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View Full Version : DM Help DMs, How Do You Transport your Materials?



Vogie
2019-01-31, 10:38 AM
I'm running a game around a friends' kitchen table, and am finding it's getting increasingly difficult to move everything needed over. A backpack can contain the

requisite books
DM screen
DM Binder
my dice
my reference cards
my initiative tracker (a candlestick and clothespins)
but it's getting quite heavy. Sometimes I use my Chromebook in lieu of books, but not always as I discourage the players from using their phones.

Once I include the dice tray, bag of miniatures, condition chits, and whatever combination of:

dungeon tiles
printed maps, or
a play mat with requisite markers
is required for the night, I start running out of hands and am getting a bit frustrated.

(Useful Aside: We go there because the host family has small children that are put to bed, so venue change isn't an option)

For those of you who DM in a location other than your home, thus have to transport your materials, how do you do it?

I'm looking for tips/tricks, things you've DIY'd, and any actual purchasable products you use.

I'm running 5e, but I'm sure someone of every edition has had this issue.

DMThac0
2019-01-31, 10:51 AM
I re-purposed a gym bag.

I participate in Tae Kwon Do tournaments, this requires a large amount of gear which is a bear to carry unless you have the right bag. The bags I have are roughly 5ft in length, have 2 extentable side pockets, and a removeable hard bottom.

Easy enough to put all my D&D gear in there and have a little room to spare. It's a little big but it gets all the stuff to the shop and other friends' houses if I need to transport a lot of stuff.

hymer
2019-01-31, 03:49 PM
Between a bicycle bag on each side of the carrier and what I can fit on the carrier, I usually get by. Are you on foot?

Anyway, maybe you can pick some stuff that you don't lug around, but keep at the friends' place? Or ally with some of the players, so you don't have to bring all your own stuff every time?

Florian
2019-01-31, 04:42 PM
I've more or less given up on using physical books when not playing at my house. I keep using the PF CRB as I know the book inside and out and have no problems navigating to the relevant rules passages when needed, but I have more or less all the rest in PDF format on my iPad, so I can show pictures and use the online PRD/AONPRD for the raw rules material.

Drascin
2019-01-31, 04:59 PM
I use my old university backpack. Fits the books, a folder with all the sheets and refs and the screen, and has space left over to bring donuts :smalltongue:. We don't use minis, though, which helps.

Coventry
2019-01-31, 05:17 PM
If your host is willing, and if you have the money, buy duplicate books and leave one set at your friend's house. Start with the heavy ones that you want access to at all times, such as the core rulebooks for the game.

It is not ideal, but if you can guess that today you will need X/Y/Z and in the next session you will need X/Y/Q, then you only have to remember to load up Z or Q.

I bought one of the "mobile folding carts" from a local office supply place, and let the wheels do most of the work. The books in the "I might or might not need" category stayed in that, in the trunk of my car, until I found that I really did need a book I had not carried inside that night. As a bonus, I had extra weight for those slick spots on the roads. As a penalty, it was costing me extra gasoline to cart all that weight back and forth.

Reversefigure4
2019-01-31, 09:33 PM
If you're not using the materials elsewhere (for prep or another game), see if you can leave them at the venue.

A gym bag or similar is much better than a backpack, in my experience.

GentlemanVoodoo
2019-02-01, 01:32 PM
It maybe worth to reconsider your technology limitations. Having PDF versions of books, word processor for notes, etc does cut the bulk down of things needing to be towed around. As to your players using their phones, has this been a problem to warrant discouraging the players from using them?

LordCdrMilitant
2019-02-01, 02:46 PM
If I have to walk, I have a cart from Harbor Freight that I use to transport most of my belongings to and from games. I put a big cardboard box on top of it, and put all my stuff in the box so it doesn't fall off the cart, and just push the cart wherever I'm going.

For my 40k stuff, I have a bunch of blue Flexcon warehouse containers that I keep all my tanks in [and fit nicely in the back of my truck], and I just try to park close to the store so I can carry stuff in multiple trips.

Slipperychicken
2019-02-01, 04:48 PM
I've been using PDF versions of books since I started this hobby because I'm some kind of mutant who can read them without eye strain. I heard that the key is to keep the screen entirely below eye level, so that you're looking slightly down. Also you want to have about 20-25 inches of distance between the screen and your eyeballs, which sounds like a lot but is a pretty normal distance. All my books and most of my GM notes are on my computer. Remember to back it up.

I keep my stuff in one of the Bag of Holding messenger-bags. They're actually really high-quality bags, which isn't what you'd expect from dnd-themed merchandise. I took the rubber brand-label off because I don't like revealing my power level. It has room for everything except my huge battlemat; laptops, notebooks, dice, extension cords, chargers, spare chargers all fit in with room to spare.


If you're not using the materials elsewhere (for prep or another game), see if you can leave them at the venue.


Seconding this. If you can trust them to keep your stuff from getting lost, and you're locked into playing there every time anyway, it's a great way to save yourself the effort.

Algeh
2019-02-01, 11:24 PM
I used to use one or two portable file boxes like this one (https://www.amazon.com/Pendaflex-Portable-File-Black-41742/dp/B0007018ZE/ref=sr_1_6?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1549081057&sr=1-6&keywords=file+box), but that works better the more file-like your objects are. (I was playing 3rd ed GURPS at the time, and all of those books were softcovers that fit well in hanging folders. I had one box for my general reference books and one for campaign-specific information. I made a point of trying to only accumulate gaming cruft that would fit in those kinds of boxes at the time except for my dice bag.) They also make ones with wheels. If you could get all of your books and reference materials into one of those, you could then put all of the awkward-sized things in a backpack, but book bloat is definitely a thing that has happened over the last 20 years since everybody decided they needed color hardcovers for everything.

Mutazoia
2019-02-02, 10:40 PM
I would recommend a folding file card (https://www.amazon.com/Two-Wheeled-Collapsible-Handcart-Rolling-lightweight/dp/B074T8QSXC/ref=sr_1_4?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1549164347&sr=1-4&keywords=folding+file+cart) that you can load up when you need it, and then fold up and store when when you don't. With the kind linked, you can set another bag or container on top of that if you really need to (although I would recommend securing it with a bungee cord, so it doesn't slide off). There are fancier versions, which are larger, have nice little pockets inside and out, etc, but they don't fold down for easy storage.

If you don't mind looking too much like a dork, you could also accessorize with more pockets to carry stuff in...
(https://www.amazon.com/Zhusheng-Pockets-Photography-Breathable-Waistcoat/dp/B07CZ2KLJ6/ref=sr_1_30?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1549164921&sr=1-30&nodeID=7141123011&psd=1&keywords=vest+with+pockets)
I'm not sure what "requisite books" you have to constantly lug with you...I would assume that your players would have the basics (PHB at the very least) themselves, so you wouldn't have to lug those back and forth.

I would say go ahead and use your laptop, even if you encourage your players not to use their phones....you are the DM and have a lot of information to keep track of...plus you are not going to be making a call, chatting online or playing games on it during the session.

NRSASD
2019-02-03, 09:40 AM
Two reusable grocery bags. I load the bags into my car, and my players are always willing to help move it as need be.

Vogie
2019-02-04, 09:39 AM
Thank you so much for the suggestions, keep them coming!



I'm not sure what "requisite books" you have to constantly lug with you...I would assume that your players would have the basics (PHB at the very least) themselves, so you wouldn't have to lug those back and forth.

I would say go ahead and use your laptop, even if you encourage your players not to use their phones....you are the DM and have a lot of information to keep track of...plus you are not going to be making a call, chatting online or playing games on it during the session.

I'm actually the only one who has the full set of books - the players have largely used online character creators only, and are fairly new at DnD in general. It's fairly common for them to be leafing through them between rounds or during breaks.

I think I'll start tuning it down to just the module, my binder and my chromebook. The more I use Heromuster, the easier things seem to be going, provided they stay on the rails.

GreatDane
2019-02-06, 10:45 AM
I keep my stuff in one of the Bag of Holding messenger-bags. They're actually really high-quality bags, which isn't what you'd expect from dnd-themed merchandise. I took the rubber brand-label off because I don't like revealing my power level. It has room for everything except my huge battlemat; laptops, notebooks, dice, extension cords, chargers, spare chargers all fit in with room to spare.
+1 for the Bag of Holding; I received one as a gift years ago and haven't used anything else since. It holds my:

PHB and MIC
dice & tray
DM screen and adventure/monster printouts
tablet (for monster images/statblocks)
pens, markers, and small paraphernalia

Like Slipperychicken, I have to carry my big Chessex battlemat, but that problem is usually smaller than the mat itself. It looks like your big space-eaters are books (props for mitigating the use of distracting electronics!) and miniatures. The Bag of Holding would handle the books pretty well, but I don't actually have a suggestion for the minis; my group doesn't use them except for the PCs (and those are provided by the enthusiastic players).

Knaight
2019-02-06, 11:36 AM
I just use a backpack, but I also bring significantly fewer materials than you do (though I do bring a set of poker chips as counters, and they come in a kind of heavy case). The trick is using a fairly large backpack, though it's hardly one of the monstrosities used for hiking/camping. I also bike to location, which makes backpacks particularly useful - though I have been known to ratchet strap the poker chip case to my bike rack.

Slipperychicken
2019-02-06, 02:06 PM
for mitigating the use of distracting electronics!) and miniatures. The Bag of Holding would handle the books pretty well, but I don't actually have a suggestion for the minis; my group doesn't use them except for the PCs (and those are provided by the enthusiastic players).

For minis, you can get pathfinder pawns. Those are quite compact and also cheap. My old GM has a toolkit-like thin box which keeps hundreds of them.

truemane
2019-02-06, 02:13 PM
Other than a PHB, I mostly use digital books on my tablet. My session prep always includes saving all the monster stats in a separate pdf, so I don't need to reference a Monster Manual or anything on a regular basis. My players generally have copies of most of the books laying about in case we need them.

I use only OOTS minis. So all my minis are just paper. I have them all organized in a small accordion file or, if the session is pretty planned out, can just gran what I need and tuck them into a pocket.

Ditto maps. I have lots, organized in a second accordion file. But if I'm running out of hands, I'll just take the basic grid.

I just write initiative down on a piece of paper and call out turns. I don't use cards for anything. Some of my players do.

So it all fits into one over-shoulder bag, and 0, 1, or 2 accordion files.

My biggest suggestion is to dump the books unless they're a really big part of the experience for you.

OldTrees1
2019-05-09, 04:35 AM
When I was a DM for D&D 3.5 I frequently hauled 50 lbs of books to our session 0s. I used a plastic bin. The rest of my kit was in my backpack. However the rest of my kit (bag of dice for up to 8 players, bag of roughly 30 miniatures, a game of GO) was rather light weight. When I did not need my library, I would only bring the 1d8 relevant books and they too would fit in the backpack.

https://cdnimg.webstaurantstore.com/images/products/large/481314/1788135.jpg
So the general tips are:
Exercise is good for you.
Don't bring what you won't need.

olskool
2019-06-05, 08:56 PM
A large backpack. It reminds me of WHY I left the Army.

rg9000
2019-06-06, 05:03 PM
For what it's worth, I cut down on the hassle of bringing miniatures/terrain by using a whiteboard grid-style map, using dry erase markers for any players or monsters, and wet erase markers for landscapes. (so they don't get smudged).

Seclora
2019-06-06, 06:19 PM
Messenger Bag with a shoulder strap for Laptop, Dice, and books, but I'm transitioning into hosting. Honestly, see if you can leave some of the things there in an organized bin. Otherwise, maybe you need to make multiple trips to and from your vehicle. Maybe see if you can help your players buy copies of the core books to keep there, or replace Miniatures for monsters with candy or something similarly disposable.

I personally am not really much for minis, but I happen to know a website where you can get pretty great paper minis. They weigh less than plastic ones, and are much cheaper to replace when damaged. [It's this one, that's the 'AMFES' advertised in the news to the left]. Couple that with a roll-up battle map in a poster tube or leftover cardboard tube from wrapping paper, and you're set for the map. Make all of your players responsible for their own mini/dice, and maybe you can cut your own supply down slightly.

Phhase
2019-06-06, 10:23 PM
I keep mine in a fireproof safe, next to my IP address and my phone number.