Skate bag?

I know some skaters prefer boxy hard cases such as Zucas because in some rinks benches are scarce and they use the case as a seat to put on/take off their skates. But I'm puzzled by your remark about a strip to stand on while you change clothes. Could you clarify that?

If you don't need a hard case, I would recommend a gym bag. They come in a wide range of sizes, and you can get well-made, sturdy bags for $30 or so (assuming you don't care about fancy logos). They also come with a wide range of different compartments. The one I have is rectangular. It comes with carrying straps and with a removable shoulder strap. The center compartment has a full-perimeter wrap around zipper: fully open, it's easy to insert/remove skates and other gear; in good weather, you can leave it fully open to allow everything to air out; in bad weather, you can zip it up watertight. There are also two open mesh end pockets with zippers. These are great for stashing wet blade guards, skate wipes, and water bottles to allow them to air out. There's also a separate side compartment for misc gear. The great thing is there's such a large variety of gym bags that you should be able to get just the size and combo you need for the gear that you carry.


Some skaters like the specialty open-mesh skate carriers. Great for allowing the skates to breathe. But you need to keep a large plastic bag on hand in case you get caught in a heavy rain storm (also a problem with open tote bags). Also, there's not much room for extra gear. So I don't like these specialty carriers.