Survival Stories
Unearthing the Power of Peli Cases: A Survival Story Amidst the Flames at James Madison's Montpelier
On the evening of Monday, April 8th, at James Madison's Montpelier estate, a fire broke out in their archaeology office and lab, causing significant damage. However, amidst the devastation, a remarkable story of survival emerged. Thanks to the robust protection of two Peli ProtectorTM cases and three Peli Air Cases, much of their essential tech equipment, including cameras and iPads, was shielded from the worst effects of the fire.
Flash Flood is no Match for Peli Protector Case
On August 13, 2023, a severe rainstorm hit the area, causing a flash flood. Portions of the road were damaged, trees uprooted, fences gone, and neighboring driveways washed out. Harrison’s friend’s basement was submerged under 9 feet of water.
When the Heat Rises, Peli Stays Cool: A Fire Survival Story
As Don heading home from Louisiana on I20 East in his Ford pickup he heard a very distinct boom as his truck began to catch fire. His dashcam captured the terrifying moment, until the flames swallowed the view and the video cuts off.
Peli Case Saves Gear From Studio Fire
Artists and creatives gathered but all they could do was watch as their studios, occupying a two-story historic building in San Francisco, caught ablaze quickly spreading throughout the building and shooting flames out the upper story windows. The SFFD positioned their trucks on scene, and soon the roaring hot flames were doused with thousands of gallons of water. Thankfully the building was entirely commercial, and no one was within the building at the time it caught fire. This is a nightmare scenario for anyone, having their work jeopardized by an accident at the workplace. This 2-alarm fire within a historic building caused millions of dollars worth of damage and completely burned the offices and studios of multiple artists and creatives. Could your gear survive a fire or flood in your studio?
Rescued Peli Flashlights
During a recent subsea platform inspection with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) at a depth of ~67 metres (~73 yards) we found a SabreLite 2010i LED torch and the following day, a MityLite 1905i LED torch that had been dropped overboard from the offshore installation. Always mindful of the environment (and very curious) we retrieved both torches and brought them to the surface.
Ice Storm No Match for Peli 1510
I woke early the next morning to prepare for my trip and had a rude awakening as we surveyed the damage. Along with my normal luggage, my Peli 1510 Protector Case was in the back of the now smashed SUV covered by the fallen tree, a huge amount of ice and broken branches.
Peli Cooler Burnt to Crisp - and Still Has Ice!
It all started as he was towing his travel trailer home from the lake. In his rearview mirror, he saw smoke and flames pouring out of the trailer windows. With some quick action and a 911 call he was able to stop on the shoulder and somehow unhook the trailer to avoid losing his new truck, too.
Crushproof and Crashproof
I was on my way home from teaching a women’s “stop the bleed” and firearms safety course at the Homestead (Florida) training center for Triad medical training. I had my Peli 1615 Air Case tied down in the bed of my truck with my range setup inside. I was at a stoplight when I heard two cars coming up behind me at a high rate of speed. I realized they were coming into my lane and not stopping. The lead car struck the rear of my truck spinning me into the intersection and ejecting my Peli Case from the bed of my truck. My Peli Case ended up in the middle of the intersection and got dragged under a pickup truck, until it got run over and became dislodged. The gentleman who’s truck it was under noticed the case dislodge from under his truck and took it home. Upon inspection he found my fiancé’s business card in the ID slot and reached out, reuniting me with my gear!
14 Floor Fall
"I want to take a moment of your time to express my complete satisfaction with my Peli 2360! I’m an operating engineer and while working on the 14th floor my Peli (I didn’t clip it on) slipped out of the top pocket of my overalls and drop the 1 floors to the concrete apron below. Upon retrieving the “2360”, I found it to suffer MINOR damage considering!
High Stopping Power
I have several of your hard cases for my rifles. This last weekend I was heading to my ranch and I had put my new rifle in the bed of my truck with another case. The truck was pulling a trailer about 8-10 feet off the ground. I’m not sure how, but my case flew out while I was doing about 70 mph, hit the concrete and flipped end over end for nearly 60 yards. I didn’t know it had fallen until I got to my place. A man that was traveling behind me, saw it happen and picked it up. Luckily he was an honest man and I got it back the next day.
Washed Up on a Beach
This is a testament to how awesome your cases are. I lost it in Kaipara Harbour and it washed up on a beach on the Awhitu Peninsula about a month later. The west coast of New Zealand is pretty rugged with big swells and a harsh marine environment. It would have been pounded on its way in before being dumped on the high water mark. The case had definitely been floating around for most of the month it was lost – just by the size of the goose barnacles which have started to encrust it. Also, from the barnacle growth, I can tell it had spent nearly all of its time with the seal below the water line. When the case was opened it was clear there hadn’t been any leaks and the O-ring had worked a treat (slight moisture inside was from condensation only). All my gear was returned to me (by a kind soul called John) and my phone was working fine. I’d entirely given up hope of getting it back and some people I spoke to, reckoned it would be on the bottom of the ocean (I heard, “yeah those cases are waterproof, but they’re not THAT waterproof”, it was nice to prove those people wrong and get all my belongings back). I use Peli cases regularly in my work, recognising them as the best available. I also use the Peli laptop case (as well as my grey 1400) when I’m out on the boat and my boss uses various cases when he takes his gear down to Antarctica!
Stuck in the South Gobi Desert, Mongolia
I was out in the south Gobi desert in Mongolia a while back, and we had a flat tire on our vehicle. The guys I was with did not want me to help change it, they told me they had flats all the time. After they got the tire and wheel off, they knocked the truck off the jack and into the sand. I told them I wanted to use my Peli case as cribbing. They said no and went looking for rocks to use to jack the rig back up. While they were gone I took the jack, and using my case as a block changed the tire. I never had a doubt about the ability of the case to handle the load. They were astounded, (we had a lot of gear in the rig), but they are believers now!
The Safest Way To Drag a Laptop
A few days ago, I had set off for work in a hurry. I set my backpack behind the car to be put in the trunk, but remembered I left my keys inside the house. I forgot about the backpack, and backed down the driveway. Five minutes later I realized what I had done and pulled over. I had dragged the backpack for about 2 miles behind the car. The backpack straps were in shreds and the waterproof case was ground down a quarter inch, but the laptop was fine. My tablet was fine too. All of my client data was safe, and in any other backpack I know the outcome would not have been the same.
Superstorm Proof
I was out of town when Sandy hit. When I returned I saw 6 feet of sea water bashed through my apartment near Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn. The place was/ is wrecked. I found my cameras underneath a soaked futon and dresser. I held my breath and opened them up. Holy #### !!!!! they were dry and fired right up.
Intact After Explosion
My team and I were first responders to a terrorist attack on a hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. As part of our recovery effort at the blast site, we "repatriated" one of our armored vehicles. Inside the vehicle, which was in the immediate impact zone of the SVBIED, we discovered an unscathed Model 1640 Peli Transport Case. I've enclosed photos of the Peli Case taken the day that we recovered it from the demolished vehicle. The case stood up against a massive explosion and flying shrapnel.
The Horse Has a Lot To Say
During a long trekking expedition in Zanskar and Ladakh, in Northern India we had all our stuff on horseback. About half way through the trip one of the horses ponies overbalanced and fell from the track into the water. The horse was unhurt beyond a couple of scratches, but the case had been dragged underwater, banged on rocks for a good while and dragged out again. I opened the case and discovered that my Hasselblad®, my spare Nikon body several lenses, dozens of films and a DAT recorder and tapes for my audio work, were all completely unharmed and dry!
The Sabrelite Allowed Me To Save Another Life
As I have owned my Super SabreLite for long time ago and used it for personal use and in my job as a fire fighter, I can't tell you how great of a light it has been for me. Some months ago, while at a fire, I accidentally dropped my light between a wall space. It fell about 5 to 6 meters before hitting the concrete floor below. My first thoughts were of disappointment, for I didn't think that I would be able to retrieve it. After getting out of the attic space that I was in, I walked around to the other side of the wall, to my relief there just happened to be an opening in the base of the wall where my SabreLite landed. It was still shining when I picked it up, and after a quick inspection I couldn't find a thing wrong with it. After this I carried searching the bedrooms of the house where I found an elderly lady whom we successfully removed from the house. I was amazed because I feel that the quality of the light allowed me to save the life of another human being. Thank you!! I will continue using the Super SabreLite for the rest of my career. Keep up the great work!
Peli Products, Inc. CAT-CHOW
On a recent trip through Zimbabwe the 1150 Peli case became the prey of a member of the carnivore family. Shumba, less than a year old, pounced on the case and subjected it to its inch long canines. The Peli case withstood its brush with the jaws of death and also the rock bashing hike into the Zambezi valley and all the whitewater Ross encountered in the following weeks.
Seawater Surrounded Them for Twelve Days
My epic journey (3341 miles between La Gomera - Canaries - and Barbados - West Indies), on my own, unassisted and unsupported, took me 109 days 12 hours and nine minutes. In a very bad storm the boat nearly capsized. The hatch was not sealed completely and the cabin was flooded. The back cabin had 20 cm of water in and the Peli™ boxes containing the on board video equipment were totally soaked and partly submerged by sea water. It took me 12 days to get the cabin fully dry after the event. No water got in to the boxes and no equipment was damaged. I would gladly endorse Peli™ Products for anyone else planning an extreme adventure.
So There Was This Block of C-4
At this time the helicopter had been destroyed by two maverick missiles. The only thing that was salvageable was the Peli case. The case was completely intact with minor burns and one broken latch. The contents of the case all functioned properly, nothing was damaged. The case contained 6 satellite phones, an electronic radio system, a highly sensitive digital camera and a block of C-4 explosive. We used the case and equipment throughout our stay in Iraq, which lasted a few months. Thank you for a fine product. Your product is a definite asset in the fight for freedom.
Crushed Ice - Optional
We chose the best gear that we could get our hands on, including Peli boxes to safeguard our camera gear, radios and satellite telephone. At 81° North latitude, one of our plastic kayaks, with a Peli box mounted on deck, became caught in the current-driven ice pack and was thoroughly steam-rolled. Many items loaded inside the kayak were crushed, but the Peli deck box emerged through it all unscathed.
Worry-Free Luggage
When I tried to drive the Camel Trophy Land Rover Discovery up a steep slope to a higher road the vehicle tipped over. We rolled down tumbling sideways until we stopped lying on the side. During the tumble only one Peli was damaged because it had hit a rock. I was amazed even more to find that nothing inside the cases was damaged. Since the Peli cases performed so well during the Camel Trophy I am no longer surprised about their strength and can count on them to roll with the punches.
No In-Flight Movie Offered
The plane hit with such force that it sheered the left wing and float right off and as the plane rapidly sunk, everyone was able to escape out the exits. For over nine hours, the plane was submerged some 6-8 feet under water, loosely held to the right pontoon! When we were finally allowed to recover our gear, I was planning for the worst, because the water damage or impact had destroyed just about everyone's gear. But when I opened the lid on my Peli 1650 case, I was astonished to find that there was very little water inside and everything was intact!
9 Out of 10 Camels Prefer Peli
My buddy and I purchased four camels in the Thar Desert of India and rode a thousand kilometers to the border of Nepal. All of our delicate gear - cameras, computers, solar panels, and a satellite phone - were protected by Peli boxes. When you see one of your 1,200 pound pack camels rolling in the sand, scraping against a tree, or bucking like a bronco, you want the best gear protection possible. Peli boxes are the answer. Peli boxes are watertight, dust proof, rust proof, and camel proof.
Police Camera Protection
When the officer returned, the case had obviously been run over and sported tire tracks. Even though the case was severely scratched with a destroyed corner and latch, the very expensive digital camera it housed was completely protected and in good working condition. We returned the case and received a new one no questions asked. The case that ended up costing around $36, protected an item worth roughly 20 times more, turned out to be a pretty good investment!
Extreme Combat Luggage
On October 6, 2004, my vehicle suffered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack. I was sitting in the front passenger seat and my case was located on the floor between my feet. The explosion happened directly under my feet, ripping the entire engine compartment apart. If it wasn't for the 1150 case, I would not have been able to send you these pictures. Once again, thanks for a great product!
Man's Best Friend
As I emptied the water out of my canoe on the shore, I lifted the case and it felt heavy like a case filled with water. Maybe I didn't get any pictures on this trip, but I still had my dog and that was good enough for me. For the remainder of the trip, the camera sat untouched in its Peli case. Later on when my wife picked me up, I told her the story, as I have told you, and asked that she open the case for me. She did, and the camera was DRY! Thank you Peli.
