An essential part of traveling with your fly-tying vise is keeping it safe. Some vises come with a hard-protected box (e.g., Dyna Kings).
But most vises do not.
The cases are simple to buy and build. And the ones you make are likely more substantial and more durable.
My favorite vise travel kit involves a Pelican case and foam inserts. Pelican cases are expensive when compared to other complex travel cases. But they are completely waterproof and nearly indestructible.
I like traveling with my vise in a Pelican case because I’ve seen buddies destroy their vises by accidentally backing over their box.
The box also doubles as a small lap mount for your vise’s pedestal base.
Do not scrap the foam insert. I buy multiple foam insert pads, but we’ll get into that below. The foam inserts can be cut and customized to fit your vise snuggly. This is important as it suspends your vise and prevents it from crashing into the hard walls of the Pelican case or itself.
I keep multiple pieces of foam inserts customized to each of my vises. This is nice to have but not a necessity. Before I found a good deal on the foam inserts, I’d stuff the box full of packing paper after wrapping my vise in a t-shirt. Just make enough room for your mounting system (c-clamp or pedestal).
The most important part is the Pelican case for the outside and something wrapped around your vise on the inside.
This is by far the best way I’ve traveled with a vise whether it’s flying, driving, or even boating.
Pelican cases are watertight and float. I’d recommend buying a bright color so it’s easy to pick out at the airport, in a tall grassy field, or as it floats downstream in the river.
