In my early teenage years, nothing represented the pinnacle of coolness more than a pickup truck with a gun and bow rack in the rear window. Growing up in a small rural town, guys who had a truck with a bow hanging in the rear window during archery season had it going on. At least that’s how those of us who didn’t have a truck (or a driver’s license, for that matter) looked at it.

Of course, those days are long behind us, and the idea of displaying your valuable hunting gear for all to see is ludicrous on so many levels … not the least of which is safety. Could you imagine rolling your truck with a bunch of broadhead-tipped arrows flying loosely about the cab?

Yeah … what were we thinking?

Fortunately, everyone has wised up now and rear window gun racks are relegated to the bygone era of big belt buckles, big hair and “The Dukes of Hazzard.” What has remained, though, are not-so-great ways of getting our bowhunting gear from here to there. Those of you who hunt from home need not worry much about safely moving your gear. Those of us who travel from home to bow camp really need to think about this.

Many states require bows to be cased during transport xe2x80x94 even if you’re driving from your house to your hunting stand a few miles down the road. While such regulations are geared to deter poaching (which is like saying banning guns will prevent crime), there is some safety value to casing your gear.

Most of us have, at some time, tossed our bow and quiver full of arrows in the back of a truck cab or SUV and taken off without a thought as to what that loose gear might do should we be in an accident. That notion alone should be enough to ensure you never carry an uncased bow or arrows in a vehicle again.

Beyond the personal safety aspect, there is also our gear to consider. Get on the brakes too hard and your bow could slide around and hit something (or something could slide and hit your bow), damaging your bow, knocking the sights out of alignment … any number of bad ends is possible.

If anyone knows how to safely transport archery gear, it is Easton. As the premiere manufacturer of arrows for both hunting and competition, Easton has experience, through the company’s customers, with what it takes to move archery gear across the country and across the world. World-class shooters and international hunters face significant challenges when transporting their bows and arrows from one continent to the next, and those challenges are no less important to the bowhunter who might be heading to bow camp in the next county over for a weekend or across several states for a big-game hunt of a lifetime.

Whatever the need, Easton has developed a broad range of cases, boxes and other transportation solutions to help move your bowhunting gear safely and efficiently. We’ve spent the fall testing out a handful of these products and, quite frankly, wondered what took us so long to give them a try.

Deluxe Compound/Recurve Roller Bow Case (#3915 & #3615)

Until recently, our fly-out-of-state bowhunting trips always meant a luggage hassle of the first degree. We had a hard bow case to secure our bow, arrows, and other TSA-check goodies like broadheads and knives. Add to that another piece of luggage containing clothes and sundries, plus a hunting daypack for our carry-on items. With airlines charging stupid prices now for checked baggage and overweight fees … well, you get the idea. Anything that can simplify, condense and streamline the process while saving us money is a winner.

That’s where Easton’s Deluxe Compound/Recurve Roller Bow Case comes in. Although billed as a bow case, this model is intelligently designed with room to accommodate several days of hunting clothes and essentials. Heck, if you are frugal about your packing and don’t mind wearing clothes until they can stand up on their own, you can pack enough in the Deluxe case for a week-long hunt.

With this case, we can put everything in one piece of checked luggage. The back and side walls of the case are ridged while the clothing and other items placed across the bow and inside the lid compartments offer top-side protection. Essentially, your bow is protected all-around. Dual cinch belts with hook-and-loop fastening patches keep the bow secured to the bottom of the shell. The inside of the lid features three zippered compartments. There is a pocket to accommodate Easton’s 33- or 36-inch arrow cases, another pocket to secure small items, and a larger pocket with a mesh panel that we find perfect for … toxic apparel.

Outside, there are two large but shallow zippered pockets. The smaller of the two has an internal snap clip that’s perfect for securing your keys so you don’t lose them.

Making the airport shuffle a lot easier are three roller bearing wheels. Other carry options include a top handle for hoisting the case and a shoulder strap so you can keep your gear out of the mud.

Although the Deluxe case seems tailor-made for airline travel, it’s also perfect for any overnight, weekend, or weeklong trip because it simplifies your luggage needs and keeps everything you need in camp in one location. That’s especially helpful when you’re bunking with other hunters.

If you do choose the Deluxe case, we recommend buying the Travel Cover. This is a heavy-duty zippered cover that goes over the case to protect it from dirt, scuffing, and general rough handling.

Arrow Box (33 and 36 inch)

Transporting and storing arrows is one of the biggest challenges for the on-the-move bowhunter. While most hunters let their quivers serve as transport duty, quivers offer no protection for the arrows and no protection for you or your vehicle companions from the arrows should you be in an accident.

Easton makes two arrow boxes that safely store up to 18 arrows (tipped or non-tipped) xe2x80x94 one 33 inches long and the other 36 inches long. The boxes are hinged in the back and open clam shell-style. Two latches secure the two halves during transport or storage. Inside are two slotted foam dividers that you can custom place inside the boxes to accommodate arrows of varying lengths.

Although this is the perfect solution for transporting arrows in the previously mentioned Deluxe Case, the arrow boxes work well any time you need to transport your gear, and they’re great for storing your arrows during the off-season to prevent damage.

Another benefit of using these boxes is for off-road vehicle safety. Folks who use an open ATV or the increasingly popular UTVs to get to their hunting areas generally don’t think about what would happen if they have an accident or even a minor whoopsie with quivered arrows on board. Catch a bad rut, hook a tree, or take a log hop the wrong way and those arrows could become serious hazards. Better to store them safely in a box while traveling and put them into your quiver before heading to your stand.

Stay Sharp Broadhead Case

As with transporting bows and arrows, broadheads should also be safely secured any time you are on the move. This is not only for your protection, but also to keep your blades razor sharp.

The best solution we’ve found for this is Easton’s Stay Sharp Broadhead Case. This is no simple rattle box that holds broadheads, but an ingeniously designed system that keeps your broadheads separated and individually suspended in the case so that the blades never touch a thing.

The case holds six broadheads xe2x80x94 three on one side and three on the other. A rubber suspension matrix, designed to accept two-, three-, and four-blade broadheads, holds and secures the broadheads inside the case in such a way that the blades xe2x80x94 fixed or mechanical xe2x80x94 do not touch the rubber or the ABS case. Each end has a snap-lock and removable clear smoke polycarbonate cap that prevents accidental opening. The case is sized so you can toss it in your daypack and the rubber matrix ensures rattle-free operation, allowing you to carry it in the field without making noise.

The Stay Sharp case also comes with twelve threaded collars (six for 8-32 broadhead ferrules and six for Deep Six broadhead ferrules). These are used for broadheads with locking collars that secure the blades in the ferrule when screwed onto a shaft. With these, there is no worry of the blades opening or coming out of the ferrules.

Deluxe Crossbow Case (#4126)

Crossbow cases … Yeah, we’ve all struggled with these at some point. If your crossbow manufacturer happens to make a case specific to your model, you’re generally good to go. If not, good luck finding a “universal fit” case that will actually fit and keep your bow protected.

Interestingly, the Easton Deluxe Crossbow Case is one such universal fit model that works. At first, we were skeptical because the case seemed quite large. While it is big enough to accommodate everything from wide axle-to-axle width conventional draw bows to the ultra-narrow narrow reverse-draw crossbows, it does so with purpose and dignity.

Three hook-and-loop attachment straps sewn into the bottom of the case secure the crossbow across the barrel and both limbs, so it’s not going anywhere. Easton uses its hybrid soft/hard shell technology around the case circumference to provide adequate support for the case and its contents, and the case is well padded all around. The result is a case that fits most crossbows while providing all the protection needed for general transportation needs. We wouldn’t use it for airline travel (nor is it approved for such use), but for truck transport, ATV/UTV transport, and for general storage during the off-season, this case hits all the right notes.

Beyond protection, the case is also accommodating. Inside, the fleece lining accepts Easton’s Case Cubes, which have a hook-and-loop patch on the back that will stick to the lining where you want it to. The case comes with a Corner Case pouch that’s handy for stowing a broadhead pack, rope-cocker or other small items.

Outside, there is a large zippered pouch that lets you stow Easton’s Crossbow Arrow Box or a similar-sized plastic case. This way, your arrows stay with the crossbow during transport. There are two additional flat zippered pouches on the top cover. We’re not sure what these are intended to hold, but there they are.

Finally, we find thick, quilted panels above where the buttstock and scope sit. This is welcome padding to further protect the crossbow from accidental impacts.

We’ve certainly come a long way from the pickup truck window rack days of transporting our hunting gear, and we’re thankful for it. Proper equipment storage and transportation is as important for keeping us safe as it is for protecting our gear. If you’re ready to do the right thing by your equipment, Easton’s broad line of gear cases stand ready.

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The Best Bow Case for the Traveling Hunter