Topic: Best gear bag for 722 / V3 / SLAs, etc.

[Mike Sarnovsky]

I always thought the Sonic case left a little to be desired, even new
my Petrol bag is 4 years old and doesn't seem to be any less rigid than the day I got it
you can't close it up like the Sonic case so it doesn't protect as well in dusty environments
plus the thing is HUGE, sometimes a little big for some shows where space is an issue
but it holds alot of gear and I can keep everything wired up and ready to roll

Can people say the same thing about the portabrace quality as well? 

[page]

One question I forgot to ask... so I had a SonicCase for YEARS.  Thing turned into a piece of shit... the velcro lost its "adhesiveness" and barely stuck anymore and the bag just felt on the flimsier side to me over time... definitely didn't hold up.  The more and more I loaded it down, the less secure the thing felt.  

Have you guys noticed the same thing with the Petrol or Portabrace cases?  Ideally I'm going to be buying something that lasts for the long haul.

Nope. I load my AR-7 combo like a fat kid with icecream. In that one, the O rings are attached to the recorder itself and everything hangs off your recorder. In the A0-X series, the rings are sewen into the side ad you place your stuff inside. You would have to load it with back breaking weight before they ripped out. The cases cost a bundle, but I think you get what you pay for. Combine that with the rain slicker, and it would easily survive a dust or rain storm. I think one of the best bills of confidence is where Portabrace is used; professional media. My wife sees the standard Portabrace blue whenever she goes out into the field to cover something and when I've seen field crews at concerts, they use Portabrace.

At this point, it would take nothing short of a small miracle for me to not buy a portabrace if I got a new recorder.

[DigiGal]

One question I forgot to ask... so I had a SonicCase for YEARS.  Thing turned into a piece of shit... the velcro lost its "adhesiveness" and barely stuck anymore and the bag just felt on the flimsier side to me over time... definitely didn't hold up.  The more and more I loaded it down, the less secure the thing felt. 

Have you guys noticed the same thing with the Petrol or Portabrace cases?  Ideally I'm going to be buying something that lasts for the long haul.

No, I've been a portabrace user for years and have found their cases to be extremely durable and to hold up very well.  They have been designing and making equipment cases in Bennington VT for at least 30 yrs and you will find portabrace used by most television stations to protect their gear.

Portabrace offers a wide variety of cases to choose from and also makes cases designed to protect specific pieces of equipment.   

Portabrace does tend to use lots of velcro in their designs and if it wears out you could always send an old portabrace case back to them to be repaired.

They really take pride in delivering excellent products and appear to be a company that values their employees and customers needs.  Each piece bears the individual Sew-er's name who made the bag.

[NOLAfishwater]

Currently a PEGZ-3 on ebay starting @ $150 with BIN of $170. It's been relisted a couple of times since it went without bids earlier.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170518991435

holy shit that is cheap. they retail for $270

[Mike Sarnovsky]

     
Porta Brace  POCSB9
Just ordered this pile of goodness from B&H... most stuff was free shipping too. 

This should be enough to store all my JUNK.    Thanks for the help.


CS-B9 Stuff Sack (Black, Single Pack)    1 $13.95 $13.95
     
Porta Brace  POQSA4
QS-A4 Audio Quick Slick    1 $84.95 $84.95
     
Porta Brace  POCP
CP Clip-On Divider Pouch    1 $17.39 $17.39
     
Porta Brace  POAO2X
AO-2X Audio Organizer Case (Signature Blue)    1 $239.95 $239.95