Agreed, if you want to get small, you have to dump the mic flight case and go with a Pelican type waterproof case. If you have a mic with extra caps, get a case slightly larger to be able to store the caps too.
Any portable case will not be very secure since it's, well, portable. Unless you do the Blues Brothers handcuff-to-the-wrist thing, your just going to have to keep an eye on your gear. So in my mind an inexpensive case is just as secure as an expensive one. Therefore, I use a nylon tool bag from Sears for my recorders/headphones/batteries/power cords/etc. Get a bag with a main zippered compartment and put anything you don't want to get wet in there. I use the outside pockets to store stuff that can stand getting wet and I can afford to replace if they fall out (such as power cords). Of course, places other than Sears sells tool bags, mine just happens to be from there.
To carry my cables, I use a backpack like a HS kids book backpack. Don't get a fancy one, just a something with a good zipper. During back-to-school sales you can easily get a book backpack for under 10 bucks. It's not padded, but for cables, who cares?
If you only have one mic stand, you don't need a bag for it. But two mic stands are surprisingly difficult to carry in one hand so I have a bag like this:
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=242-136This mic stand bag will easily carry a 4m light stand and a couple of 2m mic stands.
So for around $40, you can easily carry in the whole kit: recorder, cables, and stands with one trip. That way you save time and never let you gear out of your sight.
Topic: Beginner Gear Bag Question (Read 2484 times)