1. Plural of portapack; portable television or video recording equipment, typically consisting of a camera and recorder that can be carried by one person.
Usage: Chiefly historical; refers to equipment used in broadcast journalism and documentary filmmaking from the 1960s–1980s.; Often used in media studies and film history contexts.

Examples

• Early television journalists relied on portapacks to report from the field.
• The documentary was shot using lightweight portapacks that allowed the crew to move quickly.
• Portapacks revolutionized news gathering by making broadcast equipment mobile.
• Film students studied how portapacks changed the aesthetics of 1970s television.
• The museum's exhibit featured vintage portapacks from the golden age of television news.