacing the wheels further apart, which would make the case more stable.Lastly, Condition 1 offers a variety of case sizes. Most of the cases have a price point proportionate to their size. This case is an outlier. Condition 1 charges a premium for this case, it being more expensive than the larger 25" x 10" version. That appears to me to be nothing more than price gouging because this case conforms to the TSA dimension constraints.Overall, the case is adequate, but I will be considering other systems in the future.

Review for the #300. Upon receipt of the case it looks to be every bit as good as a Pelican, I have many Pelicans. There are a few minor differences. The purge valve of the Condition 1 is small, means nothing it probably works as stated. The wheels of the Condition 1 are far superior to the Pelican, they look to be much sturdier and are of an off road type vs Pelican's smooth airport wheel. This is a large case, it has in the interior two customizable foam inserts, a solid foam insert then one on the bottom and an egg foam on the top. There is a heck of a lot to be said for this case!!! I'm impressed even though I've not used it yet (came today, ordered Sat night, delivered Mon). I'm planning on putting four large revolvers in this case, two of which have expensive red dot's (read not the cheap crap that sells for $40) thus I want these pistols while toting to a real shooting spot (not a shooting range) need really good protection. This case I guarantee will do it. So will Pelican at a much higher price point. I'm not slamming Pelican, it's the best on the planet, but - I believe this case to be equal in many respects and superior in some. While not having thrown this case with pistols in it from a moving truck I think I will trust this case equally with my Pelican's. I think they both would withstand some serious abuse while maintaining the integrity of my expensive hardware inside. I'd give Condition 1 a serious look. A genuine non paid/non solicited review from one customer.

Compared to similar sized HF Apache 5800 case, the Condition 1 case has, imho:better hand grips (rubber covered)better wheels (bigger, at least twice as wide, better tread)better hingesbetter latchessomewhat less wobbly pullout roller handleone more layer of peel and pluck foamidentical weight (my scale indicates 13.8 lbs for both)better looking (I like the coarse sandpaper look of the Condition 1 better than the Apace smooth plastic look)higher price

This case is nice. I'd been looking for a way to organize some of my tools. Solid construction and I was able to fit more stuff into this case than I expected. For the price, this case is a steal.

Excellent construction, high quality materials. Could not be happier with this case especially for the price. Case is everything it is advertised to be

Great sturdy case without the Pelican cost. Smaller than anticipated but works. Great product! Would buy the next bigger model. Foam is removable except for lid foam.

Very sturdy

Fits my diagonal, guidescope and autoguider. Wish pick-and-pluck form was a bit more solid. Or an changable insert system was available like in some of your cases.

Durable quality and easy to shape interior foam. Would definitely buy again considering how much a ‘Pelican’ case of the same size costs.