When I first started going portable with my cocktail kit, all was a 2-fisted affair: in one hand, a small duffle holding hardware, pedal, tom & side snare, and the other holding my main cocktail drum. Shamefully, I was hauling the drum with no bag or case...nuthin.
It sure was simple and nice, but as I added more to the kit and wanted to better protect the drum (and the 2 others banging around with my hardware), I needed one or more cases. But I still wanted to be ultra portable.
There have been several ideas offered on the forum for packing your cocktail gear for moving to gigs and studio. I recently picked up one of these:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=549643
It's a bit on the big side, not exactly cheap, but it safely and comfortably holds all of my drums, cymbals, and extra heads and it's decently made. I still am using a small duffle for pedals, my minimal hardware and small hand percussion. It all works.
What other case/bag solutions are working well for cocktail drummers?
cases & bags: transporting your cocktail kit
Check out this bag. It is made for baseball equipment but it works well for cocktail sets. I bought one at a local sporting good store for about $30.00. It can hold the main drum up 15 inches as well as two side drums. It also has a compartment on the bottom that is supposed to be for baseball bats but it works great for hardware. Check out the following link
http://baseball.eastonsports.com/adultb ... _all&t=Bag
Bryan
http://baseball.eastonsports.com/adultb ... _all&t=Bag
Bryan
I did alittle sniffing around and found some cheap working cases I could use to haul my setup it. Check it out.
http://www.angelfire.com/music6/drums1/ ... lcase.html
Dinkus
http://www.angelfire.com/music6/drums1/ ... lcase.html
Dinkus
Hey guy?s
Multiperc, the case empty is extremely light. It's all plastic. I just reinforced the bottom with ply wood though. The plastic is a little brittle so when it's cold you do want to be careful with it. When loaded I can handle it by my self. I usually load it in our gear van, but when my girlfriend gigs (she plays bass) and I have a seperate gig, it fits in the truck easily. Not really car friendly though. I would hesitate loading on a plane because of how brittle the plastic can be, but it would protect your gear.
Dinkus
Dinkus
I got these containers at Canadian Tire in Canada. I did a bunch of touring in the US but I can't think of anything similiar tonight. I would check Walmart. There are several truck toolboxes that are close or might work. Check your local (if in a city) plastic container maker. I've found some good priced stuff that can be used with slight mods. It may be worth checking out local Sound Companies. Sometimes they offload cable trunks for cheap.
Dinkus
Dinkus
Flying with a Cocktail Kit
If you are looking for a case to take on a plane, Humes and Berg makes a great hard plastic cunga case in their Enduro line. I'm sure many other makers do as well, but speaking from experience the H&B case is great.
It's 15-16" diameter and probably around 30" tall. Line with foam. I added in extra foam to really protect my 24x14 drum. I them add a thick piece of foam on top of the drum and put all of my accesories there. It is just wide enough to fit the legs of my drum. The case stands upright and there is a piece of 1/2" plywood bolted onto the bottom. The ply wood has 4 casters bolted to it. Ther is one wide strap around the whole thing with a quick release plastic buckle. There is also a metal handle halfway down the length of the case and one on top of the lid.
I have used this case for flying for years and it has been fantastic. I wrap a chain around it and lock it just to keep things safe inside during transport. The whole thing weighs just under 70lbs so it isn't oversized there. The physical size is ... oversized with the casters, undersized if you don't count them. Som it depends on who is dealing with your stuff if they charge you for oversize. I used to do curb side check in and give the guys a nice tip and it was never a problem. Of course now things are more of a hassle travelling by plane.
The only other problem with the case is my fault. Because I loaded my hardware in the top, it is a bit top heavy. It is not a huge problem, it just means that you have to be careful when rolling it. A bit of a pain when you have a lot of other stuff to carry as well.
- John
It's 15-16" diameter and probably around 30" tall. Line with foam. I added in extra foam to really protect my 24x14 drum. I them add a thick piece of foam on top of the drum and put all of my accesories there. It is just wide enough to fit the legs of my drum. The case stands upright and there is a piece of 1/2" plywood bolted onto the bottom. The ply wood has 4 casters bolted to it. Ther is one wide strap around the whole thing with a quick release plastic buckle. There is also a metal handle halfway down the length of the case and one on top of the lid.
I have used this case for flying for years and it has been fantastic. I wrap a chain around it and lock it just to keep things safe inside during transport. The whole thing weighs just under 70lbs so it isn't oversized there. The physical size is ... oversized with the casters, undersized if you don't count them. Som it depends on who is dealing with your stuff if they charge you for oversize. I used to do curb side check in and give the guys a nice tip and it was never a problem. Of course now things are more of a hassle travelling by plane.
The only other problem with the case is my fault. Because I loaded my hardware in the top, it is a bit top heavy. It is not a huge problem, it just means that you have to be careful when rolling it. A bit of a pain when you have a lot of other stuff to carry as well.
- John