A teaser - this little tool is intrinsic to a new development of a product I've already reviewed quite favorably. The development makes the product even better. Anyone recognize it? I covered the brand with a Post-it note.
The customized Trekpak/Pelican 1510 system, top layer.
Here's the rest of the story.
Some time ago I reviewed the then-new TrekPak camera case divider system (here). I was impressed by the perfect combination of padding and shock protection offered by the relatively thin (and thus space-efficient) proprietary TrekPak divider panels. Experiments with a Pelican 1550 proved I could fit noticeably more equipment in the same volume, with equal or superior protection compared to pluck-foam or hook-and-loop foam panels. And the system was very nearly completely custom-fit.
Very nearly. The kit comprised top and bottom open-cell foam pads, a pre-cut perimeter of the TrekPak closed-cell-foam/plastic-core material, plus a bundle of pre-cut sections of the same stuff to build the interior. I found I could accommodate just about every piece of camera gear I wanted—but there were a few gaps, a few places where I couldn’t quite make the existing piece stretch where I wanted. At the time I mused that it would be nice to have panels available a la carte, but TrekPak founder Georgia Hoyer is going one better and will be offering complete, do-it-yourself kits for several models of Pelican cases. These will comprise the same top, bottom, and perimeter pieces, along with a bundle of bulk-length separator panels.
She sent me one for the Pelican 1510 rolling carry-on case I’m testing as airline transport for our camera and video equipment. I sat down with some cardboard for templates, messed around for a few minutes with placement, and then started cutting with the cunning little double-bladed cutter included in the kit. Given the generous depth of the 1510, I fabricated a two-layer system, using sections of panel as padding between them.
When I finished, I was—to use the British term—gobsmacked at the amount of equipment I’d successfully, and neatly, packed into the relatively compact (universal carry-on compliant) 2,700 cubic inches of the 1510. There were enough interior panel sections to construct exactly the matrix I needed to exploit the available space. The total comprised:
Two Canon 5D MkII bodies
Two flash units
300mm F4 L lens
70-200 F4 L lens
24-105 F4 L lens
17-40 F4 L lens
100mm macro lens
15mm fisheye lens
1.4 converter
Electronic viewfinder for video work
Two battery chargers
Two spare AA battery holders
Four spare camera batteries
Flash extension cord
Lens hoods
Card reader
Card holder
Flashlight
Simply put, I cannot imagine a better system for carrying and protecting expensive optical equipment. TrekPak has successfully produced something that existed only in my imagination for the last 25 years. Highly recommended.
Bottom layer.