We amateur astronomers are a somewhat nomadic bunch, by necessity. Unless you're lucky enough to live in an area with extremely dark skies and clear seeing conditions year-round, chances are good that you have to hit the road to a remote location with inky black skies when the stargazing bug strikes. Or, at the very least, you move your telescope and mount from its storage spot in the house or garage out to that dark corner in the yard for a night of observing. Whether you're moving a telescope near or far, your valuable astronomy gear deserves a safe and convenient mode of transport. We highly recommend using one of our affordable Orion Padded Cases any time you need to move or store your telescope. Their thick padding will help protect your telescope from dings or scratches during transport, and they'll keep your telescope free of dust and dirt when it's not being used.
Orion Padded Cases come in many different shapes and sizes, but you may not know exactly which case is best for your needs. Let's go over some helpful tips on how to shop for a padded case for your telescope, telescope mount, or both!
Some Orion padded cases can hold both a telescope optical tube and a telescope mount and tripod. These cases feature a padded divider inside the case to keep the optical tube separated from the mount and tripod. These cases, identified by a "C" on our online Padded Case Chart, even feature hook-and-loop straps inside to keep any counterweights secured during transport. Some other Orion padded cases are intended to hold the telescope optical tube only. These cases are identified by a "T" on our online chart. We also have Padded Cases for field tripods, and for equatorial mounts and tripods, which are marked with an "M" on the chart. We even have a few Padded Case Sets specially designed to hold all the optical tube components of our large, but portable SkyQuest XXi and SkyQuest XXg Truss-Tube Dobsonian telescopes.
If you have an Orion telescope, consult our online Padded Case Chart to find the most appropriate case:
If you'd like to use an Orion padded case for a telescope of a different brand, or have an older Orion model that no longer appears on the online chart, follow these simple tips to help you select the most appropriate padded case:
If you're having difficulty selecting a padded case, call our Customer Service department at 00-800 8989 0123 in the countries of France, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, Monday-Friday between the hours of 1400 and 2400 GMT. Our friendly, knowledgeable sales reps are available to help you find the best case for your telescope.
With an Orion Padded Case, your telescope will be ready for stargazing adventure wherever you go, whether you're heading miles down the road, or just a few steps out the back door!