Someone on the bbs originally suggested a hard plastic clipboard holder, which can be found at most office supply stores (i.e. Staples) for under $10 (in Epods Blue, no less). I originally bought one for my epods, and found it easy to customize it with some foam rubber to make a nearly perfectly sized "hard case" with compartments for the epods accessories. I'm actually pretty proud of how it came out; when time allows I'll try to snap a picture of it and send it to Glitch for his website.
I later found three of the Mead notebook folios that have been oft mentioned here (on closeout at Office Depot). I learned, to my surprise, that some of them fit absolutely perfectly inside the aforementioned clipboard holder - like a glove! You'd think they were meant for eachother! This means that if you have the notebook folio as your "soft case," you can buy one of these clipboards and when you need a hard case for travel, simply slip the notebook folio (with epods inside it) right into the clipboard holder! Presto - you have a hard plastic case, with the notebook folio acting as an inside cushioned layer for added protection. It's a great combination.
But there is a catch. Apparantly there are two versions of the Mead notebook folio, with the identical part number. Newer versions have a big "5-Star" logo on the velcro strap; older stock doesn't. We'll call them V1.01 and V1.02. 
The ones WITHOUT the logo on the strap (it is on the front of the folio instead) will fit inside this clipboard holder - but ones with the logo on the strap are a tad larger, and too big to fit. So if you buy one, grab an older one if you can.
