Humes & Berg Bag Review

I've been using a Roadrunner 50" rolling hardware bag to tote my hardware. It's a great bag, but waaay more than I need. It's very heavy (even empty), awkward to handle and just an overkill. I switched to DW lightweight flat based stands and decided it was time to invest in a new hardware bag that was more manageable. After days of research, I decided on the 36" Humes & Berg "Seeker" Tilt-n-Pull bag. This thing is sweeeeet:punk:.
The build quality is very impressive. I give it a 9.5 out of 10. Heavy duty, high quality zippers, reinforced seams and heavy rubber grips around the handles (much easier on your hands than bare nylon straps). The hooks on the removable shoulder strap are metal..not those cheap plastic clips like they use on dog collars. The axle & wheels are high quality luggage type, not cheap plastic rollers. The nylon webbed straps are 2X as wide as on the Roadrunner bag. This thing is built like a '53 Hudson....but still fairly light weight.
The design is even more impressive. I give it a 10 out of 10. The inside is lined with a thick layer of padding and fleece.:dancing:. It has internal straps that are wide and long enough to strap in as many stands as you could possibly fit in it. The buckle adjustments on the straps are well designed and EASY to adjust. It comes with detachable heavy plastic panels that can be attached to the sides via massive Velcro strips. When installed, they make the sides of the bag rigid. It has tons of external storage pockets with zippers too. And the BEST part; the top unzips around 3 sides, creating a coffin style lid that can be folded over one side. THIS is a HUGE deal. Between the coffin style lid and the rigid plastic side panel inserts, they make the bag almost as easy to pack/load as a rigid hardware case. Anyone who uses a hardware bag with one long zipper down the middle understands the problem. The empty bag folds in on itself and makes it a royal pain to pack your stuff.
I should say; I have nothing really bad to say about the Roadrunner bag I have been using. It's very well made and has held up very well. It's just too darn big (50" long) for my needs. I will continue to use it for hauling the band stuff. It will probably hold all our mic, guitar and speaker stands, as well as some other stuff. BUT...this H&B Seeker bag is better built and appears to be designed by someone who actually uses hardware bags. We'll see how it holds up to gigging, but based on the design construction and build quality, I don't foresee having to buy a replacement for a long time. I'll post some pics shortly.

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Looks good!

Coincidentally, the size appears to be just right to hold my cajon and have enough spare room to hold my spoons, foot tambourine and other assorted hand percussion items....along with a 6 pack of Bush Light bottles. :dancing:
That makes it perfect for those front porch parties and acoustic gigs!

Nice review thank you!
I really want to try a bag out with this new band I'm covering for.
But I have so many hard cases I will probably just stick with that.

I'd prefer a hard case, but most are beyond my budget. This was on sale for $100. I figure if I don't use it for hardware, it will make good luggage for business trips, LOL. Should fit in the trunk of a car.

Thanks for the info. I've been looking for a new hardware bag and just haven't found the right one yet.

The Protection Racket bags look pretty good, but cost a little more. I'm very pleased with the H&B. The thick fleece lining and padding is great. Makes me want to buy their fleece lined drum bags. Now, I need to make some sleeves out of an old blanket that I can slide each cymbal stand into. Maybe keep them from getting all scratched up.

I own numerous Protection Racket bags. Well made. Rugged. Other bags I've tried are not as well made. Especially the zippers. Usually break not long after being put into service.

The first thing I noticed about this H&B bag when I opened the box was the zippers. They are all metal and 3x bigger than the ones on any of my other bags or drum cases. Even bigger than the ones on my H&B drum bags and my Protection Racket cymbal bag. They look like they're built well and heavy duty. We'll see how they last. My next gig is in 2 weeks. I hope to buy a new DW flat base hi-hat stand before then.

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Originally Posted by N2Bluz

The first thing I noticed about this H&B bag when I opened the box was the zippers. They are all metal and 3x bigger than the ones on any of my other bags or drum cases. Even bigger than the ones on my H&B drum bags and my Protection Racket cymbal bag. They look like they're built well and heavy duty. We'll see how they last. My next gig is in 2 weeks. I hope to buy a new DW flat base hi-hat stand before then.

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I noticed that too about the zippers. So much so that when I got my set of bags I took a picture of the zipper, as I was very much impressed with it's size and appearance of durability.

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I didn't even get the top series of bag either.


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I have a Galaxy drum bag for my 18x16 bass. Even though it's the base model (Galaxy, then Tuxedo, then Seeker), it's impressive.
I grabbed a quick pic of the zipper on the Seeker bag. The tape measure will give you a reference to size. I also noticed the zipper design...it's not like a regular zipper on a coat or jacket. It's more like a helix that allows it to side flex and bend. Maybe it's just the way modern zippers are designed? Maybe it's common on luggage? I must admit, I haven't kept up on the modern technical advancements of zippers, LOL.
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Originally Posted by N2Bluz

I must admit, I haven't kept up on the modern technical advancements of zippers, LOL.

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Yeah, you missed it. The special class that was offered if purchasing a complete set was well worth the time. :shifty:

The only zipper I've worried about for 10yrs is the one on my jeans. And that's mostly been about making sure it's "up" and not "down".

The hardware bag looks good but in my opinion, I got tired of fighting zippers when a bag is slightly over packed. I have a 36" RoadRunner rolling soft hardware bag that lasted less than a year.

Have you tried the Ahead version? I own one and love it. It would cost you more than you paid for this bag, though...great deal!

I really like that fleece looking lining on the inside. Mine doesn't have any lining at all. That's a nice feature.

I used the bag for the first time for our gig this last Friday. I love it. 36" was the magic size for me (or 36-24-36 if you're Rick). I have to break down my cymbal stands and hi-hat, but that's no problem since they have memory locks. I literally had it packed FULL, but it held everything I use. It held;
2) DW flat base cymbal stands
1) DW flat base hi-hat stand
1) Gibraltar 9600 throne, complete with base, oversized motorcycle seat and backrest (this amazed me)
1) Pearl Demon pedal - in the carrying case (fits perfectly when turned sideways)
1) tool bag of spare drum parts
1) tom mount
3) floor tom legs
3) cymbal boom arms
1) DW stick bag
1) cowbell w/mount
1) foot tambourine
1) set of spoons

AND, I still had room in several of the outside pockets! The bag was stuffed full, BUT, I was easily able to strap everything in and nothing rattled around. It was way to heavy to carry by myself, but the wheels worked perfectly. It made me realize that a smaller bag packed full is much easier to handle than a large bag packed only partially full. As expected, the bag was much quicker and easier to load. The handles are all perfectly placed for balanced lifting and transport.