The Game Bag Supremacy

 I am such a sucker for a deal. If it is a deal on a bag or dice I am likely doomed. Many moons ago I purchased a Bag of Holding from Geek & Sundry. The big messenger got used and abused thoroughly until the strap finally broke. A few months of trying to find another great gaming bag yielded no results. 

I purchased a Bag of Holding +1 not long before the Geek & Sundry online store disappeared. It had leather reinforced corners and accents. It has held up incredibly well over the last few years. I have used it to travel. I have transported books and comic books all over my house. I have even slung it across my body and ridden my motorcycle all over the place with it loaded down with my gear. 

I am extremely happy with my bag, but I also know if it sports around all my dice, maps, books, and tablets to every D&D sessions something is going to give out. I will have a hard time replacing it. To my knowledge they are not being made anymore. 

Look at the torture I put this thing through. Believe me this is a much smaller load than I usually pack for gaming. I have been working on downsizing my DM load out… sort of. 

Ok. I admit that is a lousy photography job for showing content. Let me break it down a little. I have a folder filled with a few paper maps, several NPCs, and some blank character sheets. I have a small case of minis . I have a binder of 2D minis. I have a few grid maps. I carry a set of DM screens which I am likely to retire soon since all of the information is readily available on either my iPad or Surface. My main reason to keep them is gathering minis or map pieces out of the view of the party to avoid spoilers. Finally, I keep a box of map and dungeon dressing mostly from 1985 Games. 

I plan to try out map tiles in my next session rather than the grid maps. Yes, the tiles take up more room, but when I am not using a specific pre-printed grid map I like making interesting shapes. If I had a little more design skill, I have a cool business idea that I wouldn’t mind exploring. 

Add in a few small bags of dice, a dice rolling tray, and a set of pens for my map work and you know everything in my kit. Oh wait, not pictured is either the iPad or Surface. Their accessories are pretty minimal. I always cart in a charging cable and a keyboard. The Surface has a little mouse I use as well. I have one for my iPad. I never use it. It was a waste of money. 

When I was haunting Kraken Dice’s website to see their latest mini and dice offering I finally saw past all the glitter and glam of their amazing polyhedrals. I had glanced at their gaming bags. I wasn’t really in the market. I scrolled by a time or three telling myself that the Bag of Holding +1 was all I needed at the moment, and I have a dozen other backpacks if it bites the dust.

I might have resisted the pull of a new bag had it not been for the Kraken bag having a from flap covered in hook and loop fastener. I love patches. I knew I was in trouble. Still, having a back up for my aging favorite game night companion bag couldn't be a bad thing. 

The inner front pockets of the Kraken bag didn't wow me initially. I like them. They are plenty big enough. I just wasn't blown away. 

What did have face melting awesomeness was when I dropped my Dungeon Craft box in the bag and it fell over...and fit... laying flat in the bottom of the Kraken Bag. Just for giggles I stacked all the other stuff on top of it just to see if I could. Holy cow. This bag could easily be a game changer. 

It has less pockets and organization than my Bag of Holding +1. The Kraken bag more than makes up for it in sheer volume. 

Either of these bags are amazing on their own merits. I suspect that I will use the Kraken for a big because it is new and massive. I suspect as I continue to minimize the DM gear I take to the table that I will move back to the Bag of Holding and maybe even go into something smaller. 

I don't exactly have the opportunity to just pick up a game of D&D on the fly. I may be doing exactly that in the near future. I want a tight little kit of stuff that allows me to run a game with almost no prep. I also want to be able to switch gears and jump in to a game with all the dice and minis I might want as a player. That is a tall order. The right bag to pack in helps. 

Neither of these bags are a bad choice. The Kraken bag would make for a fantastic board game night option. I could shove several of my favorites in and head out to play with confidence. Add in a few cool patches that may or may not start a conversation and we certainly have a winner.