This is a Peli case survival story by John Harlow, an avid caver and photographer. Read the story of how a Peli 1050 survived a 50 meter fall down a cave shaft.
When I descend underground, there are a few things I always want available to me, and a select few, critical items I can’t afford to get wet or damaged. As a result, while most of my kit fits into a Daren Drum, I’m now putting the latter items (a small first aid kit, food, car keys, and a charger) into a Peli case. My little Peli 1050 is small enough to pack into the top of my bag, but just big enough to take all the items I really need protected. It’s a neat little solution.
Unfortunately for me, it recently got put to the test. On a recent trip into Titan, one of the deepest caves in the UK, I found myself in need of rescue (although not through any fault of my own). After a long trip saw my pack whacked through squeezes, dunked through water, thrown over climbs, and carried up ropes, I reached the final climb out of my cave only to find that another caver had accidentally pulled up my ropes. I was stuck.
What followed was a cold seven hour wait in my cave for rescue to arrive and lower my own rope down. As you might imagine, I was very glad for those snacks and foil blanket from my first aid kit, stored perfectly inside the case!
But what impressed me most about the case (and why I got in touch with Peli) actually came about once rescue arrived. On exiting, I clipped my bag to the bottom of the rope so I wouldn’t have to climb with it. However as one of the rescue lads pulled my rope up for me, the bag snagged and sent my Peli case flying 50m down the shaft where I heard it bounce about three times off the floor! I was glad to be out, but sad to know it was dead.
However when I came back to pick up my bits the following day, I found it pretty much in new condition asides from a few scrapes on the sides. Maybe I haven’t been treating it tough enough after all?
For more from John, follow him on Instagram or visit his website.