Pelican ATX 22” Carry-On Review: Waterproof, Tactical, and Built to Last
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Pelican ATX TRVL Carry-On Luggage: Built to Handle More Than Just Airports
Pelican knows hard cases. They’ve been cranking out ultra-rugged, airline-ready gear haulers for years - the kind trusted by military teams, photographers, aid workers, and explorers alike. I’ve had a soft spot for Pelican gear for a long time: the big ones with wheels, the small ones with pack loops, the coolers... even the wallets. When I need something that’ll outlast everything around it - and usually the thing it’s protecting - Pelican is my go-to. These cases don’t flinch in chaos - they’re built to ride out a storm with your gear still intact.
But this one’s different. The Pelican ATX TRVL case wasn’t designed to be dropped out of a helicopter - at least not right away. Its natural habitat is the polished concourses of JFK, Heathrow, Tokyo and beyond. Still, if you end up jumping from your seaplane skids and swimming the last 20 yards to shore, the case won’t be your weak link. The ATX series brings Pelican’s signature toughness to the urban jungle and well beyond. After some time with the 22” carry-on, I can say this much: it’s not just durable. It’s smarter, sleeker, and flat-out better than most premium travel luggage I’ve used.
Let’s back up a second. I used to travel with one of the Pelican Air cases as my primary carry-on. Rugged as hell, but only two wheels and a bare-bones interior. If you’ve ever tried navigating a packed international terminal with a two-wheeler that’s basically just an empty plastic box inside, you’ll know what I mean when I say it got clunky. The ATX fixes that.
It has four super-smooth-gliding spinner wheels, TSA-approved locking latches, and a clean clamshell layout with internal compression straps and zippered mesh compartments. Everything feels solid. Built like a tank, but refined in all the right places.
One of my favorite upgrades is the flush-mounted side handles. They sit tight against the body of the case and pop out when you need them. Do they eat into the internal volume a little? Probably. But because this case is designed to max out carry-on dimensions without exceeding them, external handles would have put it over the limit. Smart design. It feels like the case was built around the handles rather than the other way around.
The latches are signature Pelican - flush, beefy, and, if I’m honest, weirdly satisfying to use. They also double as lift points when opening the case, and feel like they belong on something that might be tossed out of a helicopter. I know, I keep milking the action movie imagery - but spend five minutes with this thing and tell me it doesn’t deserve its own stunt sequence.
Inside, you get practically a 50-50 lid split, which I love. It stays balanced no matter how full it is, and the layout makes packing clean and modular. One half is zippered off behind a mesh panel with built-in pockets. The other half is open, with strong compression straps and a semi-rigid divider to lock everything down. That divider helps prevent bulging at the seams, which matters if you’re trying to maintain a water-resistant seal.
Speaking of which - this case is waterproof and dustproof to a degree that most luggage brands won’t even attempt. Between the sealing gasket and Pelican’s classic overbuilt vibe, I’d be totally fine tossing this thing into a rainstorm or dragging it through a desert. It also has an air pressure equalization valve, which helps with sealing and adds to the feeling that this is built for real-world use.
The interior is lined with ripstop fabric that feels premium and durable. Zippers are heavy-duty. Stitching is clean. Even the wheels (a notorious weak-point on any case) feel like they’re built for years, not just a couple of trips. And the exterior? You’ve got color options. Yes, black is classic, but there are some muted utilitarian tones that bring some flair without shouting about it. Still rugged. Still tactical. Just a little more grown up somehow.
It weighs in at 12.8 lbs, which isn’t ultralight, but that’s not what you’re buying this for. You’re buying it because you want protection without compromise. You want to check it if you have to and not stress about the precious contents. You want gear that feels like gear.
So, if you’re a frequent traveler who likes a touch of overkill, this is your carry-on. Five stars. No question. I’ll be using mine until it falls apart - and I don’t expect that to happen anytime soon. Sure, it costs more than an average carry-on …but this isn’t an average carry-on. With the build-quality, materials and the lifetime warranty, it’s one of the few pieces of luggage that actually qualifies as a smart investment.
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