REVIEW – A hard case is one of those products that only gets attention right after something soft and expensive gets dropped, cracked, or rained on. The 3005.BCV is a slim waterproof case sized for a small camera kit, a tablet, a single handgun, or any other like-sized item. The question is whether it’s worth buying the protection before the accident instead of after.
Note: This Explorer Cases 3005.BCV was sent to me by Explorer Cases at no cost. They had no editorial input and did not see this review before it published.
Photos and video by Gregory Morley.
The Basics
The 3005.BCV is Explorer’s ultralight waterproof case, the B is for the black shell, and CV marks the convoluted foam version, so 3005.BCV means a black 3005 with egg-crate blocks in the base and lid. It’s molded from copolymer polypropylene and rated fully waterproof and dustproof, with a purge valve on the side to equalize pressure after a flight or an elevation change so the latches don’t fight back when opening it. At 2.65 lbs with the foam in it and about 13 inches on its longest external side, it’s small enough to fit in a backpack rather than needing its own bag. Explorer sizes it for one iPad or a compact notebook with accessories. That footprint would also fit a full-sized handgun and a couple of magazines.
What You Get
- Explorer Cases 3005.BCV, Black
- Convoluted foam, base and lid
- Sealing O-ring
- Removable PVC waterproof I.D. label
By the Numbers
- Price: $71.90
- Internal dimensions: 11.8 x 8.25 x 2.28 in (300 x 210 x 58 mm)
- External dimensions: 12.83 x 10.6 x 2.95 in (326 x 269 x 75 mm)
- Weight: 2.65 lbs with the foam installed, 2.4 lbs as a bare shell
- Volume: 4 liters (1.05 gallons)
- Buoyancy: floats with up to 4.6 lbs inside
- Rating: Fully waterproof and dustproof
- Temperature range: -27.4F to 194F
- Hardware: 2 latches, 2 padlock holes, corrosion-proof metal hinges with lid stay, foldable handle, purge valve
Design & Build
The shell is thick enough to resist real flex when squeezed by hand, and the two latches close with a solid, confident snap rather than the loose plastic click a lot of cheaper cases settle for. The O-ring seal around the lid is what ensures the case is waterproof, and it’s visible and inspectable, so checking it’s seated right before a trip takes one glance. The foldable handle tucks flat against the lid when not in use. Packed against other gear in a bag, nothing catches on it.
The hinges are metal rather than a molded plastic living hinge, with a lid stay built in. A removable PVC waterproof I.D. label comes in the box, slotted into a window on the front, so marking what’s inside doesn’t mean taping paper to the lid.
Living With It
Mine gets used for more than one thing. A range trip is the obvious one, a handgun and the odds and ends that travel with it, none of it sliding around on the drive. A slim case that holds exactly that much and no more is worth more to me than a larger one with room going spare.
The convoluted foam ships as one solid block on each side instead of pre-cut pick-and-pluck cubes, so shaping it around whatever goes inside is left to the owner. That’s more work up front but a better fit in the end, since a shaped cavity holds its contents snugly instead of leaving room to shift in transit. Latched shut, it rides in the back of the Tacoma and nothing shifts.
I have also been building a homemade cyberdeck, and a sealed case with a foam interior shaped to fit is a tempting enclosure for it. Explorer molds slots into the interior walls that accept optional panel mounting brackets or rings, so hardware can be bolted down inside instead of resting in foam. The brackets screw in on dedicated hardware that keeps the seal intact, so a case with a panel fitted is still a waterproof case.
For now it mostly hauls my Flipper Zero and the ClockworkPi uConsole I reviewed in August. Small and expensive is exactly the load this case was built for.
What Could Be Better
The foam ships as solid blocks, so a drop-in fit is work you do yourself, and anyone in a hurry might prefer a pick-and-pluck version instead. At 2.65 lbs it’s not the lightest option in this size class either, though that weight is also where the shell’s rigidity comes from. Neither is a flaw so much as a trade-off for a tough, properly sealed case at this price.
Watch the Review
Video review coming soon. The companion video is still in edit, and it will be embedded right here as soon as it goes up.
Quick Questions
Q: Is it actually waterproof, or just water-resistant?
A: Explorer Cases rates it fully waterproof, and the visible O-ring seal around the lid is what does that work, not just a snug-fitting lid.
Q: Does the foam come pre-cut?
A: No, the BCV version ships with solid convoluted foam blocks on both the base and lid, so fitting it to a specific object is the owner’s job.
Q: What’s the purge valve for?
A: It equalizes internal and external pressure after a flight or a big elevation change, so the latches open normally instead of fighting a pressure difference.
Q: How many versions of the 3005 are there?
A: Explorer Cases USA lists 11 right now. The BCV I have is the black one with double egg foam, and the same shell comes in Desert Sand, Olive Drab and Orange, plus an empty black shell with no foam, a version with a padded pistol bag inside, and Texas and USA flag editions.
Final Thoughts
This is a genuinely waterproof small case, and at $71.90 it lands under the obvious name-brand alternatives in this size without ever feeling like the cheap choice. The trade-offs, uncut foam and a bit of weight, are honest ones for what it’s protecting. It disappears into a bag and stops being something you think about.
Price: $71.90 direct for the 3005.BCV, $64.99 on Amazon for the Texas flag version of the same case
Where to buy: Amazon or direct from Explorer Cases USA
What I like: Waterproof with an inspectable O-ring seal, solid latches with a confident snap, folding handle tucks flat, purge valve makes air-travel latching painless
What I don’t: Foam ships uncut so shaping it is on you, 2.65 lbs is on the heavier side for its size class
Buy the Explorer Cases 3005.BCV direct from Explorer Cases USA
