Is Easton’s BowTruk The Best Bow Case Ever Made? // Born Hunting —

During my 25 years of bowhunting, I’ve seen some epic case failures. There was the time I arrived for a hog hunt at the famed King Ranch, and my buddy’s bow case had a split down the hood. It was obvious TSA wasn’t nice to his case, but a catastrophic failure of that nature should never happen. The shatter of the lid meant broken arrows and a bent cam.

Then there was when my case, a sub-par plastic build, failed to keep water out while we waited at base camp for the heavens to clear. The mountain monsoon lasted 36 hours. When I opened my case, my bow was underwater. My sight and rest screws rusted, and my string was waterlogged.

Of course, I’ve dropped a small fortune on flying luggage to and from bowhunts over the years. Traditionally, I used small hard cases with barely enough room for my bow. This meant other luggage had to be used.

That’s changed now.

I was thrilled that Easton Archery sent me its revised-for-2023 Gen II BowTruk. I never tested the case’s predecessor, but Easton said it was a win. This case has all the bells and whistles that made the first-generation BowTruk a hit. Naturally, though, Easton made some improvements.

Let’s dive in.

Jace Bauserman Bowtruk 2 — Jace Bauserman Bowtruk Review

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I don’t want to regurgitate a bunch of vocabulary you can read in a press release. Before we dive into the exact technologies of the case and the like, I want to provide you with a quick breakdown of my initial out-of-the-box thoughts.

For starters, the case is long and deep. I took immediate notice of the dual-wheel design. This will make toting the case through airports a breeze. I like the dark gray color with orange stitching and black interior.

The fabric seemed robust, and I was glad to see numerous carry-handle options fitted to the case. The back of the case is stiff, and screwed-in running boards add extra support. The zippers performed flawlessly — all have pull tabs — for easier use.

A feature that jumped at me from the get-go was the larger outer pocket that provides access to three inner pockets. I look for exterior access to internal pockets in a good hunting backpack, and a bow case should offer the same feature. Easton’s BowTruk does, and I love it. The front pocket unzips fully and flips out of the way. The pocket also has a decent amount of padding.

Accessing internal pockets from the outside of the case is a win.

Like the front pocket, the main compartment lid unzips and flips fully out of the way. The main inner compartment is deep, which means space for more than just your bow (more to come on this), and a felt-padded surface separates your bow from the case’s bottom. Adjustable Velcro straps are also attached to the case’s bottom.

The main lid isn’t flimsy and doesn’t collapse on the three accessory/gear compartments found inside the main lid. I like the mesh pocket lining and how Easton went the extra mile to make each pocket deep enough to hold gear. A pocket in a bow case that has no room has no purpose. Easton put a ton of thought into the design.

Easton’s BowTruk has three purposeful interior pockets that hold a litany of gear items.

A WORK HORSE

The BowTruk is designed for airline travel but will work every bit as well for black-top burning bowhunts. It fits nicely into my truck’s backseat. The wheels rolled with ease on pavement, and for kicks, I rolled the case across the prairie.

Don’t be worried about durability — the case isn’t hard, but it is by no means a flimsy soft case. The outer shell is bulletproof Ballistic 1680D Type 6,6 nylon and TPU coated. Easton had a goal to improve overall case durability and they did.

My Hoyt VTM 31 snugged down tightly via the dynamic Velcro Strap duo, and because of the case’s deep build, I could leave my quiver on the bow. I removed my Carbon Go-Stix and 12-inch front stab and stored both in the smaller but bottomless upper right pocket. I added my Leupold bino harness with 10×42 binos and a rangefinder in this pocket and still had leftover room.

The longer accessory pocket is for arrows, and while you don’t have to put your arrows in a hard arrow case, I did. There is plenty of room for an arrow case and lots and lots of arrows. Plus, this compartment can also hold other must-take gear.

The top-left accessory/gear pocket proved perfect for my broadheads, bow tools, socks, underwear, and additional clothing items.

A BETTER BOTTOM

Back to the bottom compartment — the space of this compartment is remarkable, and because the case doesn’t collapse on itself like a poorly-built soft case, you can easily fit an entire clothing arsenal. If you use the BowTruk’s space correctly and take your time with gear organization, you can use this case to handle almost everything you need for your hunt. Pair the case with a solid backpack you can carry on the plane, and you can say goodbye to additional luggage fees.

The BowTruk is available in three sizes to fit an array of axle-to-axle length bows. Dimensions include 47″ x 16″ x 9″ (model 4716), 40″ x 17″ x 9″ (model 4017), and 36″ x 16″ x 9″ (model 3616).

I’ve read several reviews that praise the BowTruk’s build but dub a “con” of the case the price. I’m going the opposite route. Yes, $500 is a lot of money, but this will be the last bow case you ever have to buy. Plus, after all of my bow case mishaps and the mishaps, I’ve seen others have, an excellent build is worth its weight in gold.

The old, you get what you pay for, saying holds with this bow case. Starting this fall, this will be my go-to case for all of my travel, and its durable hybrid hard/soft design means it will last a lifetime.