Pelican is launching the Crate, a new modular cargo line of sealed cases for overland and worksite use — its first product family built around an exterior rail system rather than a fixed-shell case. The line goes live on Pelican.com on June 2, 2026, in two co-launching sizes: the 45-liter Crate 45L at $224.95 and the 90-liter Crate 90L at $299.95. Pelican showed the Crate at Overland Expo West 2026 in Flagstaff, Arizona, earlier this month.
What separates the Crate from a plain box is the hardware around it. An exterior rail system Pelican calls ModRail runs along each case and takes tie-downs, mounts, and accessories via a cleat-and-thumbwheel attachment, with no drilling into the case or the vehicle.
The lid accepts MOLLE panels, the interior takes dividers and trays, and the multi-position lid can be removed and opened from either side. The two sizes interlock and stack so a 45L and a 90L move as one load.
Both sizes share Pelican's HPXC polymer construction and are molded in the United States. Pelican rates the line IP67 against water and dust and calls it "crushproof" against impact, with padlockable hasps, an automatic pressure-equalization valve, and reinforced grab handles. The Crate 90L weighs 17.5 pounds empty and measures 32.2 by 20.2 by 12.1 inches; the Crate 45L weighs 10.5 pounds and measures 20.1 by 16.3 by 12.1 inches. Both come with Pelican's lifetime guarantee.
The Crate 90L is the line's larger size and the one that does the most work for a build that wants a single big sealed box on a rack or in a bed. At $299.95 it sits at the upper end of overland cargo cases, and it asks a buyer to pay for the rail system and the matched-size family on top of the sealed shell.
The Crate 45L at $224.95 pairs with the 90L as a smaller-load companion or stands on its own for a tighter footprint — 20.1 by 16.3 by 12.1 inches at 10.5 pounds empty, with the same ModRail rail and lid system as its larger sibling.
Storage is one of the first problems a vehicle-camping setup runs into. Gear slides, gets buried, and works loose on washboard. Pelican's bet with the Crate line is that the answer is a system the buyer rearranges by hand — rails, panels, dividers, matched sizes — rather than a heavier or larger single container. Whether the rail accessories earn their place in a build, or mostly add cost on top of the case price, is the open question until the line is in the field.
The Crate sits alongside Pelican's older Cargo line, the BX-series cases our overland storage guide lists as a high-end pick. The Cargo cases mount with fixed tie-down plates; the Crate's pitch is the swappable rail system and the matched 45- and 90-liter footprints.
What to check before buying
Measure first. The Crate 90L's 32-inch length and 20-inch width set the footprint, so check the roof rack or bed space and the rack's load rating before counting on a full 90-liter case riding on top. The 45L's 20-by-16-inch footprint is closer to a single crate slot.
Then confirm what comes in the box at $299.95 (90L) or $224.95 (45L). Pelican markets dividers, trays, and MOLLE panels as configurable accessories, so check the included set against the photos of a fully kitted case before assuming the organization is part of the base price.
The Crate line goes on sale at Pelican.com on June 2, 2026, and is not yet carried by the retailers whose prices Ordealist verifies. At $224.95 and $299.95, the Crate asks a buyer to pay for a rail system and a matched second size, not only a sealed box.