Review: Etchr Field Case

A few days ago, Etchr Lab sent me two products to check out. One's called the Etchr Art Satchel and the other is a Field Case. They are still in the prototype stage so things might still change. As they are right now, they look great.

The Etchr Art Satchel actually evolved from the NOMAD Art Satchel, an earlier product that was successfully funded on Kickstarter in April 2014.

This year, Darren Yeow, the founder and CEO of Etchr Lab, is back with a product that's even more functional, the Etchr Art Satchel. The Etchr Art Satchel has lots of features so I need a few more days or weeks to test it out properly. Meanwhile, I'll just feature the Field Case first since it's a pretty straightforward product.

The Field Case works essentially like a pencil case. However, it has more compartments in it to hold a lot of drawing tools. A detachable sling is included.

When it's empty, it's not too heavy, but once you load it up, it can be slightly bulky and take on some weight.

The front pocket in front can hold some pens. When you have things in the Field Case, they will push out, and this will make the pens in the pocket tight so that they don't fall out.

If you want to, you can also squeeze your mobile phone there.

I'm not sure what material is used to make the body but it's supposed to repel water. The surface has a slight canvas texture but is overall considered smooth.

These are the two zips. I was told that this is still considered a prototype. The straps on the zip could be swapped in the final product.

Note that when the zip is closed, there is minimal gap. This prevents water from getting into the case.

On the back of the Field Case are these velcro straps that can be used to interface with the Etchr Art Satchel.

These are MOLLE straps on the front of the Etchr Art Satchel.

So you can easily slot the straps from the Field Case into the MOLLE straps.

Once the Field Case is attached, it's very secure and doesn't move.

Inside the Field Case are 6 rubber straps and 4 pockets (two large ones behind and two small ones in front). The size of the Field Case allows for a pocket-sized sketchbook to be held within.

Two of the straps are on top of other two. This overlapping design allows for more items to be stored.

The large pocket is about 21cm in height. So you can put things like paper, boarding pass, cards, and other thing items. The pocket on the left has a zip while the right doesn't.

Here's a loop inside the case that you can use to hook your keys. The inlay is made of some soft cloth that feels nice to touch.

The small pocket in front is elastic and can hold slightly larger items, like erasers or portable sharpeners. The mesh has tiny holes. If you put a pencil or any sharp tip instrument, they may poke through the mesh.

Conclusion

The Field Case will be released on Kickstarter together with the Etchr Art Satchel. There's no confirmed pricing yet but from what I read on Facebook, the estimated price is around USD $55.

Anyway, there's still no information regarding the crowdfunding campaign yet. The website is asking people to sign up for their newsletter so that those interested can be alerted once the Kickstarter campaign goes live.

The Field Case is definitely very functional. It can hold a lot of stuff and looks good. The build quality and stitching looks good and durable. Hopefully it can last a long time.

Availability

This product is available from Jackson's Art and Etchr Lab online store.