Drum Cases and Drum Bags

One of the worst things you can do to your drums is transport them without cases. The most common way drums and cymbals get damaged beyond repair is as they're being moved. Therefore, if you value your drums and planning on taking them anywhere, getting a set of drum cases and a cymbals bag is a good idea. Bags and cases will also ease the pain of having to carry the equipment with handles, wheels, and straps.

Drum bags and cases come in a few varieties. Here are some of the most common types:

• Light duty molded plastic cases - These drum cases are made from semi-rigid plastic and can either come padded or not. They are light and easy to carry, but provide reasonable protection from damage, just don't accidentally drop them from the back of your truck or second floor balcony.
• Nylon and cloth bags - These are soft bags that also come in the padded and unpadded variety. Unpadded drum bags offer little protection other than from minor scratches, but are easier to carry than exposed drums.
• Flight cases - Flight cases are very rigid and typically made of hard molded plastic or aluminum. They offer maximum protection and are also of the most expensive kind. Flight cases are not necessary unless you expect to fly, ship, or get your equipment thrown around.

Drum cases can be purchased individually or in sets that accommodate all the drums in a standard drum kit. And this might seem obvious now, but don't forget to verify that the cases you buy are fitted for the sizes of the drums you have, especially if you buy a set of cases.

Cymbal bags are more complex than drum cases and offer a greater variety of options. Some cymbal bags are designed to hold a single cymbal, but most are made to cary a set. Like drum cases, cymbal bags also range from the soft to the "armored", and vary in the amount of padding they contain. Some bags are designed to hold the cymbals very tightly in place, while others have only loose pockets. Cymbal bags also often include additional carrying solutions such as wheels, luggage handles, and backpack straps.

While drum hardware components don't require as much protection and care as drums and cymbals, all the many pieces are difficult to carry. Therefore, hardware bags and cases were invented. Since drum hardware can be quite heavy, a wheeled case isn't a bad idea. Also, if you go with simple bags, getting more than one will let you distribute the weight and not have to carry everything all at once.