You can use any backpack to carry your board games. If you frequently leave the house with a few of your favorite titles in tow, though, it may be time to look for something that’s been designed specifically for tabletop gamers. That would be the GeekOn.
Billed as the “ultimate board game backpack,” the bag gives users a unique way to carry their board games – one that allows you to easily see each game inside the bag, so you can retrieve what you like and leave the rest inside. Even better, the darn thing should carry half a dozen games easily, allowing you to bring multiple games along, so you can have options in what you’re going to play once you get to wherever the tabletop party is happening tonight.
Unlike traditional backpacks that open from the top, the Geekon has a main compartment that opens from the front, so you can easily see all the board games you have stacked inside, making it easy to pick a game without digging through the pile. More importantly, the main compartment is extendable, allowing you to adjust the depth from 8.5 inches to 12.5 inches, so it can look like regular backpack when you’re packing light while looking absolutely packed to the brim when necessary. When collapsed, the main compartment has a volume of 31.6 liters, while expanding to 46.5 liters as soon as it’s extended. It’s so roomy, in fact, that it can fit that gargantuan Gloomhaven board game while holding other games as well.
The flap that covers the main compartment comes with mesh pockets on the backside, as well as multiple exterior pockets for storing accessories. The top section of the bag comes with a zippered opening for holding medium-sized items (they recommend you use it to hold all the card games you’re bringing along), although its floor can also be removed (it’s just secured with Velcro), in case you want to expand the room for the main compartment. Carrying a laptop? There’s a padded laptop compartment onboard that can fit up to 17.5-inch machines, along with two koozie holders (seriously), a pen slot, and even a pocket for really small items on the shoulder strap. Suffice to say, there’s a whole lot of room here for a whole lot of your gear.
The Geekon has an EVA-padded frame that’s covered in 500D ripstop nylon, so this thing will survive scrapes while capable shedding water. Even better, it uses waterproof zippers and sports reinforced seams, ensuring all your board games can arrive at the tabletop party unharmed and intact. Both the back panels and the shoulder straps use moisture-wicking material to help with the inevitable sweating that will happen when you carry those many board games around, while the back panel get extra padding to ensure comfort. Other features include a padded grab handle, custom rubber zipper pulls, and a sternum strap allows you to secure it when carrying a good load of weight.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for the Geekon. You can reserve a unit for pledges starting at $154.