Saturday, March 10, 2012

The ECS Loadmaster - One Tough Case!!

Loadmaster ECS Case
A few weeks ago while surfing the Outdoor Blogger Network I entered a chance to test out a few products.  I was excited to learn some time later that I was selected to review this Footlocker for ECSCASE.  As any outdoor enthusiast will attest, the pursuit of getting out in nature, whether it is hunting, fishing, hiking, or camping, has a way of building so much spare equipment in your garage that actually parking your car in there becomes an adventure.  Needless to say, I was anxiously waiting for my opportunity to test this case out.  Little did I know that the UPS man was also willing to do his part to test this cases durability.
  I was at work when this package arrived but according to my wife the UPS man was not very coordinated and dropped this case literary out of the back of his truck.  In his defense, it is a large case he was in a hurry as they often are.  Truth is, this case could have been dropped out the back of his truck while he was doing 70 miles an hour and it would have been non the worse for wear.  Even if the John Rambo himself tossed this case from a chopper, this case would survive.
Seriously, this is not your grandmas Rubbermaid container.  This case was built to withstand just about anything (including being dropped from a truck), but then again what would I expect from a company that specializes in cases built for the military.  I know that this company makes a whole line of other cases including rifle cases and cases for music, emergency equipment, and sensitive technical equipment.  I doubt Rambo would opt for the music case but as far as a case for his machine gun, I have no doubt the ECSCase would be his choice.
Loadmaster Footlocker
  Not only is this footlocker tough (I stood on the lid and jumped up and down and it didn't even move) but it is also water tight.  There is the thick rubber seal that lines the case lid that when shut and latched with the four turn tight hasps seals the case tight.  One of these heavy duty hasp clamps also has a padlock feature so that you can secure any valuables in this virtual vault.  Believe it or not, this case when closed is so tightly sealed that there is even a pressure relive valve installed.  I am not entirely sure why there is a safety valve but like I said, this case was designed for the military so I'm not asking to many questions.  I'll just take it that the safety valve is there for a reason and leave it at that.
    The toughness of this case got me thinking of the tough men that might like to have it as well.  Perhaps if I were a Mad Max type of character, I might toss this case in the back of my apocalyptic vehicle, load it with shotgun shells,  and roam the desolate roads looking for trouble.  I don't plan on going toe to toe with Master Blaster any time soon but like Max, I will be using it to store my Shotgun Shells.  I will also be storing some of my fishing gear and various outdoor gear.  Not the most glamorous use of this heavy duty case but then again I'm not really a hard core kind of guy.  I am however 100% positive that anything I store in this case will be completely safe and protected.   If I had to find fault with this case, the only down sides would be that it is a little on the heavy side.  The self stowing handles on the sides help a lot with moving the case around and I believe they have the option for wheels on some of their cases which I would recommend if you plan on stowing anything heavy.  They are also a bit on the pricy side but if you have expensive equipment then the cost of protection is minimal.
   In the future I will probably use it on camping trips as well and I have no doubt that it will perform wonderfully, I just wont be moving it a lot when it is fully loaded.  Despite the weight issue, if you want a tough case to protect your stuff in any weather, and still be able to toss in the back of your truck, then look no further, the ECSCase is IT!

4 comments:

Mark Kautz said...

If it's good enough for Rambo and Mad Max, then it's good enough for me. Can't beat those two guys for trashing stuff.
Mark

Feather Chucker said...

Nice review and congrats on getting a chance to try out the bamboo rod.

Big Alaska said...

Love the detailed review - and I've gotta' admit as a sucker for the action movies, the Mad Max picture put it over the top for me. Nicely done!

Unknown said...

Shoreman - It truly is one tough case. I have no doubt that they both would love to have it.
Kevin - Thanks. I cant wait to get to test that bad boy out. Hopefully the fish will show up to the party.
Big Alaska - Thanks. Who doesn't like the Mad Max movies... besides my wife. I guess there's no accounting for taste.