Back about two years or so I heard about Charon Productions' Battlepack (CH1001, the original, not the newer harder cased version). I was very interested because as a (rather hardcore) fan of Dream Pod 9, I had around 80 Heavy Gear Minis and a fair number of Jovian Chronicles minis and Gear Krieg Minis as well. I really needed a way to transport them, especially since I demo a lot, and I thought having one simple case would be a lot better than my tackle boxes with the removable tray boxes and padding. Back then, I mentioned in a Battlepack review on this site that I would give a review once I got it. Unfortunately, due to time constraints personal issues, I was unable to do this. On the other hand, I now have 2 years of use and knowledge about the Battlepack. I hope that the experience with the product will allow me to review it in a more thorough manner.
I had a friend with a credit card order the standard issue Battlepack with the "vehicle clamp" on one side and the "figure clamps" on the other. When it arrived, it appeared to be fairly solidly constructed with sturdy nylon cloth, steel zippers, and fairly stiff foam padding on the inside. The shoulder strap was possibly the best feature, allowing me to actually carry the pack and still keep my hands free. On initial inspection I was very impressed.
The next day, I set aside some time to transfer my minis over from the tackle boxes to my shiny new Battlepack. Just like the claims, it held all my Heavy Gear figs with room to spare. I now only had one case to carry! I merrily went off to games and demos showing off the wonder of Heavy Gear to the unwashed masses here in Saskatchewan.
At the first demo, I noticed that some of my minis had shifted around. I figured that this was probably due to my packing, and packed them differently. When I got home, same deal. I packed them differently again. After a few more games I realized that this just wasn't working for the tanks. The "vehicle clamp" was obviously intended to hold larger vehicles of much less weight (the Aller and Mammoth figs weigh about 1/2 pound each and are relatively small). I tried them in the "figure clamp" side, and they did much better, so I ordered some more "Figure clamp" padding for the second side of the Battlepack.
From there, things were not bad, but not all that great, either. The "figure clamps" couldn't hold the Gears solidly enough to keep them from bouncing around and chipping paint, and after about 2 more demos, the Allers started bouncing around as well. This is not good. Packing them less densely helped, but not anywhere near enough. Th pack is supposed to carry a great deal of figures (64 28mm figs per set of foam according to the "products in use page on Charon's website), but in order for me to keep chipping and figure damage down to a reasonable level, I can only pack maybe 10 to 15 per level, and I cannot pack in my tanks or Striders. This falls very much below my expectations, especially given the price I paid for this product. Damaged figures are not a good plug for the games I demo or for Charon, and are a very large detriment for me as a player and painter. I do not like having to repair figures after every single excursion.
The Battlepack itself has held up not too bad. The shoulder strap is very useful, but the top carrying handle has warped oddly and is uncomfortable to carry. The zipper has held up very well, and the nylon is showing wear, but no real damage at all. The Foam is another story. It has yellowed with age, and is becoming exceedingly soft and overly pliable. In short, nothing spectacular and definitely not worth the price I paid.
Overall, the Battlepack is probably worth it if you have a lot of plastic figures, but if you're like me and most of your figs are pewter, it is not worth the price. Tackle Boxes with foam inserts will be a bit of a pain to pack, but will protect your figures better and be much less expensive. Other options include plastic hunting cases designed to carry two rifles, as these come with their own foam, clamp securely and cost all of $15 at the Wal-Mart or local sporting shop.
I should note that Charon has now introduced "Slotafoam" trays for the Battlepack. I believe these inserts would prevent my experience and protect metal figures much better, but the cost of replacing the foam in my case is prohibitively expensive (I was quoted was upwards of $70 ). I paid around $130 for my case, paying an additional $70 to $80 to get the functionality I should have had in the first place is exceedingly irritating.
