Otter sportsman rod case

I am sick of the old rod case had a few break so I am just curious if the otter case is the best bet or what else is out there that might be better and how many rods with reels will it hold?

I love my Otter cases. I can fit 4 in one case without too much trouble. More than than and the tips are overlapping the reels on the other end.
Dan

I have 6 combos comfortably in my Otter case, some 24″ rods, some 32″ rods

I had one and had to sent it back to Otter when the piano hinges bent and kept the case from opening. They replaced the whole case and I sold it for something else. The Polyethylene shrinks exponentially more than the piano hinge in really cold weather, causing the hinges to bend or the rivets to give out. Surprised no ones ever mentioned it here, I have seen the same issue discussed on a few other fishing forums and pages. Not everyone has the issue. Guessing the ones that had issues had the hinges installed before the case cooled coming out of the oven.

I have a lakes and rivers hard case. It has 6 combos in it. Fits up to 34 inch rod. And goes through hell and back 65 bucks and I had it 3 years now

404 ERROR wrote:

I had one and had to sent it back to Otter when the piano hinges bent and kept the case from opening.

This has happened to me twice. The first time, I ordered the rod box online and when I received it, the hinges were already bent and contorted from the factory. It made it so the box wouldn’t seal completely, and if I left my rods in it outside overnight, I wouldn’t be able to open the box in the morning because frost would get into the box and essentially freeze the two foam sides together, keeping me from being able to open it and trapping my rods in a double layer of frozen foam. I contacted Otter and they replaced it.

Now I’ve had that 2nd box for just under two years now and it has worked great. However, last weekend I slept in a buddies sleeper house on the lake when it got to -25 over night. The rod box was left in the cab of my truck overnight. The next morning when we were packing up, I wasn’t able to open the box because the hinges had bent and contorted again, but this time it was way worse than the first time. Definitely not happy. I’m not sure if these things just can’t handle the cold once it gets to a certain point. Definitely doesn’t fit with Otter’s moto of “tougher” and “stronger”.

These two pics are from how my first Otter box looked with the problem. I wish I had pics of when it happened last weekend because it had over double the amount of curvature to the deformation as it did the first time. Pretty disappointing considering how much you pay for them and what you expect from Otter’s gear quality-wise.

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My otterbox does the same thing but has never affected the functionality

mine also does that but am still able to open/close it. I have heard that most of them do this when its really cold out. Still works as a great case for my rods, normally have 5 in there

Timely thread. I’ve been looking around for one so I can check one out. it seems they are sold out everywhere. However, based on some of the comments here, I may not be interested anymore. Also, I would like them to hold rods that are 36 inches or even 38 inches.

I was terribly disappointed at the selection at Cabelas. I went over to the gun cases to see what they had. I found a nice Plano case that was deep enough to accommodate my reels and still have foam left over. It had acoustic foam on the top side and pluckable foam on the bottom. I think it is 42 inches long maybe 48 inches. Once I get the foam plucked out the way I want it I should be able to easily get six rods and reels inside of it. For $99 I thought it was a far better value than the other rod cases I have seen. I think I might order another one.

While looking for the link to post here I found this one which is 36 inches. Very similar to mine but I have more buckles and more Lanks. This looks like a very nice 36 inch case for a very reasonable price of $60. If memory serves me correctly though, I did look at one like this at Cabela’s and there was something I didn’t like, I think the form was too hard
Plano All Weather Tactical Gun Case, 36-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E221A88/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_IkLvCb99WK1ER

Here is the actual one I bought. I don’t think it shows interior pictures but it looks very much like the one above on the inside
https://www.cabelas.com/product/PLANO-ONE-GUN-ALL-WEATHER-SERIES/2882914.uts

I looked at the striker case at Thorne Brothers today. I really like that set up except it’s a hair too short. It claims it can accommodate a 38 inch rod but we put a 36 inch rod in it end it only had about an inch or an inch and a quarter of room left. I might still get it and just keep my shorter rides in it. It also has a nice compartment for tackle

I have the otter box and have not had any of those problems with it freezing shut. I also have a 38″ laker rod in it no problem. I have no complaints.

I have a couple of the 42″ Plano boxes. I love it. Can get around 10 in each one.

I have two of the cases. One for panfish and one for walleye. Both have had a single rivet fall out, but they still function fine. The hinges aren’t bent.

My favorite aspect is that I don’t have to fold the reel handles down. I can safely get about 5-6 combos in each, with the longest being a 38″ rod. You have to line them up long-to-short to get 6 rods in there. For example, 38 36 32 on the top, and the same on the bottom facing the other way. You couldn’t get six long rods in there.