I started dungeon mastering a new D&D campaign last week, and inadvertently made one of my players very envious when I showed up with the Bag of Holding prototype on my shoulder. He has the much-beloved, but no longer available, original Bag of Holding from the now-defunct ThinkGeek. Thankfully, after ThinkGeek had shut down, many of our friends from there launched a new company, Rollacrit. And now, Rollacrit is debuting their new and improved Bag of Holding.
What Is the Bag of Holding?
The Bag of Holding is a messenger bag designed specifically with the roleplaying gamer in mind. It is currently on Kickstarter, with a base pledge for a bag going for $125. The campaign runs from now until Wednesday, October 4th.
New to Kickstarter? Check out our crowdfunding primer.
Exploring the Bag of Holding
Note: My review is based on a prototype unit, so it is subject to change and may not reflect final component quality.
The Bag of Holding has heavy-duty construction throughout. The exterior is washed canvas, while the shoulder strap and lining are made from a comfortable but sturdy nylon seatbelt material. The bag measures 16″ wide x 14″ tall x 9.5″ deep, and has seven sections, including:
- 1 open pocket
- 1 zippered laptop/tablet pocket
- 1 zippered main compartment
- 1 zippered accessory pocket
- 1 snap-shut quick-access pouch
- 1 zippered Pouch of Rain Protection
- 1 zippered front flap
You have a LOT of room to store things in this bag. Not only are there several sections, but some of those sections have additional pockets inside. For example, this section has three pouches, each of which is large enough to carry a Tarokka deck from Curse of Strahd (or for those unfamiliar with the adventure, a standard Tarot deck):
High-quality hardware is used throughout, from the zippers, to the d-rings, to the clasps.
The front flap secures to the bag with two magnetic clasps, which maintain a solid connection but is easy to open. Note: while this is the closure for the prototype, Rollacrit has decided to move to heavy-duty metal snaps to make the hold stronger. Wouldn’t want that front flap literally flapping in the breeze!
Not only is the canvas reinforced at the bottom of the bag, but the bottom corners have additional protection against damage with N420D Hypalon, a synthetic rubber.
Rollacrit has included a mesh drink holder on one side, so that the player can stay hydrated. The drink holder is adjustable, too, to allow for different can and bottle sizes.
On the other side of the bag is an adjustable map holder, so that a dungeon master can strap their battlemaps right onto their bag.
Almost hidden at the bottom of the bag in the back is a small zippered compartment. Inside you’ll find a waterproof cover for your Bag of Holding, which clasps onto a small ring near the compartment.
If you find yourself in the unlucky position of having to walk to your game in the rain, this cover will help keep your laptop, books, and supplies from getting wet.
For a dungeon master dragging a ton of game materials in your Bag of Holding, you may find that your shoulder is getting pretty sore from all that stuff you’re carrying around. Hidden away in the back compartment are adjustable, padded straps.
In seconds, you can easily convert the bag from a regular messenger bag to a backpack.
If you’d like to see a more in-depth walkthrough of the features of the Bag of Holding, you can check out this video review I shot:
Why You Should Get the Bag of Holding
With the prototype of the Bag of Holding in hand, it’s pretty apparent that the folks over at Rollacrit put a lot of thought into what a tabletop gamer needs and wants. There are plenty of places to stash your gear, and much like its namesake from Dungeons & Dragons, the Bag of Holding seems much larger on the inside than it appears from the outside.
Not only that, but you can feel the quality throughout. The canvas is tough but supple, there’s double stitching throughout, and the hardware is sturdy but attractive. The Bag of Holding is filled with nice details, like the rubber nameplate on the front flap and the d20-designed lining and shoulder strap material. The zippers even have a d20 cutout in the metal pulls, to further the theme.
I don’t know how often I’d be using the waterproof cover feature, but it’s certainly nice to have the option. And you don’t even notice that cover when it’s stashed away in its compartment; you just know that it’s there in case of emergencies.
Backers of the Kickstarter campaign will also be able to customize their bags with both stretch goals and optional purchases. Some of these include dice, zipper charms, and even alternate shoulder straps.
Being able to go from messenger bag to backpack is a godsend, especially for game masters running a campaign. RPG players usually don’t need to carry around nearly as much as a dungeon master, so it’s easy enough for them to just toss a few things into the bag, throw it over their shoulder, and head to their game. As I’d mentioned, I’m currently dungeon mastering a campaign, and have a considerable amount of books and materials that need to travel with me. The good news is that they’ll all fit in the Bag of Holding. The bad news is that the weight is too much to want to sit on my shoulder. But thankfully I can just take out those backpack straps and easily distribute the weight across my back.
Overall I’ve been very pleased with the Bag of Holding. If you’re in the market for a bag to take to your tabletop roleplaying sessions, or just to carry your books and laptop to work or to class, you should definitely take a look at the Bag of Holding.
For more information or to make a pledge, visit the Bag of Holding Kickstarter page!
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Disclosure: GeekDad received a copy of this bag for review purposes.
