Bounty Hunter Metal Detector Carry Bags & Cases

The number that matters is the length of your detector with the shaft fully collapsed but not disassembled. Bags that force you to break the machine down every trip get abandoned within a month - the whole point is that packing up takes seconds.

Most full-size detectors collapse to somewhere between 24 and 36 inches. Check yours rather than assuming, especially if you run a larger aftermarket coil, since coil diameter often decides whether the machine slides in or jams.

• Weather-resistant nylon - handles a damp boot and wet grass better than canvas, and wipes clean
• Padding at the coil end, which is where impact damage happens
• Outer pockets for digger, pouch, batteries and headphones
• Shoulder strap if you walk any distance from the car
• Open-ended or full-length zip so the detector slides rather than threads in

Hard cases exist and protect better, but they are bulky, heavier and cost more. For anything short of air travel, a padded soft bag is the sensible choice.

Put the coil in first, cover fitted, and let the shaft follow. Loose accessories - especially a steel digger - should ride in an outer pocket, not loose against the control box, where they scratch the display and work buttons loose over time.

Take the batteries out if the detector is going into storage rather than back out next weekend. Leaked cells destroy more detectors than rough handling does, and the damage is rarely economic to repair.

Store the bag somewhere dry and out of direct sun. A garage is fine; a car boot through a summer is not - heat and UV degrade both the bag fabric and the detector's plastics, and condensation cycles inside a sealed bag encourage corrosion on the contacts.

If the detector went out in rain or on a beach, let it dry fully before it goes in the bag. Salt is the real enemy here: rinse the coil and shaft with fresh water, dry it, and only then pack it away.