Storage / Transit solution for cheap music stands

[Stuart91]

We have a handful of cheap music stands, like this:

 

http://cpc.farnell.com/productimages/farnell/standard/ST01603-40.jpg

 

They were bought to cover a weekend event, where the musicians were very tight on luggage space and the venue didn't have any available. After the event they were banished to a very high shelf in our warehouse, and I wasn't expecting them to emerge again.

 

However, we now have a regular event that needs some - only about half a dozen or so. They are very irritating objects to move around - they tend to end up in an ungainly heap no matter what we do with them. And they take up a disproportionate amount of shelf space, which is a bit more of an issue when they are going in and out more often.

 

I was curious if anyone had come up with a decent way of storing and transporting them. I was thinking I could knock up a box with slim compartments to take each stand, but this seems like overkill. If there was something "off the shelf" that would work that would be far preferable. The stands are cheap enough, and renting out for such a paltry amount, that I don't want to spend heaps on this, so getting a flightcase custom-built is out. I was wondering if anyone had come up with a neat solution?

[J Pearce]

If you have the sort where the top easily separates then a square box for the tops and a small hardware coffin for the tripod bases can work well.

[david.elsbury]

Guy I used to work for used a large briefcase for the tops, optionally padded/blanketed between each one, and then a mic stand bag for the stand bits