This channel reviews a class of daypack known as the crossover daypack. These are daypacks that at home as a commuter backpack as well as a backpack for weekend day hikes. In a sense, they are the perfect travel backpack that will fit under an airline seat and yet provide the versatility to be a useful for both business and pleasure once you arrive at your destination. I have an associated blog at daypackfinder.blogspot.com for more reviews and relevant articles.
The bottom line is the pelican is a tank has been serving the military for literally decades. If you had seen what abuse pelican cases have been put through in the military it would be very hard to question its ruggedness. I’m stunned anyone would come to the conclusion that the nanuk is built better after handling both
Thank you for a very thorough and well thought out comparison. Really first rate stuff. I own two Pelican 1510 cases with dividers and lid organizers, and just purchased (waiting for delivery) a larger Nanuk 938 case for some flash equipment. As you point out in your feature comparison, the Nanuk has the edge in most key areas and that, coupled with their lower pricing made it an easy choice for me. While the TrekPack system for the Pelican seems like a real innovation at first glance, you do cut the individual elements to create a more or less custom interior divider system which is not as easily reconfigured as the more traditional padded velcro system. In other words, once you cut all the pieces for your current equipment, adding or taking away can be a bit more problematic than the velcro setup. Both are great cases - but it's hard to beat the feature and value proposition of the Nanuk in my view.
I always aim to pack light, but to me this has never been mutually exclusive with only carrying one bag, it’s just a practical solution to having scoliosis and being prone to losing things on vacation. I never really saw how those giant backpacks I see tourists carry all the time was less cumbersome than a small personal bag and a carry-on sized suitcase. I also don’t think the backpacks I’ve seen many onebaggers carry make them look less like tourists… Not fighting for overhead storage is definitely a benefit to one bagging with a personal item, but for longer trips having an extra pair of shoes and more changes of clothes is usually worth it to me
one other option, to go with the Leofoto tripods which have the systematic top (LM/LN series eg: 404C ), and go with the leveling bowl adaptor (75 or 100mm) and add a leveling bowl to that, with the arca Swiss style clamp incorporated, thus giving strength (75% of spider diameter) and the ease of use {like cinema users have, the knob down below, which screws onto a stud going to the leveling bowl}, btw the LARGER knob of the Leofoto is better, as you can grip it easier, as its bigger, and you use a coarse motion, not a delicate fiddly one, with your wrist, not your finger tips!!, so would be easier with gloves on.
at 14:42 one addition to this point, on most Leofoto tripods the top is of the "systematic" design, so the plate is secured to this head first, off the tripod, using an Allen key then the systematic plate is secured onto the tripods spider; thereafter the only movement is by taking off the systematic head from the spider, the connection to the head isn't disturbed, unless for head maintenance.
Ok, I picked up both of these cases (Pelican 1510 & Nanuk 935), and I'd like to weigh in on what I think of both of these, and why I'm keeping the Pelican and sending back the Nunuk. First off, the Pelican is "meaningfully" bigger both in width and depth. What do I meaning by meaningfully? I have a Nikon D850 and a Canon R5C. I like to pack the cameras on their sides, with their handles facing up. This makes it easier to grab them, and it also makes it so they use up less space in the case, as the cameras are shorter than they are wide. So I want the wide side up. Well the Nanuk is not deep enough to support this packing style. I have to lay the camera down flat, which means it used more space in the case, and is harder to grab. Also, I like to leave my Canon 70-200 F2.8 on the camera, and in the Pelican, I can have the camera running front to back no problem. In the Nanuk the rubber on the view finder is pressed into the case, putting wear on the view finder. Additionally, I can store my other Canon glass (the 15-35 F2.8, and 24-70 F2.8) standing up in the Pelican, but absolutely cannot in the Nanuk, so they have to be laying down, using even more space. All of this translates into the Nanuk having **VASTLY** less space in "practice," as I have to store things in orientations that waste a lot of space. The next observation I would make about the Nanuk is that the padded organizer off gasses something fierce. When I removed it from its back it instantly giving me a sore throat and a headache. I'm sure you can eventually let this air out enough that it'll be fine, but keep this in mind. The Pelican does not have this problem. Another thing I don't like about the Nanuk is the fact it's not as well balanced as the Pelican. When I open the pelican up empty, it sits open without rolling back, whereas the Nanuk does roll back when empty. This is not a "huge" deal, but it is annoying. Things I like about the Nanuk... I do like the trick latches. The extendable wheel-around handle is nicer. But neither of these things amount to a life-altering win in my opinion. Though they do make the case "feel" more polished. But I suspect Pelican's approach is probably more robust, as Pelican is using simpler mechanisms, though who knows how this actually works out in practice. All of that said, the Nanuk's internal dimensions are simply a deal breaker for me. Which honestly I'm thankful for, as I don't want to deal with the off gassing issue for who knows how long.
Very nice install. I share your desire to keep it looking as clean as possible and appreciate the wire management you did. You may wish to add a triple bob mount to keep that battery extra secure and have no creaking noises as the battery case can flex.
Great review thanks. I want to buy an Osprey but can't decide on which. I want something solid, but simple. This one seems to have a bit too many compartments and your observation at minute 9 convinced me to keep looking: 30L is too much. 25 or 28 sounds more like it. The search goes on!
I was leaning towards the Nanuk before I saw your video so now I’m pretty sure I’m getting the Nanuk. I will be using it for international travel so I have to check it as a checked bag, so although I was thinking of getting the divider system, I’m thinking the foam insert might provide better protection for a checked bag. Thoughts?
The nanuk side handle is annoying when you roll the case it jiggles and makes a lot of noise I always have to use a cloth to prevent from the clanky noise otherwise I love the nanuk very much
A couple of things stand out to me. First, one criterion I would have liked to see compared was weight. These are specifically for air travel, so weight really is an important factor. Also, I get that maybe these are the two that you have, but a better comparison would have been the 1535 vs. the Nanuk. As you noted, some features in the 1510 seem to be afterthoughts. That’s because that’s exactly what they are. The 1510 was the very first of this type of hard case turned into a carry-on. So Pelican basically just took one of their off-the shelf hard cases and bolted on bits to turn it into a roller bag. Later models, like the 1535 and the 935, benefitted from the experience of the 1510, and were designed from the ground up as roller carry-ons. For example, the reasons you gave the 935 the point for build-quality were really more about design than the quality of construction, and that’s because the 1510 wasn’t designed from the ground up for this purpose. The 1535, on the other hand, was, and if you look at those things you listed under “build quality” for the 935, you’ll see that the 1535 is much more like the 935.
I’ve seen lots of critiques of the load lifter straps, but they’re critical in my mind. Without them attached, if you (or a parter) unzip the rear panel to reach for something inside, the entire pack flops open, dumping your gear on the ground. Also, when the pack is closed, almost the entire weight of the pack is levered off that top zipper seam.
Those lashpoints are good for a clip pepper spray or clip clashlight. I use a similar bag for walking dogs at night, and these things come in handy, and need access quick
I know this video is years past, but I just picked up the Nanuk 935 (Sept 2023) for a shoot/travel to Singapore. (From USA) I got the padded/organizer version. I was able to suprisingly fit quite a bit of gear inside despite its small footprint in appearance. I was concerned about this. I installed the TSA locks kit, which was a simple install. That being said, if you're also considering this kit, understand that "anti-theft" really equates to "anti-deterrent." If a determined thief wants inside this case, they'll find several ways to get in, which could include the low tech method of just cutting a hole in the plastic, or picking the locks with a simple paperclip. Since I'm headed to Singapore, I'm not too worried. If it were Malaysia or Indonesia, this would be a totally different story. 😂 The TSA lock kit simply keeps out the "honest" folks. People who will notice them and decide its not worth getting caught fumbling with locks. Since the kit is relatively cheap, why not? At least, it looks cool and official, and I think that's the point. They're also well constructed. It's slightly better ABS than the original latches. We love upgrades, ami'right? I haven't gone through the airline check-in/TSA screening process with it yet, but I'd imagine it's going to be pretty straightforward. One thing, the case is hefty in terms of weight, so right off the bat, you're aleeady at 11lbs just for the case. So calculate accordingly. The good thing is if by chance the airline makes you check (keep some li-ion in the case to dissaude this) your gear is well-protected in terms of handling. That being said, if a TSA agent or bag handler decides it's a good day to help themselves to some free kit, you're going to have less of a stellar day. What, you didn't know theives also wear uniforms? My bro in law was a bag handler. Oh, the stories he had. 😂 Overall, the case seems legit. Satisfied. This video helped seal the deal. As a side note, I noticed some ppl being concerned about scuffs and dings. It's a case, not the camera gear inside of it. A case is going to get beat up. If not, you're not working enough. Just embrace your inner Nanuk. I'm surprised they don't throw in a free vile of maple syrup. Okay, I'm leaving now. 😂 ***UPDATE*** 12/2/2023 I'm back in the States from Singapore. The case performed beautifully. No complaints. None. This was a worthy purchase indeed.
Would be nice to see a crush test, like a hard corner hitting the middle of the top part of both cases and how it affects the material. I find the extended handle of the pelican a deal breaker, feels like they tried to reinvent the wheel and stuck to it, too much flex and the ears are annoying. Also the removable metal hinge on the Nanuk is genius actually, not for everyone of course, but i like it a lot. Best side by side comparison i've seen, thanks.
the bag has no issues but for your needs i would say a plastic bag would be perfect, no zippers to forget to close, your files would go great there :))))
