By Charlie Benton
Our fixer charged behind the counter, grabbed two fistfuls of the skinny policeman’s uniform, yanked him up onto his toes, and began yelling in his face in a language I didn’t understand. Holy shit, I thought, I guess this is what we’re paying for.
We’d just landed on the dark continent after a 17-hour flight, and I was in the airport police station attempting to retrieve my rifle before taking a van to the hotel with the rest of our Field Ethos Outrider Hosted Safari crew. Everyone else had their guns, but mine was nowhere to be found. After checking and rechecking paperwork for 30 minutes with the officer in charge, our hired local middleman, John, correctly sensed that the officer was holding back. The aforementioned manhandling was John’s response to the officer’s admission that he knew damn well where my gun was; it was still on the plane … because the officer was tired and just didn’t feel like unloading anything else that day.
After John finished persuading the lazy cop to get my gun, I had visions of Africa’s Deputy Fife and his buddies throwing my rifle case from the cargo hold of the Airbus straight down to the tarmac and then driving over it a few times with their baggage carts out of spite. However, I wasn’t worried; all my gear was stowed inside a Condition 1 55” Long Case #818. I knew from experience that my gun, scope, bipod, sunglasses, and skinning knife would all be protected from pretty much whatever the police or any notoriously brutal airport baggage handler could possibly inflict.
Turns out, I was right. The case’s exterior definitely had some dings and scratches but a thorough check of my gear on the inside showed everything to be in the exact same condition as when it was packed. As a further testament to the protection afforded by the Condition 1, my rifle rang steel at 400 yards right out of the case—and that was after enduring another African flight and a two-hour winding and rocky ride to camp in the back of a Hilux while functioning as a base for 30 cases of beer.
Condition 1’s brand of USA-made waterproof hard cases come in a variety of sizes and with multiple options for interior padding. The exterior of the #818 measures 55 inches long. The interior dimensions are 51.47 inches by 13.77 inches by 5.02 inches. The lid has an egg foam liner, and the main compartment contains a ½-inch foam base along with two layers of 1 ½-inch pluckable foam that are both removable. Four latches across the front seal the case, and each latch is accompanied by a padlock hole for added security.
Ever notice some Fudd loudly clunking through the airport sounding like they’re dragging a janky shopping cart on account of a broken, cheap plastic wheel on their gun case? Condition 1 cases have wide, rubberized, quiet wheels that we haven’t been able to break yet. Other cases we’ve used have thin, angular handles that feel cheap. Not so with Condition 1 as their cases include rubberized, grown-ass-man grips on both the top and side handles.
While I haven’t thrown my Long Case into the ocean, I have had it in the bed of the truck during a flash flood and tornado warning. Result: the headliner around the truck’s sunroof leaked onto my head in the cab but the rifle in the exposed bed stayed bone dry.
All of the Field Ethos crew have and regularly use Condition 1 long cases. Our only complaint is that several of us have experienced hinge pins working themselves slightly out of flush with the ends of the hinge and having to be pushed back in. To be fair, we’ve had the same issue with competitors’ cases in the past. The difference is that Condition 1 actually seems to be doing something about it. We reached out to them about the issue and they sent us pictures of several pin designs they are currently testing to prevent the pins from moving in the future.
Cost: $300
Pros: Sturdy, waterproof, dustproof, customizable foam inserts, American-made, lifetime warranty
Cons: Hinge pin may occasionally have to be pushed back flush
