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Seeking recommendations for a backpack for the concertina


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Hello. Newbie player but enjoying the heck out of it so far. I saw a piece of advice somewhere along the line that it's a good idea to put your concertina case inside a backpack or something, so it looks less intriguing to steal.

 

I had a backpack that did fit it (just barely), but then a strap broke on it. I'm doing some shopping and it's not clear what might fit the square box. As long as I'm buying a new backpack, I wouldn't mind one I could also use with my computer. In fact, the backpack that broke fit a computer and the concertina and a couple of books, for a flight I took recently.

 

Anyone have a backpack they currently use for the purpose they can recommend?

 

Thanks,

Rick

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Backpacks designed for camera equipment work well. They are rigid and have reconfigurable dividers and padding, which, with some care, can allow you to ditch the hard case entirely.

 

I use a Lowepro Flipside 200 backpack (the predecessor of this one), and it will fit a concertina sans case and a few other small items. For longer trips, or ones where I'm carrying a concertina and a small melodeon, I use this one, which also has a dedicated laptop sleeve.

 

Of course, my goal has always been ease of carrying. If your goal is stealth, your mileage may vary. Nothing says "expensive stuff!!!" like a nice camera backpack.

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Belly pack.  See it, access it, protect it, ect..  Learned this from back country skiing.  If you fall or are attacked your body will fold frontly ( fetal ).  Keep your junk in in your back pack, your essentials tight to your center of balance.

 

Good platform for an impromptu twiddle.

Edited by wunks
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11 hours ago, Luke Hillman said:

Backpacks designed for camera equipment work well. They are rigid and have reconfigurable dividers and padding, which, with some care, can allow you to ditch the hard case entirely.

 

I use a Lowepro Flipside 200 backpack (the predecessor of this one), and it will fit a concertina sans case and a few other small items. For longer trips, or ones where I'm carrying a concertina and a small melodeon, I use this one, which also has a dedicated laptop sleeve.

 

Of course, my goal has always been ease of carrying. If your goal is stealth, your mileage may vary. Nothing says "expensive stuff!!!" like a nice camera backpack.

People will steal anything. 
 

The nicer looking the case is, the more attractive it is to them. Even disguising it

as a soft lunch box might not deter them. Known types of cases laptops, cameras, etc. or marked/ logos can be targets themselves (Gucci/ pelican/ LV)..

 

the best thing is to get the case you will use (size/weight) with the most protection and just keep it with you always.

 

 

 

 

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I carry my concertina case inside a plastic shopping bag, which I hope makes it look like supermarket shopping & of limited interest to thieves. Admittedly, it’s an extreme approach, but I do live in London.

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4 hours ago, Don Taylor said:

Maybe not this?

image.png.bd5d4697931e52973685330c048a5887.png

 

 

OMG!! I'd SO steal that and make it into a concertina case! Biohazard would be just as cool..

 

Er...hmm... I mean.. Ya. Nobody would ever steal THAT!

 

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On 3/15/2023 at 9:57 PM, Rick Bruner said:

I saw a piece of advice somewhere along the line that it's a good idea to put your concertina case inside a backpack or something, so it looks less intriguing to steal.

 

A caution with back packs:  If you are unfortunate enough to fall backwards, your weight and your back will land on whatever is in it.  A hard box -- of which a concertina is a variant -- can cause damage.  It happened to a friend of mine, and both his concertina and his back were damaged.

 

I always carry my concertina by hand, sometimes in a bag that is larger and contains other things but will still fit under the seat in front of me on a plane.  I never leave it lying around out of my sight, e.g., in a car or a tent.

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On 3/15/2023 at 9:57 PM, Rick Bruner said:

I saw a piece of advice somewhere along the line that it's a good idea to put your concertina case inside a backpack or something, so it looks less intriguing to steal.

Perhaps you're thinking of the classsical-music joke:

How do you protect a valuable violin from theft?

Carry it in a viola case!

😉

Cheers,

John

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17 hours ago, Anglo-Irishman said:

Perhaps you're thinking of the classsical-music joke:

How do you protect a valuable violin from theft?

Carry it in a viola case!

😉

Cheers,

John

😅

 

Too bad none of my ukulele cases is big enough! Then it would be safe!

Edited by Rick Bruner
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When I was a teenager in the 1970s I spent two summers at a music camp in Berkshire County, Massachusetts studying cello. For those unfamiliar with the Berkshire Hills, a prominent attraction is Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. On Saturdays I would hitchhike to Great Barrington to do laundry. I found I could get rides more readily if I carried my laundry bag in my cello case.

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  • 2 months later...

Thanks Luke, Eddy (& Jody) for the recommendation

 

Picked up a  Lowepro Flipside 300 used but like new for half the price of a new one

Very pleased with it 🙂

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  • 3 weeks later...

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