The 9.25- by 4- by 7-inch Speck GPS Flyer is a small-ish travel case meant for storing and displaying most standard-sized GPS systems thanks to a thoughtful pop-up outer compartment with a built-in protective device holder.
The inside of the bag features more than enough room for accessories, cables, manuals, and mounting apparatuses. And with an MSRP of $40 and a street price of around $30, it makes a pretty good travel case for other gadgets as well.
I can’t actually speak to the effectiveness of the GPS features as I don’t have a GPS system with which to test everything out (no car = no need for GPS) but I can tell you that Speck’s GPS case has now replaced my camera case and made for a really easy way to carry essential gadgets around while traveling or covering events.
For instance, right now I have the following items inside the case:
- DSLR camera, lens, and battery charger
- Six-foot Ethernet cable
- Three USB cables
- Collapsible headset and microphone
- Portable flash memory camcorder
- iPod Touch
- Two pairs of headphones
And I could probably cram a few more items in there if needed. The case can be embiggened (it’s a word!) a couple inches by unzipping an outer zipper and resmallified (might not be a word!) by zipping it back up. So all in all, you’ve got a pretty versatile case for quick, everyday use that can also be used to carry stuff around when traveling.
The interior features a 3.5- by 4-inch velcro pocket for storing memory cards and other small items, while a see-through window provides a place to store business cards and the like. Behind both the pocket and the window is an 8.5- by 5-inch pocket that could be used to store a small book or instruction manual.
The main compartment is a big open space about 8 inches wide by 6 inches long by 1.5- to 3-inches deep depending on whether or not you’ve opted to employ the outside zipper expansion. The bottom of the compartment features two nylon net-style pockets.
The material itself is a tough, sturdy nylon in the inside and around the outside with an almost rubber tire-like substance on the top and bottom of the case. The whole kit feels like it’s built to last — not cheap in the slightest.
If the GPS Flyer has a fault, it’s that it could easily be marketed as a standard gadget bag. When I opened it, I thought “Who in the hell needs a bag for their GPS?” Once I actually started using it, though, the nice deep pockets and ample storage space, along with a relatively reasonable price tag despite the use of high-quality materials made the Speck GPS Flyer quite enticing.
GPS Flyer [Speck Products]