ShimodaAccessory Pouch (520-206)

These are great. Some companies sell these at more than double the price for the exact same thing.

First of all it’s LARGE. I’m not complaining about that it just that it was bigger than expected. Second, it’s not a great shape to pack into a back pack with all your other gear. I don’t know what would be a better shape, maybe more cube shaped, but it definitely didn’t pack well. It is well built like all Shimoda stuff. Just not practical for my use.

Shimoda added a few reinforced loops to the exterior of the Explore series bags and even included a pair of these straps with purchase of an Explore series backpack kit. They significantly increased the number of loops on their new Action X line but no longer include a pair of straps for free. These locking gate accessory straps are designed to fit these loops to facilitate strapping more gear to the exterior of your backpack. They have locking gates at both ends, a YKK quick release buckle and integrated cam lock length adjustment with 1.25” wide webbing. Sure, there are other brands who offer straps nearly identical to this but these are surprisingly cheaper than most others and are compatible with the buckles already installed on Shimoda Designs bags.I previously used mine to strap a 40 liter dry bag to the bottom of my Explore 40, doubling my capacity for backpacking. Since I’ve picked up their new Action X70, the need for the dry bag is gone but are now used to sling their Top Loader camera holster from the shoulder strap and belt. I’ve also recently bought another 2 pairs; one pair affixed to the exterior of the bag and ready to hold my large Systematic tripod when needed, the other inside the bag “just in case.” When unclipped, the short ends are small and unobtrusive, letting you leave them in place without getting in the way, propositioned and ready for when you need them next.For only $9.95 per pair, they’re pretty much the cheapest, name brand option for any brand bag. At that price, you’re silly not to have a spare pair in your bag to preemptively head off any emergencies securing your gear. If you’ve bought one of their new Action X backpacks, a pair of these straps is no longer included for free but there’s no reason why you can’t afford to pick up a few pairs on your own.

The exterior accessory straps on Shimoda Designs’ Explore and Action X bags are generous but sometimes you just need a bit more length for larger items you want to strap to the exterior of the bag. These are rubberized with nylon reinforcement and YKK quick release clips compatible with Shimoda bags only (as far as I know of). The grippiness helps hold your items in place without needing to tighten the straps to the breaking point, keeping unbalanced items from sliding to and fro while hiking, especially during ascents and descents. Either in or out of its bag, these straps maintain a firm grip on my tripods when strapped to the exterior. The extra length also manages to get around and tightly hold my 2-person tent. For items even larger, like my sleeping bag, I can just connect 2 or more in succession.For a slightly more creative use, I’m using one to secure the roll top of my Action X70 in a way that deviates from the original design to allow slightly more capacity and less chance of snagging in foliage. I’ve used that as the basis for my product review photos.There are a lot of uses for these straps and they’ll connect to any of the preinstalled 1” straps on the bag. Get a couple of pairs and throw them in your bag... the price is great, they’re good value and you’ll be glad you’ve got them when you need them because it’s always when you least expect it.

This thing is amazing. It's big enough to fit 2 speedlights in the big part of the pouch, the other 2 smaller pouches are perfect for batteries, cables and smaller things. When I shoot interiors I keep smaller clips and miscellaneous things in the pack and simply hang it off the tripod. The see though back makes it easy to see exactly what you have in it. When I'm out in the street I actually use the pouch as a camera bag with the shoulder strap. It fits perfectly in my shimoda 60l but if you are considering a pouch like this, thing is absolutely perfect, it's exceptionally well made and it looks like it'll last a very long time.

Perfect size and transparent sides help a lot

I have the medium version of this case, and I'm about to order a 2nd one. It PERFECTLY stores all those little extra things that clutter up a camera pack - batteries, headlamps, filters, memory card cases, straps, cleaning kits, remotes, cables, speed lights, triggers, pano bases ... on and on and on. It fits perfectly in my Shimoda backpack. I know I'm throwing around the word "perfectly" a lot - I'll accept the argument that nothing is PERFECT - I mean, how could you possible ORGANIZE all those bobbles? - but this case is indisputably nothing less than awesome!