Zarges aluminum case

[David Munoz]

I've always wanted an Alu-box but I couldn't get myself to pay the steep price for one. I decided to try my luck on craigslist and my local swap meet. After about a month of searching I managed to find myself a Zarges and I couldn't be happier!

It was in rough shape when I bought it; it had postage labels from all over Europe which was pretty cool.

After hammering out the dents and sanding some of the larger imperfections; I decided to make a top plate similar to the Goose Gear design. Whats cool about my top plate is the fact that it was less than 5 dollars to make!

The build quality is great. I was surprised how well the box kept its shape even after all of the dents that it had. Another notable feature that I like is the fact that the weather seal is on the lid instead of the actual box. I like this because its less likely to get dirty/damaged. Overall I am very pleased. 10/10 recommend

 

[Luis Merlo]

Man that looks good !

 

[David Munoz]

Thank you!

 

[Tasgeir]

We used Zarges's all the time and in all sizes when I was in the army. When ever we deployed every soldier got one to ship our equipment in and then we lived out of them! They are rock solid and can take a hell of a beating.
You did a good buy there!

 

[Ta2Doc]

Zarges are definitely top-notch. Used them during my military service as well, though at that time weren't as popular as the Hardigg style. I personally liked the fact that there wasn't so much lost space in the Zarges vs rotomolded.

 

[Minjin]

What did you make the top piece out of?

 

[Ta2Doc]

Appears from the photos to be 1/2 or 3/4 plywood (can't remember how tall the corner stacking brackets are). I've done this on a few cases using UHMW or HDPE plastic... makes for a good kitchen prep board. ~doc

 

[Road]

What did you make the top piece out of?

Appears from the photos to be 1/2 or 3/4 plywood (can't remember how tall the corner stacking brackets are). I've done this on a few cases using UHMW or HDPE plastic... makes for a good kitchen prep board. ~doc

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Yeah, plywood, looks like, same as goosegear he says, then sprayed with bed liner.

I thought about doing more of an HDPE cutting board surface to one or two of mine for camp kitchen use, but the way I use them as step stool and just general purpose furniture, I think it's best in my set up to have a separate cutting board.

I have some good-void-free birch ply I might use. Because it is going to be flat and fully supported, you could even use 1/4 or 3/8 and rivet it on. Slightly round the upper edges of the ply and it will be far less likely to chip or catch on anything. I may do one black with sprayed bed liner and one clear with Polycrylic (which has proven to be damned near indestructible in other applications where I've used it) for a general purpose work surface where I may be cutting and working on stuff with tools in a non-food prep way. Cutting on bed liner'll dull a blade fast and I sometimes wish my trailer tailgate wasn't bed-lined.

I LOVE my Zarges cases and have three of the K470 series (certified bear-resistant by the IGBC ) and one longer, flatter, K420 that I use under my galley counter.


When they were brand new a few years ago. I love how well and secure they stack.



I chose these two sizes (one 40678 and two 40810) because when stacked side by side as shown above, they're the same height, which fits my packing style nicely in both van and trailer and also allows them to be used side by side for a longer work surface in camp.



Rugged as all get out, they will outlast me and my kid and will still be around for my grandkid to use. I like knowing that they'll get a kick out of having and using them, wondering about where I was when this dent or scratch happened or that exotic sticker got put on.

You can see the full range of K470 sizes, with both ext and int dimensions, on their site by searching for Zarges K470 under Products (OB disallows linking to their site for some reason) - they are the best at answering questions and fast shipping from their US location in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Road

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Roaddude - On the Road In North America - ROADDUDE

Roaddude - Traveling Photographer/Writer/Artist On the Road In North America. Gear, reviews, people, places, and culture.

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