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Copyright
Ó 2001 Jukka Ropponen
Some
of you may think that it doesn't really matter how you pack
your bag, but in reality it could make some difference after
all.
While
there is no right or wrong way to pack your bag, I am trying
to give you some tips. Basically, you need to find a practical
way of packing your gear so that it becomes an easy routine
and treats your gear right.
Start
by putting your pads to the sides of the bag like pictured
on the right. Then set skates on the bottom (keep skate guards(soakers)
on to protect the bag and other equipment).
Next,
depending on your bag and gear put the chest & arm to
the other end of the bag on top of the skates followed by
the pants that you can fold neatly between the pads. Now all
the heavy and bigger items have been placed in your bag first
and this way they don't squash your other equipment.
Set
the rest of the gear on top of the bigger gear; mask, which
should always be in it's own protective bag; gloves with extra
care, especially your trapper as you don't want it to get
out of it's shape or bent in anyway etc.
Good
goalie bags also have enough pockets for wet gear, accessories,
tape etc. or other items you may need. It's also a lot more
efficient to carry them in their own pocket and well organized
rather than just in the bottom of the bag.
The
last little tip of this article is to build your own accessory
kit to carry with you at all times. I have had one in my bag
for many years and it has certainly helped me in several occasions.
Here's what I currently carry in my kit:
- Hand-held
sharpener / edge tool
- Skate
stone
- Skate
laces
- Mask
harness
- Mask
buckles
- Mask
screws
- C/A
buckles
- Pad
strap
- Velocity
pad buckles
- Philips
and regular screwdriver (Short 1" versions)
- Tape
(not in the pouch, but in the same pocket)
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Good goalie bags have
separate pockets for all your accessories, spare parts
etc.
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Here's an example of a
good spare parts & maintenance kit that every goalie
should carry with them.
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Pads
go into the bag first with calf protectors face down.
Then
add skates on the bottom, C&A to the other end and fold
the pants in the middle.
Use
a separate wet pocket for jerseys & misc. items.
Add
gloves, mask, throat guard, etc. to the top.
A
well packed bag will have some room left and all your gear
will be in the right shape when you unpack them.
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