"Dunlin" Field Guide Cover

I bought this item recently after seeing some reviews on the Web. It is produced by a US company called Fieldfare, designed by a birdwatcher, and made in China.

I wanted it to cover the Collins Bird Guide. The paperback edition fits in okay, but he smaller hardback version does not.

The book cover fits inside two clear retainers and is held in place by two elasticated bands. A second compartment holds a notepad, pen holder and a small pockets for bits of paper or whatever.

The cover is held closed by a velcro tab, and a shoulder strap and hand strap complete the package. The fabric is claimed to be weather proof.

On arrival, I was somewhat underwhelmed by the cover. Build quality was okay, but for 28.99 is was expecting something a lot better.

The real let down however, is the fact that this version of the cover, there are two zippered versions, is by no means waterproof. The books pages are exposed to the elements at all times. Moreover, the covers are clearly designed for US guides, so the Collins doesn\'t fit as neatly as I\'d hoped. An OS map, does not fit in well either.

All in all, I think the cover is a nice idea, but isn\'t what quite what I was looking for. A design, that can accomodate a Collins Guide, typical size for most European fieldguides, a pocket for an OS map, and some pockets for credit or membershipos cards would be nice. But most of all, there needs to be some way of making the cover waterproof, but still retaining the quick opening feature that the vecro tab affords.