Small hard drive case

[MtnMan]

I own and use a LaCie Rugged Hard Disk, a highly mobile storage device. The unit is bus-powered, and triple-interface (USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and FireWire 800; for those of you unfamiliar with FireWire, it is also known as IEEE 1394 or Sony iLink) I typically carry the unit with at least one connection cable, as I take the unit from one computer to another. I also occasionally take the unit with a laptop to business meetings. The unit is used mostly as a digital photo repository.

I have had difficulty finding a padded pouch that will fit the unit, plus one or two cables (typically at least 3 feet in length.) In the past, I had a somewhat smaller mobile hard drive that could fit into a leather-like zippered pouch with pockets for cables. This newer LaCie would never fit in that pouch; the Rugged Hard Disk measures 5 5/8 x 3 5/8 x about 1 inches.

I would like to find a nice, padded pouch to store the Rugged Hard Disk in permanently; something that I can keep the unit in and just reach inside and plug a cable into to gain access to the unit without removing it from the pouch. Such a pouch would also have to have at least one pocket to stow a cable in. Does anyone know of a solution?

[jehingr]

I just use Domke wraps for my external drives. They don't have the pocket that you mention, but they are cheap, flexible, and have been doing the job for years. I would again thank the poster here who recommended them to me, but that name is lost in the dim recesses of my memory.

[moriond]

I own and use a LaCie Rugged Hard Disk, a highly mobile storage device. The unit is bus-powered, and triple-interface (USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and FireWire 800; for those of you unfamiliar with FireWire, it is also known as IEEE 1394 or Sony iLink) I typically carry the unit with at least one connection cable, as I take the unit from one computer to another. I also occasionally take the unit with a laptop to business meetings. The unit is used mostly as a digital photo repository.

I have had difficulty finding a padded pouch that will fit the unit, plus one or two cables (typically at least 3 feet in length.) In the past, I had a somewhat smaller mobile hard drive that could fit into a leather-like zippered pouch with pockets for cables. This newer LaCie would never fit in that pouch; the Rugged Hard Disk measures 5 5/8 x 3 5/8 x about 1 inches.

I would like to find a nice, padded pouch to store the Rugged Hard Disk in permanently; something that I can keep the unit in and just reach inside and plug a cable into to gain access to the unit without removing it from the pouch. Such a pouch would also have to have at least one pocket to stow a cable in. Does anyone know of a solution?

I would use one side of a Clear Quarter Packing Cube (7.8" x 6.7" x 3") for carrying this drive. (You can actually fit in 2 such units, side by side). Or, if you wanted something more exactly matched, because you want to keep it in a dedicated pouch, the 3D Clear Organizer Cube (7" x 4.3" x 2") is nicely matched in size (see view g). However, neither of these are padded pouches. The Medium Size padded organizer pouch (10.3" x 7") is the natural size for your LaCie hard drive. Both dimensions will pull in by a little over an inch to accommodate the thickness of the Rugged Hard Disk. You could clip a second small padded pouch to the small ring at the upper left and use it for holding cables.

[pretzelb]

I've recommended the Domke wraps before and I like them for added protection on objects that don't seem to fit nicely with other bags or pouches. But it doesn't fit your need of storage of both the drive and cables.

Are you sure you need to wrap that hard drive? It sounds like it's already padded. Maybe all you need is a pouch for the cable and let the drive sit in your bag.

Not to distract you but have you considered a high capacity thumb drive? I have a 32gb Patriot thumb drive but I think they can go even to 64gb. It's well short of the 250gb of the one you linked but they are neat little storage options.

[maverick]

i also think the 3d clear organizer cube will work well for your needs if you don't mind forgoing the padding.

i carry seagate's 2.5" freeagent go hard drives inside of the small organizer pouches, and they work well.

but you need to look at how you'll be handling your hard drive and decide whether you feel comfortable having a non-padded solution.

tom, darcy,

do you think we'll see a padded version of the 3d clear organizer cube? the 3d shape makes it great for holding other electronics also, such as point and shoot cameras.

[MtnMan]

I decided to upload a few images to try to illustrate what I've been doing and what the dilemma is.

First, my old hard (60 GB) mobile hard drive, also a La Cie:




The pouch was actually from an even older hard drive kit from several years ago. Note that it zips shut, has built-in elastic straps (non-removable) for hold the hard drive in place while allowing access to the connectivity ports on the end, and there also a pocket on the inside of the opposite flap that serves as a place to store a cable.

Here is a picture with a FireWire (IEEE 1394) cable connected to illustrate the usefulness of the "old" case with this "old" hard drive:






And now, another photo...




Now, here is a picture with the "old" hard drive and the "old" case next to the "newer" LaCie Rugged (300 GB). Note that the La Cie Rgged will not fit into the "old" case, or I would have shoehorned it in there a while ago.

What I'm looking for is something that will fit the Rugged and also offer a pocket for at least a decent-sized FireWire cable. I have not found anything that will fit without being either too big or too awkward.

Any clues?