BEHOLD! A backpack 4us! (Made by Vestax)

[steveboyett]

I returned my UDG bag and kept using my Targus. The UDG is well built but extremely inflexible.

[DJLp]

Fair enough with the Targus but depending on need & preference, isn't the inflexibility a plus as it relates to protecting the equipment?

[steveboyett]

I posted about this on another backpack thread here. Basically the tradeoff in protection & rigidity was that you have to go along with the designated spaces. My stuff simply didn't fit into the pockets, whereas it does in the Targus. Most definitely if you can get your kit into the UDG, it will be much better protected. Which is why I'm really liking the looks of the Vestax bag: I think I can fit everything and it looks nicely laid-out & cushioned.

[djalexlaine]

Fair enough with the Targus but depending on need & preference, isn't the inflexibility a plus as it relates to protecting the equipment?

not necessarily.
trust me when i say that i can break pretty much anything. you have to be careful with your gear. not putting it in places where it is going to be stepped on or messed with. when in the car, put it in the floorboards and drive safely. pretty much the only reason i have bags is so i can carry it easier. i dont have a problem with damaging gear because i am super careful with it.

[steveboyett]

buy a $25 laptop case and use that.
spend money on music, cuz brand name gear doesnt get you gigs.

Have fun getting all your gear into a $25 laptop case.

[steveboyett]

not necessarily.
trust me when i say that i can break pretty much anything. you have to be careful with your gear. not putting it in places where it is going to be stepped on or messed with. when in the car, put it in the floorboards and drive safely. pretty much the only reason i have bags is so i can carry it easier. i dont have a problem with damaging gear because i am super careful with it.

Yah, but then you put it in an overhead bin on an airplane and some clown with a hockey stick shoves it into the back and wedges his stick in and slams the door down, and you get kicked off the plane for trying to put a hockey stick up a passenger's ass. (Hyperbolic, but I've said some harsh things to people who shoved my backpack around and tried to mash it up to make room for their crap.)

[djalexlaine]

actually, my 25 dollar laptop holds all my gear (aside from the computer, which i have a backpack i use). it works great. i have my sound card and total control packed in there with all my powercords and usb cables.
and i have flown with my gear. put your laptop in the overhead and the shoulder back under the seat. i had no issues and dont see flying being an issue. the biggest thing to protect when traveling is the knobs and sliders. make sure they are well protected and youll be fine.
if you want to really be super paranoid, go get a flight case. you should be able to find one for an effects unit that will work.

[DJLp]

Just curious but Steveboyett, what are you carrying in the bag? I'm just wondering what you have that didn't fit in the UDG pockets. I don't have mine yet but the pockets seemed pretty big.

[steveboyett]

15.4" laptop
high-powered pad cooler
Presonus Firebox
Firefox MIDI controller
7-plug APC surge protector/power strip
Cables, laptop brick, wall wart, adapters, Hum-Ex
Mouse, Mousepad
Small clipboard w/signup sheet
Batteries, velcro cable ties, penlights
Business cards, pens, thumb drive
Demo CDs, flyers
Backup CDs (OS, apps, drivers, mixes, etc.)
iPod Nano & Belkin TuneStereo mic (for recording gigs)
Ultrasone DJ-1 Pro headphones

[DJLp]

Shez! Are you a DJ or a camp counselor? Just kidding. I get it now. That's TRULY an all-in-one bag for you. Makes sense.