Hauling around all that stuff.

Rllink

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I'm just putting this out for something to talk about, that's all. This summer I was going off here and there quite often to play my ukulele, and besides my music, I was able to get everything I needed in my ukulele case. I think that is going to change here pretty soon though.
 
The secret is to keep buying bigger cases. :cool: I could fit a chair, a music stand, several ukes and possibly my bicycle inside the case of my son's upright bass. After removing the bass, of course.

Actually, I rarely carry anything more than uke, tuner, kazoo, house keys, cell phone, a few bucks, a couple tissues, and a Kindle Fire loaded with tab. All of which fit into a concert gig bag. I have considered making a sticker for my everyday handbag: "my other purse is a ukulele case."

Sometimes, my kit expands to include a camp chair, a music stand, a lovely beverage and a wide-brimmed hat. In which case I am ready for anything and prepared to stay all day.
 
I can't recall a time when everything I needed fit in one uke case!

What leaves the house with me when I meet up to play with others: two ukes (reentrant and low G), each with a strap and a clip-on mini tuner, each in a separate hardshell case; extra strings for both; one giant notebook (it weighs 10 pounds!) of sheet music; one heavy duty folding music stand (see aforementioned 10 pound notebook); and my usual non-uke stuff that includes four pairs of glasses (bifocals, sun, distance, and middle-distance), wallet, keys, cellphone, pouch of useful things like nail clippers, mini Leatherman, and so forth, notebook and pens.

What doesn't leave the house with me: another 10 pound notebook of chord charts dating back to my first ever uke class many years ago.

What inevitably happens when I meet up with others to play: someone always, ALWAYS want to play something that we haven't looked at in years, meaning it's in that notebook that didn't leave the house with me.

There are only two possible solutions to this last problem: learn to play by ear, or give in to the call of the iPad. Since I refuse to do the latter - guess I'd better get on with the former!

ETA: I should clarify that these days when I leave the house to play uke, it's usually in an instrumental trio or in an instrumental ensemble, so my needs might not be typical. Back when I used to take a beater uke to the beach or park to play alone, I just took the uke - didn't even bother with a case.
 
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I got the Uke so I WOULDNT have to be a pack mule.
 
Buy a thin, solidbody uke and then get the full-depth case! Make small foam spacers to prop up key points of the uke. Lots of space underneath!
 
I use a dual tenor gig bag, top compartment holds the uke, lower compartment holds a music stand and my 13.3" tablet with hundreds of songs, I'll never go back to paper again.

Double uke bag 3 views.jpg
 
I miss the days of gigging with a uke or a mandolin. These days I have to hump around a Strat, a pedal board, a 45lb combo amplifier and a bag of leads and assorted could-needs. My uke and my old acoustic amp was just one easy carry in from the car. The current gig rig is at least two treks.

Doh.
 
I got the Uke so I WOULDNT have to be a pack mule.

Agreed! I do on occasion carry a uke and an acoustic guitar. Uke case in hand and guitar on my back. When I have to carry a portable amp, I take only one instrument.

In the bygone days when I played more instruments, more professionally, I toted a PA system, 76-key keyboard with stand, music stand to use as a table, and a wheeled bin of instruments. Plus whatever instruments had hard cases, uh, like a uke and/or a Celtic harp...

Now I am older, wiser, and less energetic and no longer behave that way. :D
 
I use a sports duffle bag with a shoulder strap. fits a stand, cables, DI box, books, straps, etc. I can carry a bass & the uke, or 1 instrument & an amp, with the bag on my shoulder. I generally bring more stuff than I end up using but there's been one too many times when I've wished I'd brought the extra stuff.

Capture.jpg
 
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Those all look pretty handy. I've seen that one that converts to a chair in Walgreens. I think for me anyway, I need to figure out how to keep the load down, not find ways to haul more. I'm not sure how successful I am going to be in that endeavor though. We will have to see.
 
I got the Uke so I WOULDNT have to be a pack mule.
That is interesting, because I discovered the ukulele while I was thinking about playing the guitar, and one of the first things I thought was that a ukulele would be a lot easier to haul around.
 
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