A Hardigg accordion case

Hardigg Industries engineers and manufactures rugged, rotationally molded plastic cases for commercial, industrial, and military shipping.  Hardigg Industries has earned its reputation as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of rotationally molded cases. 

I also looked at Pelican cases, which I love, but their largest wheeled case was just a bit too small for my accordion plus the foam lining.  The Hardigg case also provides more protection due to their dual-walled design (see picture 3rd from last below).

This is the AL-2423-0605 with custom-cut foam insert.  The case is watertight, airtight and virtually indestructible.  It's also decontaminable, which is, admittedly, overkill for my application :)  I wanted a flight case with wheels that would protect my accordion if it was dropped or if something heavy fell on it.  I can stand on it without stressing it all.  The handles are comfortable and the telescoping handle is well-built.  The latches are first-rate steel and recessed to reduce the chance of being sheared off in transit.

It did, however, take me over 2 months of e-mails and phone calls to get the details right with the engineers at Hardigg.  I think they're more geared to large orders of generic shipping cases.  They claim that they do custom work, but in my case, it took an enormous amount of communication to get it right.  But they did get it right, and I am very happy with it.  Total cost:  $633.  You get what you pay for.

Technically, I should have had it made in White.  A white case reflects sunlight and provides more protection if the case is left out on a luggage cart at an airport for a while.  I just couldn't do it, though, so I made a label for it saying Please do not expose to heat or cold.

Click on image to enlarge

Below is the pressure release valve.  Any airtight case can become vacuum-locked when it is taken to a lower atmospheric pressure then returned to a higher pressure.  If the pressure inside the case is so low compared to the outside that you can't open the case, this valve will equalize the pressure, while keeping the case airtight and watertight.

This is a Dri-Bags dessicant that I throw inside whenever the case is shut for any length of time.  Whenever you have a case that is airtight, it is important to absorb any free moisture inside to prevent mold, etc.  I like this one because the silica beads turn pink when they are full of moisture and a few minutes in the microwave oven dries them out (they turn blue) and is ready for reuse.