The RoadWired Pod: The Ultimate Gear-Carrying Gadget for Geeks?

[Jason Dunn]

If you've got gear, you need a way to carry it. And I've yet to encounter a more versatile and functional small gear bag than The Pod from RoadWired. The bag is made of top-quality materials, and other than a few small nit-picks, this is a superb bag for taking all your important Pocket PC and photo gear with you on the go. Check out the full review!<br /> <br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/dunn-may03-pod00.jpg" /><br /><!> <br /><i>Whenever I think of bags, I think of <a href="http://www.roadwired.com/index.cfm?aid=7">RoadWired</a>. Ever since they sent me one of their laptop bags last year, I've been a huge fan of theirs. RoadWired gear is top-notch in every way: tough materials, excellent workmanship and great customer service. I've had The Pod for a few months, and I'm kicking myself for not taking the time to get to know this little bag better until now.</i><br /><br /><span><b>It's All About The Materials</b></span> <br />When you're going to be cramming your best tech gear into a bag, you want to know that it's going to be protected – if you didn't care, you'd probably just carry it all in a paper bag. The Pod doesn't disappoint in this area – it's made from something called "1050 Denier Ballistic Nylon". Anything with the word "ballistic" in it just sounds cool, doesn't it? I wouldn't suggest shooting The Pod though – I didn't see Kevlar listed anywhere on the materials list. :-) There's a patch of neoprene on the front of the top cover, apparently for looks. I don't know how water repellant the ballistic nylon is, but I'd venture to say the case would keep your gear fairly safe from random water sprays. The Pod wouldn't qualify as being truly water-proof however.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/dunn-may03-pod03.jpg" /><br /><i>Figure 1: The Pod when fully "deployed" with all wings open and the lid flipped.</i><br /><br />Physically, the bag is a good size: 7" wide, 6.5" tall and 5" deep. It's big enough to hold a good amount of gear, but small enough to be unobtrusive and very easy to carry. It weighs in at 13 ounces when empty. The main pouch is big enough for my Canon G2 digital camera, which is one of the bigger non-SLR digital cameras. I'm not sure how well some of the cameras with longer lenses would fit (like some of the high optical-zoom Fuji cameras), but I'd say it's good for all small and medium-sized cameras. There's a sturdy shoulder strap included that has metal fasteners on both the strap and bag – once this strap is attached, it's not going to come off without tremendous force.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/dunn-may03-pod09.jpg" /><br /><i>Figure 2: The Pod is available in six colours made up of a base colour and accents: black/black, titanium/black, navy/black, yellow/black, red/black, olive/black. The Pod in these photos is the titanium/black model.</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/dunn-may03-pod08.jpg" /><br /><i>Figure 3: It's possible to loop a belt through The Pod for easier carrying, but please, for the love of the geek gene pool everywhere, don't do this if you're single. If you're married, it's okay to look like a dork. ;-)</i><br /><br /><span><b>So Much Gear, So Many Pouches</b></span> <br />After being a Pocket PC geek for over three years now, I've collected a fair amount of gear. I've sold and given away a lot of it over the years (trying to spread the Pocket PC gospel so to speak), but I still have a fair amount left over. And, believe it or not, it was a struggle to find enough stuff to fill all the nooks and crannies in The Pod! There are over 20 pockets and compartments in The Pod.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/dunn-may03-pod02.jpg" /><br /><i>Figure 4: Everything I managed to fit into The Pod – amazing!</i> <br /><br />So how much can The Pod fit? Well, here's what I managed to cram into mine:<li>iPAQ 1910 in Proporta aluminum case<br /><li>Pharos CompactFlash 56K modem<br /><li>Pharos CompactFlash Ethernet card<br /><li>Pocket PC Thoughts Sapphire Elite Microlight<br /><li>CompactFlash memory cards: 1.0 GB, 256 MB<br /><li>MultimediaCard and Secure Digital: 32 MB SD, 64 MB SD, 256 MB SD, 28 MB MMC<br /><li>PCMCIA CompactFlash adaptor<br /><li>Pretec CompactTRIO (SD/MMC/MS to CF adaptor)<br /><li>Prect CompactSSFDC (SmartMedia to CF adaptor, in case I run into a retro camera that takes SmartMedia)<br /><li>Socket 802.11b CompactFlash card<br /><li>Socket Bluetooth CompactFlash card<br /><li>Gomadic Sync n' Charge cable<br /><li>Pocket PC Thoughts business card, $20 cash<br /><li>Canon G2 digital cameraI'm sure I could have fit a little more in there, but I ran out of gear that I'd realistically take with me when traveling.<br /><br /><span><b>It's All About The Pouches…</b></span> <br />There's nothing more important on a bag than how many pouches it has, and where you can put things, so let's get right down to it. A breakdown of all the zones on The Pod, from left to right.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/dunn-may03-pod04.jpg" /><br /><i>Figure 5: The memory card pouch</i><br /><br />This is the memory card pouch. Tight elastic bands allow you to fit one or more memory cards per slot. I could fit one CompactFlash card, vertically, per slot. Two SD/MMC cards fit easily. I can't help but think that these slots were designed for Smartmedia cards, which is a shame – the space could be better used in other ways to fit the more common forms of CompactFlash and Secure Digital cards. There's also a pouch on the inside of the flap with a Velcro fastener.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/dunn-may03-pod06.jpg" /><br /><i>Figure 6: Lots of space for a Pocket PC – everything from an iPAQ 1910 in a Proporta aluminum case up to a naked Dell Axim fit without trouble.</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/dunn-may03-pod01.jpg" /><br /><i>Figure 7: A close up zoom on the front pouch – lots of dead space for my needs here.</i><br /><br />Now we come to my least favourite part of The Pod: the battery and film zone. If this was designed in 1997, I could understand the need for a design like this, but it's 2003. Realistically, if this bag is being marketed towards the uber-geeks like myself, we're using digital cameras, not 35mm cameras. And the vast majority of digital cameras on the market today (and PDAs, MP3 players, etc.) do not use standard batteries or take little rolls of plastic film. So what's with the loop battery and film holders? I spent a few minutes staring at them, thinking if there was a creative way for me to put something in them, but came up dry. I'd much rather see more memory card slots, or some larger elastic bands for spare digital camera batteries (never leave home without them!). There's a mesh pouch with a Velcro top attached to the inside of the flap here as well.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/dunn-may03-pod07.jpg" /><br /><i>Figure 8: The "orange elastic zone"</i><br /><br />This zone would be handy for cables, with twin orange bands on a horizontal plane. As the photo shows, I ended up putting my 56K and Ethernet CompactFlash cards here – they fit nicely. There's yet another pouch on the inside of the wing, with a Velcro flap to boot. I stored my Gomadic Sync 'n Charge cable here.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/dunn-may03-pod05.jpg" /><br /><i>Figure 9: The business card holder and "secret pouch zone"</i><br /><br />On the underside of the lid, they've given you a place for your business card (in case The Pod gets lost) and there's a clever hidden pouch behind it for money, credit cards and identification. This pouch is designed in such a way that, unless you know it's there, you can't readily see it. However, if you put any sort of plastic card in there, the normally flexible top becomes stiff, but only around the edges of the card. It wouldn't take a very clever thief to find this. It would be nice to see RoadWired put a polyethylene sheet in the top to add a little protection for this zone (nobody wants a bent or broken credit card).<br /><br /><b><span>Gotchas</span></b> <br />All in all, I really liked The Pod. There are a few things that could use improving however:<br /><br /><li> No room for an external flash for my digital camera. Not an issue for the average consumer, but I found myself wishing the centre compartment was about twice as wide so I could fit my Canon Speedlite 420EX flash into the case. If you don't regularly use an external flash for your digital camera, this is a moot point.<br /><br /><li>AA batteries? 35mm film? Who uses those things any more? Give me some larger elastic loops that go horizontally rather than vertically, and I could put my extra camera battery there. The battery loops are a waste of space for me, and likely most users (unless you happen to have a digital camera that uses AA batteries, which is rare, but possible).<br /><br /><li>In my particular case, there wasn't enough space to carry both my Canon G2 camera and the AC charger that I needed for recharging the battery. The Pod was about half an inch too short to accommodate it. Depending on the size of your camera's battery charger, this may be a frustrating limitation. Another good reason to have a spare camera battery!<br /><br /><li>This is a very minor thing, but since these bags are designed to be as esthetically pleasing as they are practical, it irritates me that the card holder doesn't display the whole card. Unless you have a business card with huge margins, a good portion of the card will be hidden. The plastic window should show 100% of the business card.<span><b>Where To Buy</b></span> <br />The Pod can be <a href="http://www.roadwired.com/index.cfm?aid=7">purchased from RoadWired</a> for $49.95. [Affiliate] This is a little more expensive than your average camera bag, but the quality is unmatched by what you'd find at your local camera store.<br /><br /><b><span>Conclusions</span></b> <br />The Pod is an excellent carrier for your gear, and if you're going away for a short trip, it balances the need to carry important gear with the equally pressing need to be small and easy to carry with you. The bag is almost perfect, but they need to ditch the 35mm legacy design and move forward with a new design based around modern equipment needs.

[piperpilot]

I've been looking at the pod for a while now. I don't often carry a camera or CD player etc. with me, so I'm thinking of getting the smaller version of the Pod to carry all my PPC gear. Of course, with the full size Pod, I could probably carry my portable DVD player too. Hmmm . . . . Too many decisions!

[dlangton]

After checking the RoadWarrior site, I'm pretty sure all Jason's quibbles would be solved if he went for the Podzilla, a larger version of the Pod. I'm thinking of getting it so I could put my minidisc player, speakers, camera, chargers, etc. along with my PDA. About the only thing it wouldn't hold is my printer. :(

[Don't Panic!]

The standard Pod is to darn small to be really useful. I know, I bought one.

Don't Panic!
Bobby

[piperpilot]

The standard Pod is to darn small to be really useful. I know, I bought one.

That's why I haven't bought one yet. I think I want to see it in person before I shell out the cash. You can look at pictures all day and still not have a sense about how big it is until you see it for real.

[Ed Hansberry]

I went ahead and purchased this. I looked at Podzilla but the problem with that is it gets just large enough that it might not fit in my luggage, so if I am on a business trip and have my computer bag, overnight bag and Podzilla something has to get checked. :(

Of course if it is a light trip, then no computer bag - just the Pod with my PPC accessories and an overnight bag for cloths. I think this will be big enough for my stuff. I rarely carry a camera anyway, especially since my phone now has one for quick pics.

[scott911]

I own a POD and love it! It is very well made, and great looking.

Scott

[dochall]

I own a POD and love it! It is very well made, and great looking.

Scott

And as I read this thread I was thinking why aren't they all using ScottEvests. :D Oh the irony. :D

If I order a leather vest can I specifiy my arm length? - I am not a gorilla.

[blang]

My Podzilla should be here any second from now....I can't wait! The Pod was just too small.

[GoldKey]

I own a POD and love it! It is very well made, and great looking.

Scott

An Evest and a POD! 8O How much stuff are you carrying?

[Tom_Gilheany]

I've been using the Pod for some time now. Some thoughts and comments:

AA batteries are still useful for some things -- My Fuji 602Z digital camera uses this form-factor. Much easier when you get stranded somewhere with a dead battery...

The review didn't cover the "inside zone". There is velcro (the soft side) all of the way around, and a padded 2-way divider that can be used to divide the inside into three spaces.

I agree with previous post about Podzilla possibly being more useful. The Pod (original) was just a little too small for some applications -- Although I could fit my PocketPCs, and all accessories, it would not fit my SLR-sized digital camera. I may try a Podzilla later this summer.

As a suggestion for the "film & battery zone": it might be nice to see some sort of "cable-stable" solution for all of the miscellaneous cords (power, USB, firewire) that all of these devices tend to require.

-->Tom

[Ed Hansberry]

I went ahead and purchased this.
And it has already shipped. Good service. :-)

[dochall]

I went ahead and purchased this.
And it has already shipped. Good service. :-)

Road wired go good service full stop. I have a mega media bag. I managed to put a chair leg directly one of the nylon buckles. I had a replacement in around five days - this included not speaking to RoadWired direct but going through their a UK dealer (Proporta). No charge.

[Unreal32]

The battery loops are a waste of space for me, and likely most users (unless you happen to have a digital camera that uses AA batteries, which is rare, but possible).

Not so rare. When I shop for a digital camera, this is one of the *essential* items I look for. My Olympus uses them, as did my Fuji. The reason is this: Have you ever been at your folks' house on Christmas, and had your digital camera battery run out at an inopportune time? With a digital camera that uses AA's or AAA's, you are almost *never* without a potential power source. For me, it clinched the deal when I ran out of juice on Christmas Eve and didn't have my power cord with me... I just asked my Mom if she had any AA's around, which she did, and I slapped those in... and presto, the camera works.

So just because you don't use them, don't assume they are a rarity. Many many devices including digital cameras, MP3 players, and other electronics use AA's... they're a standard for most electronics still. Including in many digital cameras.

[Kevin Remhof]

How topical, I just got mine in the mail yesterday (I won the Proporta contest on The Gadgeteer website). I'm really not sure what I'm going to do with mine yet though. It would make a nice camera bag but we already have one for our 35mm. I guess I'll have to keep wishing for a digital camera.

On a side note, my 22 month-old daughter thinks this bag is really cool. So many zippers, pockets, etc.

Great review!

[WyattEarp]

I've had the Pod for some months now and find it indispensable. For those worried about its size; the Pod will carry your PPC and essentials which for everyone is different but everything will fit. It holds all my PPC accessories including the charger, T68i w/camera, contact lens stuff and spear AA battery for my work pager with room left over for when I get new stuff. The 1050 Cordura (http://www.americanhomeandhabitat.com/products/ballistic%20nylon%20fabric%20FBN105.htm) is actually tougher than my Camelbak Viper Hydration Pack made of 1000D Codura (http://www.americanhomeandhabitat.com/products/1000%20%20denier%20cordura%20plus%20fabric%20FCP100.htm) to make a comparison. It is definately water resistant (been out in the rain with it with no umbrella) and it kept my stuff nice and dry while I was soaked. All in all the Pod is a very handy gadget or even personal bag with a professional touch to it that will fit most anyones needs.

[blang]

I just received my Podzilla and it is really nice. I liked the Pod but it was just too small. Now I can fit all my gadgets (keyboard, sleeves, battery extender, wallet, etc.) and have extra room for growth. Roadwired did a great job!

[hollis_f]

I just received my Podzilla and it is really nice. I liked the Pod but it was just too small. Now I can fit all my gadgets (keyboard, sleeves, battery extender, wallet, etc.) and have extra room for growth. Roadwired did a great job!Hmmm, sounds like the Podzilla might be the bag for me. I use my Pod - but only for keeping everything together in one place inside a large bag. Now I've just got to find somebody who sells it in the UK (or will ship without doubling the price).

[dochall]

I just received my Podzilla and it is really nice. I liked the Pod but it was just too small. Now I can fit all my gadgets (keyboard, sleeves, battery extender, wallet, etc.) and have extra room for growth. Roadwired did a great job!Hmmm, sounds like the Podzilla might be the bag for me. I use my Pod - but only for keeping everything together in one place inside a large bag. Now I've just got to find somebody who sells it in the UK (or will ship without doubling the price).

proporta. Even if it's not on their website they will order it. I ordered a leather mega media bag. The delivery was pretty good and not more than I would expect of a delivery from the UK and it worked far less expensive then the US price + vat + duty.

[Jason Dunn]

Not so rare. When I shop for a digital camera, this is one of the *essential* items I look for. My Olympus uses them, as did my Fuji. The reason is this: Have you ever been at your folks' house on Christmas, and had your digital camera battery run out at an inopportune time?

Interesting. I haven't had a camera that used AA or AAA batteries since...1996? In the past few years all the cameras I've bought or family members have bought have used lithium ion battery backs, with the exception of an entry-level HP camera that my father purchased. I just never encounter them anymore - nothing I have takes those batteries, so for me as the reviewer, that was wasted space.

Regarding running out of battery power, that's why I have a backup battery for each camera, but custom lithium packs are the reason why I rarely run out of power: I was able to take over 400 pictures on my G2 (roughly 25% used a flash) and I was still at 90% battery power. AA batteries might be convenient, but they are very weak power sources and are quickly exhausted IMO.

Still, I'm glad you'd find those sections useful - I did not. :wink:

[blang]

I have a battery extender so having a place to put batteries is useful for me. In addition, I hooked my little targus keyboard adapter in two of the slots.

In the film slots, I put my two extra clips in two of the slots and the rectangular targus keyboard adapter in another (to convert from 3800 to 3900).

[fishcube]

I'm looking to purchase the Pod or Podzilla soon. I want one that will fit a Fuji S5000 digital camera.

I read on here that someone said that the SLR type digital camera's won't fit? Have you tried one? The dimensions seem to be just about the size of the camera above.

I prefer the shape of the Pod, since its square, the Podzilla is angled for the main compartment etc. Plus I would like to stick with something small, since I'll be carrying something else with it.

Skay

[Jason Dunn]

I read on here that someone said that the SLR type digital camera's won't fit? Have you tried one? The dimensions seem to be just about the size of the camera above.

I ended up giving the Pod away in a contest, so I no longer have it - I only have the Podzilla. I don't believe that my EOS 300D would fit in a Pod, but it would fit in the Podzilla.

[fishcube]

I think I may go for the Podzilla, since I wouldn't mind having my Sony clie UX and Gameboy Advance SP with me also. I was thinking a battery charger would fit nicely also. anyone try it?

About the Podzilla, is the main compartment too big for a smaller SLR type digital camera? I don't want tons of room in here, since I would be wasting it.

Skay

[piperpilot]

There's a slip-in pad that attaches to the inside of the main compartment with velcro that makes the main compartment smaller, so you shouldn't have a problem. I think you'll really be happy that you got the Podzilla. I posted a list of all the stuff I could fit in it last summer. It's simply amazing how much you can fit in the Podzilla.

[fishcube]

What color Podzilla do you have? I think I'll go with the black since it looks less like a camera bag in black. Would love to have red or titanium though.

I take my camera and other items with me all the time, so I would prefer that I don't have people asking me to take my camera someplace else.

What kind of places do you take your podzilla? I want to be able to take into stores, theature, mall, and others.

I don't think I should be made to keep it in my car, and I don't want to because of extreme temperatures.

Skay

[Jason Dunn]

What color Podzilla do you have? I think I'll go with the black since it looks less like a camera bag in black. Would love to have red or titanium though.

I have the bright yellow one - it's awesome! :mrgreen:

What kind of places do you take your podzilla? I want to be able to take into stores, theature, mall, and others.

I tend to only really use mine when I'm on vacation or going out to a special event, so I wouldn't normally take it into shopping malls, etc.

[ctmagnus]

What kind of places do you take your podzilla? I want to be able to take into stores, theature, mall, and others.

...I wouldn't normally take it into shopping malls, etc.

That's what eVests are for! :mrgreen:

[piperpilot]

What color Podzilla do you have?

Mine is basic black--it goes with everything

What kind of places do you take your podzilla?

I use mine mainly for travel. If airport screeners are going to paw through my bags, I like to have everything that they would be at all interested in be in just one bag. I also take it with me when I go camping since it holds my portable DVD player in addition to all my iPAQ gear. There's only so much stargazing that one can do before the urge to watch a good movie kicks in :wink:

[blang]

I use mine for travel or special sporting events. I have the color red. I think the brighter colors make it look less like a regular camera bag.

[fishcube]

brighter colors look less like a camera bag? really.

Everytime I look at a red or yellow podzilla, it looks like a camera bag to me, since the black outlines everything.

I'm still debating what color. It just seems the brighter colors stand out just too much. but, I love the red.

This is something that I'll be carrying with me daily so I have to keep that in mind.

So what colors does everyone else have?

Skay

[fishcube]

Anyone know of any stores online that take paypal and have the Podzilla for sale?

I'm still debating the Red or Black. Someone help me decide ! :)

Skay

[Jason Dunn]

Anyone know of any stores online that take paypal and have the Podzilla for sale? I'm still debating the Red or Black. Someone help me decide ! :)

I don't know of any stores that sell Roadwired gear and accept PayPal, but you might want to consider getting the PayPal debit card - it's a Mastercard that can be used like a credit card at any store, but it takes money from your PayPal account like a debit card.

Given your scenarios, I think you should go for black. ;-)

[blang]

I don't know where you are from, but there are several stores that actually sell them. I was initially interested in the Pod but when I saw it in the store, I thought it was too small for my needs. Go to Roadwire's website and you should be able to find stores in your area.

[fishcube]

I did check Roadwireds site for stores. Only one in our area is 2 hours away. Just can't make that trip anytime soon. So, my alternative is buying online. We have a paypal ATM card, but does't do me any good when there isn't any store near us to buy it from.

I may have to use a regular credit card, but was hoping to use our Paypal balance.

Skay

[fishcube]

Well, I ordered the Black Podzilla...

I also ordered a camera to go along with it :) Fuji S5000.

Now I'm just hoping they both come by Saturday. But, its wishful thinking.

Skay