Not long ago, I reviewed the unique Shimoda Panel Wraps, and today we are looking at the Shimoda Accessory Pouch. The Panel Wraps were the first Shimoda products I purchased, and I liked those enough for them to become a regular part of my photo kit. After checking their product catalog, I noticed they had another camera accessory organizer, the Accessory Pouch. I’m a sucker for having my camera gear neatly organized, so I ordered a couple to review and compare them to the Panel Wraps.
Table of Contents
Design and Construction
The Shimoda Accessory Pouch is built to last, using weather-resistant Carbonate Ether coated PU resin for the main body and high-grade YKK zippers. It looks at home inside their burly outdoor packs like my Shimoda Action X70 HD. Although you don’t usually need weatherproofing for accessory pouches, if they protect essential data on hard drives or fragile electronics with exposed terminals, adding an extra layer of protection for a minimal weight penalty feels good. In the hand this feels like a very high-end product. The durability and small details give you a great sense of what the Shimoda brand is all about.
Internal Pocket
The internal zippered pocket on the Shimoda Accessory Pouch is made from stretchy nylon. The choice of material is clever. It means that anything you can fit in the main pocket will also fit in the zippered pocket. I start with all my fully charged batteries in the main pocket, and as they get used up, I move them into the zippered pocket. This makes it easy to know which batteries need to go on the charger when I get home. You could do the same thing with memory cards or use the divider to organize related items such as drives and USB cables.
Using the Accessory Pouch on a Belt
Flipping the pouch over reveals an interesting feature I have not seen in similar products. There’s a second much wider sleeve as well as a standard thinner sleeve to pass a regular belt through. This wider sleeve is made from elasticated nylon to enable it to slide onto hip belts found on larger outdoor photo packs such as their own Action X v2 or Explore v2 series packs. I like this extra detail and have used one of my two pouches this way. Although this is a universal feature that will work on any photo pack, it’s convenient on the Shimoda Action X v2 packs that don’t have a built-in pocket on the hip belt.
Conclusion
The Shimoda Accessory Pouch is another great product that has been carefully thought out by people that use such things in the field. I love the rugged construction, the internal zippered pocket, and the dual belt loop options on the back. I also like that this differs distinctly from the previously reviewed Panel Wraps. The Panel Wraps are well suited to smaller items that need the more specific organizational division of multiple zippered pockets. The Accessory pouch is suited to a smaller number of bulkier items, such as camera batteries or remote trigger cables. When worn on the belt of your pack, it’s also the perfect size for a phone and some snacks.
Where to Buy + Save 10%
Shimoda Designs has offered Shutter Muse readers a 10% discount on anything purchased through their online stores. US, Canadian, UK, French, or German residents should use the discount code ShutterMuse10 after clicking here to access the store. Australian readers should use the same code on the local Shimoda distributor’s site, Maxxum, instead.
I recommend shopping directly with Shimoda, if you can, to take advantage of that 10% discount. However, using one of our other links is always appreciated if you can’t do that. Shimoda doesn’t ship directly to Canada, so fellow Canadians should buy from B&H Photo using the links below to take advantage of their free shipping and easy pre-paid duties.
- Shimoda Accessory Pouch – Shimoda Designs / B&H Photo / Amazon / Adorama / Moment
