I covered this topic in the May issue of PalmPower magazine when I reviewed SCUBA Resources for the PalmPilot as our Site of the Month. Since then, a new product has been brought to my attention. It's called an Otter Box and it's offered by Otter Products. You can visit their Web site at http://www.otterbox.com/index.html.

Multi-purpose storage
Otter Products puts out an extensive line of Otter Boxes in a variety of sizes and colors, as you can see in Figure A.

FIGURE A

Otter Boxes come in many shapes, sizes, and colors to fit almost any purpose. Click picture for a larger image.

The design you choose depends on what you plan to keep in your Otter Box, whether it's a cell phone, a pager, your wallet, a camera, a video recorder, etc. Of course, what we're interested in here is whether or not an Otter Box will keep your Palm device safe, secure, and dry.

Otter Box 2000
Greg Ward at Otter Products was kind enough to send me a sample of the 2000 Series Otter Box, the perfect size to fit a PDA, as you can see in Figure B.

FIGURE B

The 2000 Series Otter Box is the perfect size for a Palm device. Click picture for a larger image.

I tend to keep my PalmPilot's plastic slipcase on when I place it into the Otter Box. This makes the fit quite snug and secure. However, I did notice that when the cover is removed, the device has a tendency to slide around inside the box. This would especially be true for owners of newer, smaller Palm devices, like the Palm V. Most Otter Box designs have a foam liner that will keep it from banging around too hard, but it might be a good idea to put something else foamy in the box to secure the Palm device in place.

Lifetime guarantee
The manufacturers of the Otter Boxes are so confident in their products, they give all of them a lifetime guarantee. This is impressive, considering the standards to which they hold the boxes. Otter Products makes two bold claims about the boxes. They are unfailingly watertight, and they are crush proof to a depth of 100 feet.

That's what their press kits say, anyhow. As an independent reviewer, I can't simply take them at their word before passing the information on to you. It is my obligation to put their claims to the test.

Watertight
Otter Boxes were designed to be watertight in order to keep your valuables dry. According to Otter Products, "The closed cell neoprene o-ring creates a positive seal which does not allow water in." That sounds good, but does it work? I aimed to find out.