Pelican has a well-earned reputation for building tough carrying cases that will keep gear dry and protect it from destructive baggage handlers or worse. But if you’re not carrying large items such as camera gear, the company also makes a Micro Case Series that could prove useful to just about any traveler.

I’ll have to admit, though, I was a bit skeptical about some of the company’s claims. I was intrigued—challenged, even—by the boast that the polycarbonite case could “withstand up to a 5,000 pound truck.”

So I took a Pelican 1040 out to my driveway and ran over it.

My Toyota RAV4 is a little shy of 5,000 pounds, but I still figured it was a good test. I drove onto the case with one of the front wheels and stopped.

I thought the case would probably be crushed. But it wasn’t.

The front latch came open slightly from the weight of the wheel resting on top. But when I moved the car, the latch popped back into place and the case was undamaged. Like it was never run over.

 So, then I thought I’d try something even more sinister—the CIA waterboarding test, since the case is also supposed to be watertight. I put my cell phone inside and poured water over it in the sink. The case floated and was, indeed, watertight—even after being run over.

Okay, I’m convinced. These are tough cases. Their small size and solid construction makes them ideal for protecting cell phones, other electronics, jewelry and papers on adventure trips where they might get dunked in the water or fall off a ledge. And they’re handy for carrying breakable items inside checked luggage on planes.

The Micro Cases come in six sizes. Prices from cableorganizer.com range from just under 10 bucks for the smallest model to $18.99 for the largest.  Pelican’s Pick N Pluck foam, if needed for extra padding, is optional and adds a few dollars to the cost. The foam is not recommended for use with heavier items.

Any case that gets run over and then thrown in water, and survives unscathed, earns my respect and recommendation. Pelican’s Micro Case line is tough—and then some.