Kiss and Cry totes?

Hi all! As I have been advancing in figure skating, I have been skating more hours, and i have realized that I have an increasing need for, yup, TISSUES. I tried to put a small pack of Kleenex and a water bottle and other stuff I need in a small tote and bring it into the rink, but I have a hard time getting my tissues out. What bothers me even more is that i have to take my gloves off to root around in my bag! I noticed that some of the more advanced skaters in my rink have these small glossy bags called Kiss and cry bags or something like that. They also use the TGA bags. They seem really convenient, but the skaters told me they were like $45! I don't really want to spend $45 on a small bag, but they look wayy more convenient then my current tote, so I am at a loss. Does anyone have one of these Kiss and Cry bags, and do they really work? Do you think they are worth the money? And if anyone else has a better solution, I'd appreciate it! Thanks!

I'm telling ya....take a whole box of tissues out to the benches and share them with everyone. Hopefully it catches on and everyone else starts to do it too and then everyone has tissues. You might even make some friends that way. You can still carry your tote out with water bottle, music, etc... and just carry the box of tissues with one hand and hang the tote over your shoulder.

A fairly inexpensive backpack can also be a good idea.

Deluxe Gardening Tote Bag - $13.38. So many side pockets!

Or if you are more the Tim Taylor type.... Craftsman has something similar - $21.50

Not glam as the TGA, but way cheaper!

Those "kiss and cry totes" are the biggest waste of money out. A total "look at me, look how much money my parents have!" status symbol.

Tissues? Sit a box of 'em on the boards. CD? Goes in the pile next to the player, or stays in the bag if you're not doing runthroughs that day. Drink bottle? Sits on the boards. Heck, if worst comes to worst, wipe your nose on your sleeve, it's not like you can't wash it or anything.

Or, I'll put it this way: I've only ever seen one of these at my rink and we have quite a few higher level skaters, and I've never seen one on the boards at the top level.

Here's another option: Look at camera bags. They come in a variety of sizes. There's usually one main compartment, with one or two inside dividers, and one or two smaller outside compartments. The compartments have no closures, or closures with buckles, zippers, or velcro. There's also a variety of belt loops, hand straps, and shoulder straps. You should be able to get a well-made one in a suitable size and combo for ~$25 or less.

A few of us at the rink use Thirtyone brand's small organizing utility tote. You can find some cheaper than the catalog (under $20) on ebay. These bags are pretty much the same size as Kiss n Cry but don't have the Zuca bag loop. I'm able to fit a full box of tissues, water bottle, CD case and waxel pads in this bag.

My daughter used a small gardening tote first. It was fine. Kiss and Cry was selling their older style for $20 at a competition so I figured why not? She used it for 6 years until it was stolen (car break in). So when it came to replace it, I stuck with the K&C bag. It keeps things neat and organized. She has her music key, rink pass, cd case, tissues, gloves, tiny note pad and pen, water bottle and a granola bar in it and doesn't need to fiddle with zippers, pouches etc. She doesn't forget anything, it's all right there. She takes up minimal space on the boards. Sure the gardening bag worked fine. But really who cares who has what? Skating is insanely expensive, so a 45 dollar bag that lasts 5 years (or longer if your car isn't broken in to) is really not what is going to break the bank. It is cute, it works and it is very sturdy. It's not like buying a 10 year old a Birkin!

Ohhh, so that's what I've started to see at my rink lately.

Those bags are cute and if they last a long as loopy says I think $45 is reasonable. I may actually buy one!

I cannot recommend kiss and cry bags enough. While they are $45 , they are worth it. Why ??? They are accessible and are designed for a figure skaters needs. I have my program CD in there, my test papers, my drink bottle, tissues and a moves in the field book. They fit absolutely perfectly on your Zuca Bag and have a nice design with heaps of pockets. They were the best thing I ever invested in. Also, they will fit on the side of the barrier during you session, so if you want your things right there with you, you can just grab it out.

I haven't seen these at our club as yet, and yes we have a good distribution of moderate to high level skaters. So it may be a regional trend.

Most kids just have their water bottles and possibly a small boxish bin that their notebook (if their coach is of the tradition), tissues and formerly cd went into. This sort of thing....http://intl.target.com/p/cd-dvd-storage-box-teal-room-essentials/-/A-16252060

We don't see much in the way of KnCs set up even at regional competitions, but I can see the need for something for tissues, and valuables like an iPod. It could be any small bag that the coach can feel comfortable holding while the skater is on the ice.

I can't actually imagine any of ours with the canvas tote, and they are the least pretentious bunch of skating folk I've come across. Something that zips up and things can't fall out of would be preferable in the competition environment.

I should note that with the shift to mp3s, the coaches are loading playlists of their skater's programs into the club's system, and cds are really only used for competitions where they are handed in at check in at the registration desk. So, again something that can organize essentials for competitions sounds smart, but it wouldn't be what we'd see coming to training.

By the way, I've noticed that Zuca bags are somewhat on their way out. The senior skaters use small lightweight suitcases (especially if they have received them from the section) or bags. A number of the intermediate skaters are following the trend. But where you child can't count on a seat to put his/her skates on, Zuca's still make a good deal of sense to me.

I spotted this online at Thirty-One for those of you who are into that. It looks like the right size for K&C

http://www.thirtyonegifts.com/catal...wid/215a/double-duty-caddy-in-charcoal-links/

And Zucas are still going strong at my rink--especially for adults because there's no place to sit. If we had a bigger lobby, I suspect no one would use them.
(Although I confess to carrying my stuff in a small suitcase for a while then switching back to a Zuca. I loved the suitcase, but I hate having to look for a seat in a birthday room)

Oddly enough there are a huge variety of bags that are available for purposes other than skating. One of my favorite bags is a trash bag for the car that is decorative. It comes with a zippered compartment at the bottom. That's where I keep my tissues. A little tip... take a small portable pack of tissues, remove the plastic and wrap a large garbage bag tie or elastic string around them. In my little bag with the zipper bottom, I have plenty of room for the unused and the used tissues (keep a small plastic snack bag for the used). I still like to be stylish, even at my age...just won't pay zillions of $$$ for something that may be a trend and after all, would you rather spend $45 for a happening bag or put that money towards ice time?

I have been skating for about a year and have found the whole thing about how you haul stuff to the rink to be pretty interesting. I know people say how expensive Zucas and Kiss and crys are, but as someone who loves fashion and and handbags in particular, when I was in the work world, it was not unusual for me to carry a handbag that cost between $500-$1200. I did not have a ton of them, but a few that I had saved up for that I loved and still love, just don't have as much of an opportunity to use them as often. It also does not mean that I don't have bags that I love that are less than $20. Whatever works for you and whatever you want to spend, it is all relative. If you enjoy it and are happy, that is money well spent IMO, if you can afford it

I also keep seeing people write about how they would rather put the $45 towards skating...again, all relative. If you carry a kiss and cry to the rink every time for the next 3 years and find it helpful, I think it has more than payed for itself and you are using it to improve your skating experience. I used to think that both Zucas and Kiss and Cry bags were bizarre and could not understand the purpose. About half of the adults at my rink have a Zuca, probably 50% also have a kiss and cry. The rest carry suitcases and a couple have the transpaks. I had a really neat bag for a while that had slots for my skates to air them but as I had to add safety equipment it just got to be too small and heavy to carry. The Zuca turned out to be the best for organizing and allowing my skates and other sweaty equipment to breathe (easy to just keep sweaty stuff in the netting or unzip the door as opposed to opening a whole suitcase). The folks with the suitcases also always seem to have a pile of sweaty stuff they are digging through with it open on the floor.

As for the Kiss n Cry, again, I thought this the dumbest looking thing at first. Then I was fighting digging in and out of my Zuca during skate time to get water, Kleenex, some light layers of clothing, chapstick, notebook, allergy meds, snack, a honing stone, ugg. I sometimes bring my Zuca in with me to skate and sometimes not, but either way, once I got a Kiss and Cry, whether it is easily accessible on the Zuca or just brought in separately, has worked great. I even have clips on it to hang my glove liners or head bands to dry after skating.

I firmly believe that one system does not work for everyone, I have seen some really neat bags on Amazon lately that I think would make great skate bags and they have a pull handle if you still want to hook a kiss and cry on there. I like to hear other ideas from folks. But if you find yourself going through all kinds of different systems and little bags just to avoid buying the Kiss and cry, you may find you could have already paid for one several times over. If you decide to get one, just enjoy it. They are fun and work great.

I'm usually hauling at least 2 pairs of skates. If I could get 2 (adult size) pairs in a Zuca bag I'd buy one in a heartbeat. Since I can't, I use a suitcase.
I'd say at least 50% of the adults and children at my rink have Zuca bags. But the Kiss and Cry are not nearly as prevalent.
Either way, I wish I'd invented one of those items!

Not worth the money!!! :noshake:

Everything is relative.

I think my daughter has used her K&C bag 2x a day for about 3 years. I think her use justifies the price.

The Zuca we got when my daughter was 4 since it held both her skates and mine. Over the 6 years she used it, we got a couple of new covers and had to replace the handle (~$25). Only last year at age 11 did she "outgrow" it. Again I think it was a good long-term investment.

If only we could get that length of use out of one pair of skates! And skates got alot more than either of these.

I just ordered a TGA ("The Girl Athlete") Peach sequined rink side tote from Amazon for $32... Much prettier than K&C at a far more reasonable price. Score!

Actually I have always thought K n C bags to be overpriced and ugly. But having a small and shallow structured tote to place in the boards for hair ties, water, tissues, goes, etc. is very convenient. So I looked up garden totes (not structured enough/unattractive), utility toes, I even considered sewing one if I could find a good enough pattern. Finally I came across the beautiful TGA bags which sold as high as $90 by some retailers, but are selling for around $30 on Amazon by TGA.

Just wanted to share this amazing deal with you all!

TGA (totally great athlete) bags are styled more for little girls than teens/adults.

My daughter is pretty happy with her ugly overpriced bag. She also liked her garden tote when she was smaller - to hold the shape I added a ring of thin cardboard.

To each his/her own!

loopy said:

My daughter is pretty happy with her ugly overpriced bag.

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Our daughter will be happy together with their KnC bags!

As I said before, everything is relative. I think my daughter has used hers about 2x a day for about 5 years. If you calculate that on a "per use" basis, it is probably about the cheapest of her skating equipment. Gloves are initially cheaper but the get lost.

concorde said:

Our daughter will be happy together with their KnC bags!

As I said before, everything is relative. I think my daughter has used hers about 2x a day for about 5 years. If you calculate that on a "per use" basis, it is probably about the cheapest of her skating equipment. Gloves are initially cheaper but the get lost.

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If you have a Daiso, they have cute mits for drying blades! Not bad for $1.50! https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/d3/ba/42/d3ba421c7a50d671db6237d537735f20.jpg