Storing club masks

[FencingLincoln]

So my club has finally reached a point where we have more overall kit than we really have bags to carry them in. We found a new bag that fits all of our jackets and gloves but we have too many masks for most normal luggage bags to carry.

Because our club isn't really fully supported by our college yet we have to move our equipment around and store it in strange places so we can't set up a permanent location for anything.

What is the best way to move a lot of masks of various sizes?

[Wetmelon]

The actual MOVING of them? We found that a person can carry up to 10 masks!!!

Simply put 1 mask face down. Hold mask by the tongue. Fit four mask tongues over the back edge of the mask being held so that you are now carrying 5 masks total, holding on to the central mask tongue. One "flower" for each hand = 10 masks.

This is the quick & dirty way of doing it. As for actually storing them in a bag or some such, I'm not sure... possibly a 2cuFt?

[FencingLincoln]

We've been using a really big duffel bag but it's beginning to rip and we really have more than can fit in it now.

Because of the tongue and straps and stuff they don't exactly nestle with each other well enough to really find a naturally efficient way to store them or stack them.

[Fencergrl]

Cheapest? Ikea's blue shopping bags.
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/17228340

They cost a buck/loonie (CDN) and they last for years. A teen/adult can carry several bags and a young child can carry one. I fit 4-6 masks per bag with jackets stuffed in them. And they hang nicely or sit on the floor/ shelf.

Since they're cheap, you can even write the sizes (small, medium, large) on the outside and have the students sort the masks as they put them away (I also have the sizes written on the tongues of the masks for easy identification).

There are also small ones for 69 cents. These are a great size for gloves & body cords (sorted by type or size).

[Morale Officer]

Another suggestion would be one of those collapsable laundry hampers. They have 2 handles on top and a zipper around the top plus an "air hole" of sorts on top (at least the one I have has that).

[foibles]

Hockey gear bag?

[dcrocket]

Hockey gear bag?

That is what we are doing. It is very heavy though and I think the masks take a beating.* We are working on assigning equipment and avoiding the issue altogether.


*Not to mention the springs on my mini-van...five sets of Favero reels, four bags of weapons, scoring boxes.....

[foibles]

$5,000+ worth of equipment, and your college cant spare you a closet to put it in.
That just sucks.

[fencerbill]

Buy a small tent.

[catwood1]

$5,000+ worth of equipment, and your college cant spare you a closet to put it in.
That just sucks.

Not even the slightest bit surprising...

[jfarmer]

I'm using several of these: (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...ct_id=11069689).

With a bit of care in packing, 8 masks will fit in one bag. I put a doubled over piece of cardboard in the bottom to stiffen it.

Up sides? They're cheap at $14 a bag and with the wheels, fairly easy to move. Down sides include they aren't very rugged and the zipper will rip out if you aren't careful while zipping a full bag. But at $14 each, you could consider them as an item to replace every season and still be ahead.

John