Still wishing for the perfect Go bag
I'll probably be taking the GoBox with me to the NorCal Tournament but I feel that I'm still searching for my perfect Go bag.
In my opinion, there's a multi-dimensional continuity spectrum to designing such a bag. One has to balance protection, size and portability. The GoBox leans towards protection at the expense of size and some portability. I can toss all of my gear into it and take it on a road trip with no anxiety that it'll get scratched or dinged. It's hard however for me to imagine wheeling it into a restaurant in the middle of the day when I take a break from a tournament.
I guess my ideal Go bag is somewhat more like a laptop bag. Being a padded but soft-sided design, there'd be a greater risk of damage to the goban, but I think I'd be willing to accept that for even greater portability and the option of transporting my gear as carry-on luggage on a flight; away from the unpredictable dangers of checked-in luggage.
The bag that I've drawn above is more along the lines of what I'm wishing for with these features:- A heavy-duty and water-resistant ballistic nylon surface
- Padded sides (dense rubber foam) with a felt interior surface
- A rubber bottom surface for extra protection (because that's be were the bag and the 'ban would most often impact a solid surface)
- An extra-padded shoulder strap (because it would be as heavy as the old laptops I once used)
- An over-extended flap cover (to keep the rain out)
- Ideally, there would be a padded sleeve for a 9x9/13x13 combo board (for indoctrinating newbies).
My stones and bowls would be carried in their original bag. I had modified it slightly with adhesive foam pads to better protect its contents. I think the fundamental design of this bag is right and it would just need better materials and padding to make it perfect.
posted by ChiyoDad @ 10:13 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
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> It's hard however for me to imagine wheeling it into a restaurant in the middle of the day...
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See, now that's why I have a smaller magnetic set :). I had previously missed your earlier post about the magnetic set you bought. From the description, it sounds like its about the same size as the one I've recently purchsed.
All the other ones I had seen were just too small to be practical. But mine (and looks like yours too) is about 14" unfolded, with good strong magnets in convex plastic stones that are real close to full size.
I'm quite pleased with my magnetic set for its convenient portability.
I hate to admit it, but I take it with me everywhere, all the time.
At first, I tried carrying around my full size board and stones (not an expensive board, just a 3/4" veneered plywood board), but the overall size was just too large and awkward using oversized shopping bags or something similar to carry them.
Sounds like YMI's travel box would actually be perfect to take one's set to major tournaments (as HKA regularly does).
But for brief lunchtime outings and coffee shop meetings, I think a decent sized magnetic set works really well instead.
Hello xed_over!
Yes, YMI's GoBox is more of a "gig" transport container; like when one brings their music-mix equipment to a party.
Trevoke recently reviewed YMI's new magnetic set. For portability, this set looks very good.
Well, if money were no object, I'd talk to the folks at Glaser Designs (hope that tag worked) in San Francisco. They've historically worked in leather, but have started doing bags in ballistic nylon.
I've lusted after their 5" Deal Bag for a couple years. Told myself I'd get one once I finished B-school, but that was 18 months ago...
Hello Bob!
Ah, regretfully, money is an object (and a hard-to-come-by one at that) for many of us. But it is a very nice bag.
leisureguy has opened-up a discussion with Tom Bihn Designs for the possible creation of a Go bag albeit we don't know if it will be for a folding (aka two-piece) board or a full-sized table board.
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