Didgeridoo Bag Buying Guide

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Above: Simon runs through the some of the different types of different didgeridoo bags available for your didgeridoo bag. Below we’ve included detailed information on what to look out for when buying a didgeridoo bag or case.

Almost every hand crafted Didgeridoo on the planet is a unique instrument, impossible to replace. Surely that fact alone makes caring for and protecting your Didgeridoo a priority!

If you need to, you can replace a guitar, flute, violin or keyboard from just about any music store in the world, even the same model, size colour and sound can be purchased. Replacing your unique Didgeridoo is not that simple! Basically impossible!

We believe every Didgeridoo must have its own protective, comfortable didgeridoo bag.

We recommend wholeheartedly that you choose a Didgeridoo bag at the same time you select your Didgeridoo. There are a number of things to look out for in the selection of your didgeridoo bag. Below we have outlined a number of things to consider during the selection of your bag.

• Your needs
• Bag length
• Bell end Diameter
• Draw String Top
• Padding
• Round Stitched in bottom panel
• Tapered Fit
• Handle Positioning
• Shoulder Strap Strength
• Stitching and Thread
• Materials
• Pockets
• Zippers

Your Needs

It is important for you to consider how often you will be moving, transporting or storing your Didgeridoo. What conditions will your Didgeridoo need to be protected from, is it household wear and tear, frequent domestic road trips or a crazy international touring schedule?

Will you be satisfied with second or third best for your instrument? What is your budget, your choice material, maybe even colour is a consideration for you.

What about size, length, bell ends, pockets, zippers, stitching, breathability and padding used in the construction of your didgeridoo bag.

Do you trust the store you are buying from? Do the people selling you the Didgeridoo Bag have extended personal experience in using the bag you are looking at? Did you want a carefully hand made or more mass produced bag?

These are a few of the things you for you to consider during your selection of a suitable didgeridoo bag.

Bag Length

It is unsuitable to have the bag even slightly shorter than your Didgeridoo. Even with a stubbie holder/cooler placed over the mouthpiece. Ultimately your mouthpiece, wax and or wood will get damaged. Take this advice from my experience and avoid the tears! Get a bag that is longer than your Didgeridoo, even if it is just a couple of centimetres’, this allows the top to be closed and your Didgeridoo to be protected. Watch out for advertised lengths of bags that have a flat stitched bottom. When you put your Didgeridoo in these bags they end up half the diameter of your bell end shorter than the advertised length.

We recommend a didgeridoo bag with a round stitched in bottom, this way the length of the bag will not change when you place your Didgeridoo inside. The better quality Didgeridoo bags have carpet pieces stitched into the bottom of the bag for fantastic impact and wear protection.  Check out the Snakeskin’s Didgeridoo Bags for this unique and incredibly sensible feature.

Bell-End Diameter

This is very important to consider. Most Didgeridoo bags are stitched straight down the sides, so the diameter of the mouthpiece end, the top is the same as the diameter of the bell end. If you choose a wide bag to accommodate your bell end then the top of your instrument will be falling around all over the place during transport, this is uncomfortable and significantly increases the likelihood of damage.

We recommend a taper fit bag and full-length zipper; this reduces didgeridoo finish wear and tear caused by constant rubbing from loading instruments in and out of bags. It also offers your bell ended Didgeridoo a snug fit and increased travel protection and carrying comfort.

We are very weary about bags that you need to store your Didgeridoo upside down inside of. After playing and storing you didgeridoo upside down all the moisture inside your Didgeridoo then runs toward and coagulates on and around your mouthpiece. As well as this, the chance of continual mouthpiece damage is greatly increased. After playing, your beeswax mouthpiece is warm and quite malleable, stored upside down and rested on the ground once or twice the likelihood of a reshaped mouthpiece is very likely.

Draw String Top

We have seen and tried many didgeridoo bags from around the world and it is from lengthy and costly experience we suggest that the Drawstring Top offers the best protection and ventilation and drying qualities for stored Didgeridoos.

Padding

You need a bag with enough padding to suit your needs, the more the better. Bags without padding are a dust cover and this may be all you need. At Didgeridoo Breath, based on our years of experience, we suggest you look at the options and go for the most padded bag you can. Your Didgeridoo will probably last a few of your families generations, best it is clothed in a protective Bag that will last just as long!

Round Stitched in Bottom Panel

Having a stitched in round bottom panel is highly recommended by the team. This gives the best protection for the base of your instrument. There are bags on the market that are just stitched like a pillowcase at the bottom. When a Didgeridoo enters the bag it is forcing the stitching apart at the bottom and wearing against the walls of the bag when resting or being transported. Take our advice, go for a round stitched, purpose built bottom on your Didgeridoo Bag choice.

The best quality hand made Snakeskins Oil skin Didgeridoo bags have one or two layers of carpet pieces stitched into the bottom of the bag, this is the ultimate in bag bottoms!

Tapered Fit

We recommend a taper fit bag and full-length zipper; this reduces didgeridoo finish wear and tear caused by constant rubbing from loading instruments in and out of bags. It also offers your bell ended Didgeridoo a snug fit and increased travel protection and carrying comfort.

Handle Positioning

The location of the handle attachment points is often overlooked. Yet this feature makes all the difference in the world to your travelling experience. If the attachment points are too far apart then when you put the Didgeridoo over your shoulder the bottom of your instrument just hits the ground. Stitched too close together and you cant get it over your shoulder. Too high or low and the Didgeridoo balances all wrong and wants to lay horizontal not vertical when hanging on your shoulder. Carrying comfort is paramount, a good bag will balance well over your shoulder and feel good to carry. Snakeskins bags with Didgeridoo Breath carried out extensive testing of handle positioning, materials and width to ensure all the bag range balanced well and offered maximum comfort.

Shoulder Strap Strength

It took us a year or two before we would even stock Didgeridoo Bags. We found the quality of many Indonesian sourced Didgeridoo Bags were appealing to the eye but unappealing in the quality. The strength of the shoulder strap material and particularly the strength of the attachment to the Bag itself is of the highest importance when your making a choice. In the cheaper bag range it is important to see the shoulder strap material go completely around the bag itself, then be stitched back onto itself. Avoid cheaper bags that the shoulder strap just stitches into the seam, these are renowned for falling apart at the connection point.

Snakeskin bags are reinforced thread double stitched with treated thread all round. Shoulder straps are wide and comfortable and some of the bags use VB Cord technology, virtually unbreakable strength

Stitching and Thread

Snakeskin bags are reinforced thread double stitched with treated thread all round. Shoulder straps are wide and comfortable and some of the bags use VB Cord technology, virtually unbreakable strength

Materials

Basically a good looking, comfortable strong, padded bag is what you are after. The whole snakeskin’s bag range offers you this, with an assurance of quality construction and material strength.

Snakeskins “Oilskin” is a densely woven Australian 100% waxed cotton, it is; Waterproof and windproof, rot resistant, feels dry and breathes from the inside to let and keep your didgeridoo dry. Super hard wearing and cleans up to like new (even years later) with a simple dust off. Can their be a better material.

We love the total Oilskin outer shell, full length inside quilt padding, full length Dacron reinforced padding, treated thread, reinforced stitching, round bottom maybe with a stitched in double layer carpet ground protection pad, drawstring top and quality rope tied or double stitched Oilskin shoulder carry strap. Can you get better materials!

There is some pretty good quality, heavy duty, canvas like nylon Didgeridoo bags available, offering great protective strength and some splash proof and wind proof properties. These are also good quality bags and well worth considering.

Pockets

Clap sticks, spare wax, cds, dvds, wallet, telephone, keys, tissues and whatever else can be carried in side pockets on your bag. This is usually a bonus feature only available on higher quality Didgeridoo bags. Again well worth considering depending on your needs.

Zippers

We have said this before and will say it again. Having a padded/tapered bag and full length zipper, reduces didgeridoo finish wear and tear caused by constant rubbing from loading instruments in and out of bags. The tapered fit eliminates in bag Didgeridoo movement offering every player total peace of mind during any Didgeridoo transport.

BUT………….. Check the quality of the zipper. You get what you pay for and a broken or stuck zip will render your bag useless and money wasted! Again, we recommend all of the bags we have available on our website.

Conclusion

Every instrument I see that is transported without a case or protective bag ends up damaged and worn. Guitars, flutes, djembes, violins, harmonicas and yes, even Didgeridoos.

The Didgeridoo is an instrument that deserves just as much protection as any other instrument!

We’d love to hear your thoughts below in the comments section.