Just before Christmas I managed to organise a games night with The Chaps. Nothing new there. However on this particular occasion I kept losing things. Forgetting where I put a pencil or my tape measure as I moved around the board and went over to check out how the other chaps were doing in their games.
On the way home I started thinking about ways that a gamer could keep all of their gaming essentials about their person without the need for combat trousers or a combat utility vest. Because it can feel that way sometimes. It was partly prompted by the sound of my dice box (a reasonable sized fishing tackle box) slid around the boot having dislodged itself from its spot between the scenery boxes and my figure case.
And so to Google I went (other search engines are available) to try to find something that would keep everything in one place without getting in the way. I eventually stumbled across a forum in which someone was extolling the virtues of leg bags. It did seem a rather elegant solution, not just for me and my scatterbrained gaming shenanigans but for tournament gamers the world over. Allow me to explain. Tournaments are usually an all day affair and often require moving from one board to another. And having something that you can safely tuck away your tape measure, mechanical pencil, army list, dice, templates and counters, knowing that if it’s going anywhere, you’re going with it, is actually a pretty sweet idea.
As I searched around I found more and more people were talking about Grab-It Packs. To fill you in, Grab-It Packs were developed by Louis Kiss, an US stuntman and someone who, like me, gets pissed off with satchels that swing about as you lean forward or having to carry a backpack around when it’s just not necessary. So he developed the Grab-It Pack to be comfortable enough that you could wear it all day without rubbing or bunching but still offer space enough to fit all your essentials.
Please excuse the floral bedding…
I got in touch Louis who kindly sent me a Grab-It Pack to try out. I took it to games night for my game against Lee with the idea that with all the stuff I’d need it’d give me a pretty reasonable idea of what it was like to use.
The build quality is excellent. The material is light yet durable and the zips and clasps are all of a good standard and for $24.99 it’s a bloody good buy too. And whilst it won’t be for everyone, it’s sure as shit a million times better than a bum bag/fanny pack and far more practical than a utility vest. And you’ll less like a survivalist.
Again, please excuse the flowery bedding…
I packed the bag with all the dice I’d need, two tape measures and templates. The main pouch is sizeable and could accommodate a multi-compartment organizer that could hold all your various tokens, pixie dice and counters. So, fully loaded the leg back is very comfortable. The straps are adjustable so they’ll fit most waists and thighs. Yes I said thighs on a wargaming website.
As a gaming aid it actually works pretty well. It kept everything neat and tidy but the pouches were spacious enough that I could get access to my dice, templates and tape measure with complete ease. And as it took a good long while for The Chaps and I to catch up, get set up, and start playing I was wearing it for a solid 5 hours and I honestly have no complaints. As a tournament tool I think it has real potential as if I can wear it for that length of time and not notice then it’s reasonable to say that it’ll be just a comfortable after a day of gaming.
I can also see the benefit of something like this at events such as Salute. You’re walking around all day and you want to carry around you huge wads of cash, your phone, keys and a snack or two. A satchel or a backpack is a lot weight to carry around when it’s full then a nuisance when it’s empty and generally gets in the way. The primary pouch is big enough for a 500ml bottle of fizzy pop and a couple of snacks and because all the pouches are zip and/or clasp closed they’ll take some robbing.
So all in all the Grab It Pack is a pretty sweet find. It’s comfortable, incredibly good value and perfectly suited to the needs of a wargamer. And a handy-dandy alternative to satchel or backpack when out and about.
To find out more go here.
