Part III
ECS Composites Cases
Loadmaster Military Footlocker Cases
I have used the Rubbermaid Action Packer cases for the past two years to hold my camping gear in the rig.
While they are low in price, they are very slippery if you need to double stack them, and they are not waterproof if you leave your cases outside after your campsite is setup like I do.
I saw an ad for
Zarges aluminum cases in every issue of Overland Journal and that got me interested in getting new ones.
I also checked into
Pelican and the Storm cases that are made by them and of a little higher quality, but I was not satisfied with any size for my needs.
Zarges did not even have the size that would work best in my rig.
As nice as the Zarges cases look, they will dent easily, and the one thing that really turned me off was the high price tag (as if these ECS ones were cheap
) and the fact that there is about a ten week turnaround once you place your order.
In a thread of mine I started on Expedition Portals forum a guy mentioned the ECS cases to me and right away I liked what I saw.
They stack like Legos!
Any size case will be able to stack with another.
I looked at the cases and had one picked out, then that size was discontinued.
Then I took a look at the military footlockers they make, and two of them would be a perfect fit stacked on top of each other to the right of my ARB fridge/freezer.
Two of these footlockers are about the equivalent of four of the 8 gallon Action Packers I had been using.
Some of the long gear that I had to lay (OK, I pile it if you have seen all the gear I take, I am working on that...) in the rig loose will now fit into the footlockers.
Also each footlocker has two removable trays that sit on top that can hold smaller items to keep them organized.
They worked out great for my trip I just took.
Also the big Cabelas lounger chair I bought last year was strapped to the cases with ratchet straps, made the chair very secure running the straps through the indentations for the cases to stack.
I give them two thumbs up
Pros:
* Cases are totally water/weather proof.
* Cases have a purge valve to equalize the pressure should you need to.
* Very tough material, looks like it will last a very long time.
* Military tough, this company sells a lot of the cases they make to the military and government.
* Made in the USA in Oregon.
Cons:
* $$$ as in expensive.
But you get what you pay for, and I have a feeling I will be passing these along to my son's when I am much older.
Here is a YouTube video from their site.
They have quite a few videos at their site in a pull down menu if you are interested in looking at more of their products.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkmZbdgyG3w&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube- Military Footlocker Case from ECS[/ame]
Another video showing some features of their cases.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwJJ9538rMg&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube- Loadmaster? Shipping Cases from ECS Composites[/ame]
By the way, I lined the trays that sit at the top of the footlockers with
Griots Deluxe Drawer Liner.
I use this is all of my toolboxes at home, my cargobox in the FJ Cruiser, and also in the top glovebox on the dash in the Cruiser.
It keeps anything from sliding around.
Same type of stuff that boaters/RVer's use on their dashes to keep a cup or glass from sliding around.
I highly recommend this stuff for use in any drawers where you want your gear to not slide around.
I even have a piece cut to go under the Camp Chef Denali stove to keep it from sliding.
TRIDENT RUBBER
LP Gas Fiberglass Tank
Also sold under the Ragasco name
I have been wanting a 10 lb tank to replace my very old 5 lb tank I have had for years.
They simply drain to fast.
I saw a thread on IH8MUD's and Expedition Portals forum by a woman that goes by Ash there.
She had just purchased the 11 lb tank from West Marine and liked it, so I called them up and bought one.
I paid for two day shipping and was surprised to get it the very next day.
Talk about service!
The two main advantages to a fiberglass tank is they are much lighter than a steel one of the same size, and you can see how much fuel you have in there.
No more guess work or running out since you can physically see how much is left in the bottle.
I give it two thumbs up
Pros:
* Light weight compared to a steel one of the same size.
* Since it made of fiberglass, you can see how much propane is left in the tank.
* Less chance of running out since you know how much fuel is left.
Cons:
* More expensive than their steel counterparts.
