Gadget Bag

• Versatility - I use the gadget bags for my DSLR camera gear.
• Small fits Nikon D3s body or D300 with 17-55mm lens attached OR SB-800 flash with 14-24mm lens OR I use it for batteries, chargers, filters and memory cards.
• Medium fits Nikon D3s body with 24-70mm lens attached and SB-800 flash OR with extra 14-24mm lens (tight but it fit because I wrapped it all with a pad instead of using a space wasting insert).
• Large fits it all. Nikon D3s body with attached 24-70mm lens and 70-200mm lens and 14-24mm lens and SB-800 flash and cable bag filled with extra batteries, filters and memory cards (more fit because I wrapped it and there wasn’t a bunch of wasted air space)
• Protective Closure - Sewn cap closure keeps your gear clean and dry in dusty, wet or sandy places. In North Africa, coming out of the Sahara desert, I found an old leather bag for sale that was folded over in the middle. They know very well that by folding leather against leather, it keeps the sand and dust out.
• 100 Year Warranty - Have your great-grandchildren talk to my great-grandchildren, and we'll fix it or replace it for free. Only for 100 years, though.
• Full Grain Leather - Only thick Full Grain leather; not Top Grain or Bonded leathers.
• No Breakable Parts - No zippers, snaps, buttons or any other breakable parts to fail or scratch your gear. How much is a billion dollar submarine worth with a cardboard hatch?
• Industrial Thread - Stout industrial marine-grade Polyester UV resistant thread. It’s used for airbags, sails, work boots and other heavy-duty applications. I ought to keep an extra spool in my truck for towing.
• Fully Tanned Leather – Good tanneries remove natural oils and preservatives from the hide and then replenish them with high quality synthetics and oils. Then they soak and tumble it for up to 20 hours until the new colors and oils reach the middle. Cheap tanneries only tumble them long enough to color the surface and leave the middle to dry up and crack.
• Hidden Polyester Reinforcing Straps - A German leather craftsman told me that since leather stretches, he sews Polyester straps into his leather horse equipment. We do that on all stress points.
• Rivets – Kind of killing a fly with a shotgun, but any place that could ever come apart in 100 years, gets a rivet. Even rocks wear away.
• Hardware – Solid-brass, nickel-plated  
• Insulates - Heat is a killer of cameras and electronics. When I lived in Juarez, Mexico, it averaged 95 degrees everyday in the summer and I didn’t have A/C in my truck. If I put my Nalgene water bottle filled with ice on my seat between me and Blue, then the water would stay cold for about an hour. If I put it in my thick leather bag, it would stay icy for about 5 hours. On the conductivity charts, leather isn’t as insulative as Styrofoam, but it’s more than wood. Think about this when your stuff is sitting in your hot car
• Seams - A few large pieces of leather with as few seams as possible. The more seams the weaker the bag because a seam is where the needle tore a bunch of holes in the leather and weakened it. Check out this junk duffel I bought in a moment of weakness and desperation in Mexico made of 85 small pieces of leather
• Pigskin Lining - We use pigskin (football material) for lining since it’s the 2nd toughest hide on the planet. No shiny pretty boy fabric here. *suede upon request
• Exterior pockets - Outer flat side pockets on the medium and large bags for lens caps and lens cloths.

• Outside Dimensions
• Small - 6 3/4” (17.3 cm) Wide, 7 1/2” (18.9 cm) Tall, 4 1/4” (10.8 cm) Deep
• Medium - 8 3/4” (22.35 cm) Wide, 7 1/2” (18.9 cm) Tall, 7 1/4” (18.4 cm) Deep
• Large - 14” (35.6 cm) Wide, 9 1/4” (23.5 cm) Tall, 6 3/4” (17.5 cm) Deep

NOTE:
Dimensions are for the outside of the bag, interior dimensions are minus 1/8" on each side for stitching at the seams.

• Weight
• Small - 0.95 pounds (.43 kg)
• Medium - 1.65 pounds (.75 kg)
• Large - 2.60 pounds (1.18 kg)

• Lining - Lined with pigskin, which has the 2nd toughest tensile strength rating of leathers. Kangaroo is the toughest.
• Leather - 100% hypoallergenic 4 to 5 oz (2.0mm to 2.2mm) thick Full Grain chrome tanned leather. Usually, cowboy and work boots are made with 1.8mm - 2.0mm thickness. And, our leather isn't “buttery soft” (fibers separated and broken down by hours of tumbling and stretching at the tannery). It’s your job to tenderize it over the years.
• Construction - Made from as few large pieces of leather as possible.  Seams are the weakest point and so the fewer the better. It would be much cheaper for us to make it with lots of smaller pieces, but it's the quality details such as this that separates us from the masses.
• Thread - The double zero continuous-filament Polyester thread we use is a little thicker than what is used on most boots. It’s impressive and expensive. Common thread is made of short little fibers wound together into one long thread. This thread is made of long continuous fibers that won't fall apart in a strong wind. Polyester thread is also the only thread I know of that doesn't deteriorate with exposure to the sun like Nylon or Kevlar.

How can I get my spouse to understand that I need this?

Here's your rationale: Buy the best, cry once. It's all about the cost per year. In college, I bought a pair of very expensive shoes for my job as a waiter. I couldn't afford them, but I bought them anyhow. They were really light and comfortable and took me through two years of waiting tables and one year as a limo driver and another year of occasional use. And then they still looked good for a month of Sundays. Cost per year was about $25. Most of the other waiters bought a new pair of $55 heavy and uncomfortable shoes every 6 months because theirs wore out and looked ratty by then. One of the principles the successful in the world understand is this: If one buys quality from the start they save money. Don't be penny wise and dollar foolish. This will be one of the most savvy investments and inexpensive leather pieces you'll ever have. And remember, you must truly love yourself before you can love others. A couple of other things to think about you'll be more popular. Everybody isn't buying one. I'll invite you to my birthday party. What's wrong, you chicken?

Which color should I get?

Pick the one that fits who you are. I've observed what the bag owners tend to be like based on the color they have chosen over the years. The category below that fits you best is probably the color you'll enjoy most. 

You"ll be amazed at how it helps you decide. Remember, your first inclination is usually the correct one.

Tobacco Light Brown (Sanguine)

• Easy going

• Laid back and casual

• Likes old Land Cruisers

• Forgives quickly

• Creative (enjoys writing)

• Loves big dogs

• Traveler

• Never met a stranger

• Low maintenance

• Lots of random thoughts

• Inventor

• Funny

• Loves the outdoors

• Adventurous

• Only wears clothes because you have to

Carbon Black (Phlegmatic or Choleric)

• You look good in a thick black leather jacket

• Rides a cruiser type motorcycle

• Wear thick black framed glasses

• Drives a Volvo or Saab

• Perfectionist

• They know your name at the coffee shop

• Sci-Fi is your favorite genre

• Are very interested in Oriental culture

• Prefer cats over dogs

• Loves modern contemporary style square furniture

Chestnut Reddish Brown (Choleric or Melancholy)

• Professional

• Highly educated

• Belongs in a Mercedes Benz or Jaguar

• Classier than most

• Perfectionist

• Has excellent taste in dressing and decorating

• Great sense of humor

• Intellectual

• Smokes a pipe instead of a cigarette

• Appreciates the finer things

Dark Coffee Brown (Phlegmatic or Choleric or Melancholy)

• Loves the outdoors

• Is the best friend of many people

• Reads a lot of books

• Loves big dogs

• Intellectual

• Loves adventure

• Independent

• Musical

If you still aren't sure, then just buy all four colors.

Are the animals tortured before they are slaughtered?

Absolutely not ! With some pigs we do use waterboarding and sensory deprivation techniques previous to slaughtering them, but the cows do not require any special handling.

Where can I see one of the bags in person?

I don't have any of the items in stores and we're not big fans of folks coming to our home in San Antonio because of the weirdo factor. My sister, Patricia and her husband (my Chess and Scrabble nemesis), send out the leather from their place near Ft. Worth, Texas, but again, because of the weirdo factor they're not set up to show either. If it helps, everyone tells me that they look better in person.

How much do they cost you, Dave?

Well, I lived for three years in a $100 a month apartment in Mexico with no hot water, because of these bags. My dog, Blue, and I drove for thousands of hours all over the North American continent because of these bags. I had a crooked Federale sent to kill me because of these bags (I convinced him that Señor Alarcon would never pay him) and we became friends). I've shed gallons of blood and tears and sweat and at least a quart of other people's, because of these bags. I've slept in my car or on the rack of my old Land Cruiser at least 150 times because of these bags. I've lost weeks of sleep and have gone hungry for days because of these bags. I was broke for years and even had to trade two of Blue's little puppies for a month's worth of tacos in order to eat because of these bags. I've been detained by who knows how many Mexican police because of these bags. I've thrown away thousands of dollars and made hundreds of mistakes because of these bags. I've been stolen from, taken advantage of and robbed because of these bags (they even stole Blue once, but I got him back). All of these things and more have happened to me because of these bags. They cost me a lot.