Satchel bar

[DDibling]

Here's a thought I've been kicking around for some time now. Perhaps someone here has some helpful tips.

I've been thinking about a bag, preferably like a medical doctor's satchel with some specially made compartments that turns the bag into a roving bar. It would need a padded compartment for a fifth of my favorite liquor (Wild Turkey, of course), a compartment for a well insulated and latchable ice bucket, a holder for ice tongs, and some padded compartments for two good size glasses with tight fitting rubber caps, just in case you need to relocate, but you're not yet done with your drink!

Anyone ever seen anything like that or have any tips for assembling such a beast?

Thanks,
Dean

 

[Feraud]

Portable bars like that exist.

 

[Gatsby84]

That would indeed be quite the accoutrement.
-Allen

 

[Dr Doran]

The portable bars that I have seen have a hard case with handle. I have one. I have not seen a soft leather one with shoulder strap, personally. I think a hard case works because it protects the glass of the bottle. But the padding would work.

 

[MB5]

You could make the dividers out of hardboard/masonite. Use the pre-finished edge for the top. Make your own padded inserts with open-cell foam. Cut a rectangle of foam for the height of the dividers. Rough fit it in the insert and cut it to fit. Put rubber cement on the ends and allow it to dry. Sew your own covers by cutting a rectangle of fabric that will cover the foam and add a seam allowance, fold it in half and sewing the short ends together. Flip it so the finished edge is on the outside. Now push the ends of the foam together. Place the foam ring in the fabric and sew the bottom closed. The bottom will be unfinished, but will not be seen.

You could also take more time and sew part way around the base after you sew the short ends together, flip the fabric ring inside out through the hole you left, feed the foam through and attach the ends, and hand stitch the hole closed.

To prevent the inserts from coming out you could drill holes in the dividers and sew them into place, or just glue them to the dividers (from the bottom to prevent glue from being visible) or a combination of both.

Alternatively you could do a golf club type insert, with holes cut in a plywood panel, and a leather overlay with slightly smaller holes so the leather acts like a pad. You could also roll the leather through the hole, though it may not be enough for glasses.

Perhaps a combination of both to have a very finished top panel and lots of padding below.

 

[DDibling]

Thanks, MB5, those are some good ideas. I've been looking at what's out there and I'm not really satisfied with what I see. I'm sourcing doctor's satchels now. I think it's very doable. I'm having trouble finding an ice bucket that has a latching top, though. That may prove tricky.

Dean

 

[Dr Doran]

If you want good doctors' satchels, go to overstock.com. They have a few good ones with the hinge construction peculiar to doctor's bags. These are listed under "luggage" and then further under "briefcases."

Here is a nice one:
http://www.overstock.com/Clothing/L...ct.html?reviewsort=0&reviewpage=2#custreviews

 

[David Conwill]

I've seen a couple of these but in the aforementioned hard cases. They're never complete, though, otherwise I'd have one by now.

-Dave

 

[MB5]

I'm having trouble finding an ice bucket that has a latching top, though. That may prove tricky.

Dean

You could probably JB Weld a hinge and latch onto a standard ice bucket.
You could also look into a soup or food thermos. They are wider and shorter than a standard thermos.

Someone makes a "travel" ice bucket, but it looks like it may not even have a lid.
http://www.gorgeous.com.tw/travel.htm

 

[Feraud]

Ebay has a lot of portable bar sets. I am not sure you will find something as specific as you want. Lugging around ice and half drunk drinks sounds like a chore.