Walk through any military logistics hub, forward operating base or defense contractor's workshop, and one case family shows up with striking regularity: Peli Storm. Not because someone won a marketing award. Armed forces are the least sentimental buyers on Earth, and equipment gets selected because it works, survives and can be fixed in the field, or it gets replaced.
This guide is updated for the 2026/27 season. It walks through the 7 features that earned the Storm line its place in deployment kits, gives you a checklist for speccing cases, a table that matches each Storm model to a job, and a short FAQ. Every one of these features matters just as much to civilian professionals who work in hard places.
7 Features Built for Deployment
1. Press & Pull latches: designed for gloves, cold and speed
The Storm line's signature feature solves a problem every field user knows: latches that fight back. Press & Pull latches open with a single press and close automatically when the lid goes down, so there are no pinched fingers, no two-handed wrestling and no fumbling with winter or tactical gloves. On the Peli Storm iM2200, two latches close with a positive click and open cleanly with one finger, even with gloved hands. On the iM2950 expedition case, four latches keep the lid shut under hard jolts and drops while staying completely tool-free to open.
When a case is opened dozens of times a day, or opened once in a hurry at 3 a.m., latch design stops being a detail.
2. HPX resin: tough where it counts, light where it matters
Storm shells are moulded from HPX resin, a high-performance polymer engineered to absorb and distribute impact rather than crack, while keeping weight below classic thick-walled designs. For deployment that trade-off is exactly right: every kilogram of case is a kilogram that travels on someone's hands, in a pallet's weight budget or in an aircraft's load plan. The iM2300 page lists a temperature range of -40 °C to +99 °C for the shell, and the iM2200 is tested to MIL-STD-810F, ATA 300 and FED-STD-101C for drop, vibration and sustained impact.
3. Sealed against climate whiplash
Deployments do not happen in laboratory conditions. Gear flies at altitude in unpressurised holds, sits on runways in desert heat, then works in freezing rain a week later. Storm cases are IP67-rated, which means dust-tight and protected against submersion to 1 metre for 30 minutes. The Vortex pressure equalisation valve vents air but blocks water and dust, so the case neither vacuum-locks after a flight nor lets the weather in. If a Storm case will not open after landing, our guide Why Won't My Peli Case Open? explains what the valve is doing.
4. Colours that belong in the field
Storm cases ship in the palette the job requires: OD Green for a low visual signature in vegetation, black for urban and general service, and yellow where the opposite is the point, such as medical and safety kits that must be findable instantly in chaos. The iM2050, iM2075 and iM2100 are each offered in black, yellow and OD Green with identical protection in every colour, while the iM2200 comes in black and yellow.
Colour also becomes a logistics tool: comms in one shade, medical in another, spares in a third, and "grab the green one" replaces opening five identical boxes. If you are building a multi-case loadout, plan the colour system before the first purchase.
5. A platform, not just a box: panel mounting and integration
Here is where Storm quietly outgrows the "case" category. Bezel kits turn the lid or base into a mounting chassis for control panels, radios, test equipment and screens, creating a sealed, transportable operational unit that opens and simply works. Our store carries:
- Peli Storm iM20XX Base Bezel Kit for the base of an iM2050 or iM2075, an aluminium frame with a silicone perimeter gasket
- Peli Storm iM2100 Base Bezel Kit, a purpose-matched aluminium frame with a polymer O-ring and silicone gasket
- Peli Storm iM2200 Base Bezel Kit and Lid Bezel Kit
- Peli Storm iM2300 Lid Bezel Kit, built to keep the IP67 protection intact
Militaries and integrators build entire deployable systems this way: the case is the enclosure, the rack and the transport solution at once.
6. Field-repairable, by design
Armed forces do not buy equipment that becomes scrap when a wheel breaks. Storm cases are built around replaceable wear parts, available as original spares. The Peli Storm replacement latch fits the whole Storm series and is fitted by knocking out the hinge pin with a punch and hammer and tapping the new one in, with no gluing or drilling. Wheel sets are sold separately in small and medium sizes, with integrated bearings. Combined with the Peli lifetime guarantee on the case, the practical service life is measured in careers, not years. For a full list of parts that wear, see Peli Case Wheels, Handles and Latches: 11 Things That Wear Out.
7. Logistics-friendly by nature
The unglamorous feature that quartermasters love: Storm cases have moulded-in ribs for stable stacking, two padlockable hasps for secure transit, and soft-grip handles that work with gloves and hurried hands. Deployment is mostly moving things, and a case that moves well, locks shut and stacks square makes everyone's day shorter. For loads that go on a pallet, read ISP² on a Pallet: 9 Ways Modular Inter-Stacking Containers Save Space in Transport.
The Deployment-Ready Checklist
Speccing cases for a unit, a contract or your own field kit? Run each candidate against this list:
- Latches: operable one-handed, in gloves, in the cold
- Sealing: IP67 with pressure equalisation for air transport
- Weight: light enough to carry, tough enough to stack
- Colour: matched to mission, with signature down or visibility up
- Spares: wheels, latches and seals available as parts, not excuses
- Security: padlock points for custody in transit
- Integration: panel-mount options if electronics live inside
Which Storm Model for Which Job
The product pages in our store do not list external dimensions or weights for these models, so check the linked page for the exact figures before you plan foam, vehicle space or airline allowances.
| Model | Best for | Colours | Key facts from the product page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peli Storm iM2050 | Cameras, drones, small electronics | Black, Yellow, OD Green | IP67, Vortex valve, two padlockable hasps, foam variants |
| Peli Storm iM2075 | Handheld radios and transceivers | Black, Yellow, OD Green | Waterproof, dustproof, optional base mounting frame |
| Peli Storm iM2100 | Optics, precision and medical electronics | Black, Yellow, OD Green | IP67, 1 m for up to 30 minutes, stainless steel hardware |
| Peli Storm iM2200 | Hand-luggage kit that must survive immersion | Black, Yellow | IP67, MIL-STD-810F, ATA 300, FED-STD-101C |
| Peli Storm iM2300 | Thermal imagers, field meters, compact drones | See product page | IP67, -40 °C to +99 °C, MIL-STD-810F, ATA 300 |
| Peli Storm iM2950 | Wheeled expedition and off-road transport | See product page | Four Press & Pull latches, retractable handle, in-line wheels with shielded bearings |
| 474-10-LAPTOP-IM | Moving ten laptops in a deployment | Black, OD Green | Individual custom foam per laptop, made to order, 2 to 4 weeks |
Not Just for the Military
Everything that makes Storm cases work on deployment, such as glove-friendly latches, climate-proof sealing, repairability and integration options, makes them equally at home with search-and-rescue teams, broadcast crews, expedition medics, industrial service engineers and off-road travellers. "Military-grade" gets thrown around loosely in marketing; here it simply describes the customer who tested it hardest.
If you are deciding between a Storm case and a traditional flight case or an aluminium case, these two comparisons will help: Flight Case or Peli Case? 9 Differences That Matter for Deployable Kit and Aluminium Case vs Peli Case: 9 Differences Nobody Explains Before You Buy. For the equipment side of the story, see Europe's New Drone Front Line: 9 Kinds of Counter-Drone Kit and How It Is Transported.
FAQ
Are Peli Storm cases waterproof?
Yes. The Storm models listed above carry an IP67 rating, which means dust-tight and protected against submersion to 1 metre for 30 minutes. The Vortex valve equalises pressure without letting water or dust through.
Which Storm case is best for a handheld radio?
The Peli Storm iM2075 is the model our store lists for handheld radio transceivers and field electronics, with an optional base mounting frame if you want to build the radio into the case.
Can I replace a broken latch or wheel myself?
Yes. The replacement latch is a universal part for the Storm series and is fitted with a punch and hammer, and the wheel sets come with integrated bearings in small and medium sizes. If you bought the case from us, contact us before ordering, because a worn latch may qualify for free replacement under the Peli lifetime guarantee.
Can you supply Storm cases in volume?
Yes. As an authorized Peli distributor we handle unit-scale orders across the EU, including colours, foam and panel-mount configurations. Talk to us about the loadout you need.
