Gamers Satchel:CHN 4001.Charon Products UK. $35.00/£25.00

Being the fickle breed that we are, gamers will often find themselves wishing that they more than two hands, what with all the rules, supplements, maps, screens and miniatures that we often take with us on our travels, it can sometimes seem like a war of attrition just to make it to a friends home with your books, tucked under your arm and your well crafted and painstakingly painted miniatures rattling around in an old biscuit tin!

Well help is at hand for those of us who like to carry more than our own far share of games products and an excellent new product has just hit the market in the form of the Gamers Satchel from Charon Products!

There are many carry cases available on the games market, and each has its own merits and flaws that separate it from its competitors, but the addition of the Gamers Satchel could be a godsend for many roleplayers who like to add that bit of an extra dimension to their gaming table.

On first glance the Gamers Satchel looks very much like a standard laptop case, the kind of thing that you would likely take with you to the office or school, hanging neatly from your shoulder and made from a tough and resilient material. But when one looks further it is obvious that this was designed with the gamer in mind, as beneath its Velcro flap the real meat of the beast lies, all but hidden from view.

Once you pull open the flap of the Gamers Satchel you will find inside a variety of compartments, selves and such that will allow you to fit most roleplaying or table top paraphernalia, pens and pencils and dice, all comfortably nestled inside. At the back of the interior of the satchel is a large slipcase that is edged with a double zipper system and contains when opened a foam inlay sheet and a foam miniature tray, capable of holding up to thirty-two miniatures of standard 30mm size with ease.

The overall specifications of the Gamers Satchel are as follows:

Satchel
17" wide x 13" height
6 compartments (including two zipped compartments)
Slipcase
15" wide x 12" height
Foam slip
32 slots of 1½" wide x 2" height x 1"depth
Calculator
Basic function calculator

Due to the way the slipcase is designed, the miniatures will remain static even when confronted with the roughest of hands, keeping all that hard work painting intact and scratch free. Of course this does not mean that you can go out and play football with the slipcase, or even toss the thing around, that would be foolish, but for the most part if treated with respect the miniatures inside will remain in the same condition you placed them in.

Each of the slots for the miniatures will accommodate most standard figures due in part to the flexibility of the foam itself. However if you find that you have a larger scale figure that is bigger than the slots provided, it's a simple matter really of just cutting into the foam and making the slots large enough to fit a figure of even troll like proportions, just don't throw away the excess foam as it can always be placed back into the case again when needed.

The real secret of the slipcase of the Gamers Satchel is its flexibility rather than its sturdiness. By doing away with the standard heavy plastic outer shell, you are left with an extremely light weight affair, and the addition of a few pieces of rigged board give strength to the case itself and help to keep it firm. Of course direct weight onto the slipcase could result in problems, but it can stand up to quite a bit of punishment and not have any real stress or breakages show.

Once you have placed the slipcase back inside the satchel itself; the whole thing becomes even sturdier and again only goes to help protect the miniatures and stop them from rattling around.

The compartments are deep and plentiful and each can hold a large amount before the case becomes too full to close securely. I did however manage to fit into my satchel two-core rulebooks, dice, pens and pencils, character sheets and the slipcase filled with miniatures, as well as a Games Master screen! I could have perhaps fitted a little more into the satchel but I was running late for a gaming session.

The Gamers Satchel has an adjustable strap for the larger or smaller frame and it sits comfortably over the shoulder, even when filled to capacity. Perhaps the only real thing that is missing from this excellent product is a mobile phone holder, but beggars cant be choosers as they say.

As if this wasn't enough for a busy gamer, those kind people at Charon have seen fit to include a free calculator into the package, making this truly an excellent choice for those gamers who play games such as Heroclix™ or MageKnight™, as not only can they carry all their miniatures, maps and rules, the can also work out points values as they play!

Conclusions
Well this is an excellent product from a company which is becoming famous for making high quality products. It is well worth the low price and unlike many other cases of this style, the Gamers Satchel gives excellent value for money without cutting corners. Many thanks go to Malcolm from Charon UK for all his help.