Pack for the Field

When you get your gear ready to go out and practice archery you need to gather all your equipment and pack neatly in an appropriate case. A recurve bow is collapsible so you can take it down and pack it into a small backpack about 30 inches tall. A compound bow can’t be taken down in the same way and it’s bare form is too big for a conventional backpack or a case. Other bow users like longbows and crossbows require special cases to carry their gear and so the world of archery manufacturers like Legend Archery build cases designed for specific types of bow.

Now as it stands there are cases for every bow and every bow has a case of some kind. All these bow cases are made of different materials and they offer varying degrees of protection so that you can preserve and transport your archery equipment safely and securely to the range. For take down bows like recurves there are three distinct choices available: bow cases, backpacks and trolley cases. First there’s bow cases which are available in hard or soft variations and they can only carry the bow and arrows along with a few small accessories in the side pockets. These are ideal if you plan on carrying the rest of your other essentials like quivers, arm guards and maintenance kit in a separate bag. There’s also a bow case for compounds as well and these carry the bow fully assembled. Because of this the shape of the bags makes them distinct from the recurve bow cases with their half oval shape.

The most popular and really useful cases are the soft backpacks. These are very spacious and have got plenty of compartments for all your spares and equipment. Consider the legend archery range. A standard archery backpack consists of a main compartment and a small accessory compartment at the front. Inside the main compartment is a wallet like container called a riser/limb case which has a double compartment. One compartment holds the riser and the other on the opposite side is for the limbs. This provides protection for the main bow in transit. There is also plenty of room for other equipment where you can squeeze in your quiver, bow stand and accessory bag. There’s also a peculiar looking thing that makes the archery back pack stick out unlike an ordinary backpack. The arrows are stored in an extendable tube that can be adjusted to the length of your arrows and if you prefer your stabilizing long rod. The arrow tubes on these backpacks are available with the tube inserted into the backpack from the top like the Legend Streamline series or strapped to the side of the backpack held in place by straps like the Legend Akiles. Some of these backpacks can be carried two ways, either on your back or with handle on the side so you can carry it like a bag. It's also useful to look out for backpacks which come with their own dedicated rain cover to protect it from wet weather.

Compound backpacks are also available and they equally capable of transport a full assembled bow complete with accessories in the internal pockets. However these backpacks are mostly carried as hand bags because of their sheer size needed to carry the bow. Because of the assembled shape of the bow some makers build them as semi-circle or half-hexagonal and Legend Archery make some really good examples of it with some of their models like the Superline 44 and the Double two.

There’s also a more expensive option in the form of trolley cases. These are mostly devoted to professional archers like champions and Olympians who need the best protection for their bows and equipment that they can get. These are designed to function like suitcases and can carry up to two bows complete with all accessories and equipment. Some of them have even got some spare space to carry an extra pair of shoes or even a change of clothes. You can find these trolley cases in hard or soft-hybrid made from durable aluminium and nylon. These can be used by both recurve and compound archers but if you are recurve archer then make sure you get a trolley case for a recurve bow. Compound trolley cases don’t come with the riser and limb case. Compound trolley cases store the bow inside a padded compartment on one side of the case. These trolley cases are perfect for archers who are active travellers to competitions and can survive a very long trip by land, sea and air.

Now we covered recurve and compound bow cases I think it’s time we took a look at cases for longbows and crossbows. Longbows are quite tricky to carry because they can’t be folded down. The type of cases for them is a 7 foot long sleeve made of cotton or leather fabrics. This is a pretty simple but effective case for a longbow, but it needs to be handled carefully because it doesn’t offer any structural protection like the soft case backpacks for recurve and compound bows. You can also buy them as long hard cases as well, which offer great protection and highly recommended for the fragile long sticks that they are. Crossbow cases are a design unto themselves because they encompass a whole crossbow around it’s entire frame like a violin case. A crossbow case has a small pocket on the side that can carry a few vital essentials for the bow but like a longbow sleeve it doesn’t come with space for a quiver. The limited capacity of these cases means that you will have to carry any other accessories and equipment in a separate bag.

All these options have their usefulness for all forms of archery. However for beginners and regular archers I would highly recommend a backpack. They are reliable, cost effective and highly regarded equipment bags. They can carry your gear in style like an archery superstar in the same manner as the kit bags of sports players like your favourite athletes.