I have decided to get a Pelican case for my photography gear.  I know a lot of you guys have Pelican brand waterproof cases and a little advice would be grand.

1.  What case (number) do you use?
2.  Have you travelled on an airplane with it?  Did you use a roller type (i.e. the StudioCruzer vs 1510)?  
3.  What is a good size for a standard saltwater skiff boat?  There's not much room, especially if two fishers and a guide.
4.  I would love to bring two camera bodies and three lenses, including a mid-tele like a 70-200, plus a small camcorder.  Is it reasonable to fit it all in a Pelican?
5.  Finally, I travel often and have come to despise the "carry on" attitude, especially on small hopper planes.  I really don't want to put my camera gear below.  Has anyone had trouble with the Pelican not fitting above in the standard overhead vs a small plane?

I have the 1510, and would pack two bodies, several lenses, filters, flashes, off camera flash cords, etc., in it.  And it fits overhead in full size planes.  But I don't like to carry two bodies on the boat, at least for day or part-day trips.  So I haven't used the 1510 lately.

Mostly, I use a 1500.  Seems only a small step down, but without the wheels/frame, it's considerably smaller/lighter.  And fits more planes. I use the dividers, not the foam.  Still tall enough to hold a D700, a very wide angle zoom, mid-zoom, and 70-200 or 70-300, and accessories above.  With the DX size bodies & lenses, there's even more room.  Fits fine in boats.  I do velcro a piece of closed-cell foam on outside bottom of case, to just act as a bit of extra vibration protection.

I also carry a small backpack (not usually a "camera" backpack).  It carries laptop, cords, small external hard drive, and usually, a point-and-shoot camera.

I have gone down to a 1450 Pelican with the DX (APS) size cameras.  Still carry 3-4 lenses, flash, etc.  Might have to put a bit of stuff in backpack, but pretty amazing what can fit if carefully packed.  Latter is reason I typically carry 1500, though.  With 1500, everything does't have to be placed "just so" in box for everything to fit.  That allows you to switch lenses around, and not necessarily have to go back to that one set up that fits only one way.  Saves a lot of time, and having gear exposed to elements.

Fishing gear, i check everything.

I have had a Pelican 1500 for a number of years but don't use it very much at all. Issues with excess luggage charges and a lack of versatility at the other end are the main problems. If I was going on a trip that was all boat based with no walking then I might consider taking it but most of the trips I do involve some kind of wading and walking so a backpack is my best option. The pack I put together myself from a WXtex canyoning backpack and a Lowpro insert has been sensational even if it also has some shortcomings (access mostly) but I have learned to work around these. I would definitely get the modular insert for the Pelican case as opposed to the foam which is rubbish really.

Morsie

1450 with dividers.
Haven't flown with it, so cant help there.

It is about perfect for boats and can carry quite a bit if you pack it smartly.

The only knock I have with it is it's too large for my kayak ( fine in a canoe) to fit betoween my thighs for easy access. Difference being is the yaks just a little narrower.

I've got a 1400, a 1450 and a 1550. The 1450 is the most used of the three. I can typically carry it on the aircraft as my "personal item".

Lots of good input everyone!  

I had a wonderful conversation with an airline attendant (i.e. stewardess) today.  Here is the summary: they hate Pelican cases!  In fact, she said that they often just tell people to check them under the plane out of spite because of the shape and size.  In fact, she was rather brash about the cases in general.  Also, she mentioned that photographers are often a pain to deal with because they are very picky about their gear and insist on getting "special" treatment.  Interesting perspective.  

I am going to look at the 1504 Pelican case tomorrow.  My plan might be to pack the case with fishing gear and stow it in a duffle to be checked with the fishing gear in a big light weight duffle with clothing.  Then I would use my Lowe Pro Vertex 300 camera backpack for the camera equipment and computer in transit and then just reorganize once settled.  

I went to the local mega camera store to look at Pelican cases and realized that they would impractical for this particular trip.  The main issue is the camera body; my SLR with battery grip and ball-head mount won't fit into any Pelican smaller than a 1550, which is just way huge for practical fishing travel.  

Therefore, I decided to get "MacGyver" on this project.  Here is a schema that should work.  The camera gear and 17" laptop will be carried on the plane in the Lowe Pro Vertex 300 bag.  The Patagonia waterproof boat bag will be packed with clothing and stowed in my duffle for check in luggage.  Upon arrival, I will convert the Patagonia to a camera boat bag using the Lowe Pro Velcro inserts.  It works pretty well and holds a ton of gear if set up properly.  Basically, a full Nikon SLR with grip, lenses = telephoto, mid-range zoom, 50mm prime, flash, HD video camcorder and M-Audio recorder.

Here are a few pictures.

Camera bag for carry on, loaded with gear and 17" laptop
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The Patagonia waterproof bag and fly box to be stowed in the duffle along with clothing and rods and fishing gear.
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On arrival, remove camera gear from the Vertex 300 and remove one side of padding, which will be fixed to the Patagonia bag.
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Patagonia bag with dividers and full padding
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Boat bag loaded with camera gear (camera body, 3 lenses, camcorder, audio recorder, flash, and peripherals), plus tippet LOL
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Fly box loaded for a week of Tarpon fishing
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Neal....thought you might find this article interesting:

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