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Mini-Review: Waterfield Designs PSP Gear Pouches

PSP Gear Pouch and PSP Mini Gear PouchI hadn't realized how much stuff one accrues when acquiring a Sony PlayStation Portable.  Aside from the system itself are the headphones, remote control, multiple memory sticks, those fragile UMDs, and various other trappings.   I went looking for a handy storage bag for my new toys and the folks at Waterfield Designs heard my cries; the company was nice enough to provide their PSP Gear Pouch and PSP Mini Gear Pouch for review.  After spending a week hauling them around and testing them out, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the bags.  Click on the photos for larger images, too.

Waterfield Designs PSP Gear Pouch Let's start with the PSP Gear Pouch.  This is the larger of the two and can hold just about everything your PSP needs.  I stuffed mine full of the system, the headphones & remote control, and UMDs, although that space can be divvied up for the AC adaptor and extra memory sticks, too.  They say it's made of Ballistic nylon (which doesn't mean much to me), but it's sturdy on the outside and padded on the inside.  I used this one as my "home" storage bag, keeping my stuff inside when it wasn't in use.   I was able to stuff six UMDs inside; two in each pouch slot.  I may have been able to squeeze three more inside, but I didn't want to risk scratching them.  The PSP fits snugly inside as well away from the other stuff crammed in there, so I wasn't worried about a stray cord input or plastic UMD housing scratching the screen.  I was too afraid to drop the case from any height with my PSP aboard, but it certainly seems like it could cushion a short drop.  I'm too wary to be sure though.

Waterfield Designs PSP Mini Gear Pouch Then there's the PSP Mini Gear Pouch, a smaller bag meant to be carried into the outside world.  This bag holds the PSP, headphones & remote control, and UMDs.  It's made of Ballistic and Indium nylon, which certainly sounds impressive.  The interior is padded just like the larger bag, but items have a much snugger fit inside.  It took a little work to get the PSP packed away, plus with the smaller size I was only able to fit four UMDs inside.  I don't believe I could have stuffed in more if I'd tried.  It also took a little doing to get the headphones & remote control to stay put; I think when I travel with this bag I'll invest in some twist-ties to keep the cords down and out of the way of the zipper.  I could see packing this bag in with my suitcase or carrying it around in a backpack, but it's not meant to clip to a belt (it does have a pull tab for what it's worth).

I was more impressed with the larger PSP Gear Pouch.  It can fit more inside than its smaller counterpart (obviously) and if I were traveling I'd try and make room for the larger case that fits more items comfortably if I could over the smaller case with the tighter fit and smaller storage space.  If packing space were at a premium though, then the PSP Mini Gear Pouch would be the way to go.  Consider them both recommended, although I say go for the larger bag if possible.

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