Artist Back Alley Resources Blog

Solo vending without a car is the ultimate test of your packing game. No one to hold the door. No boot to throw extra boxes into. Just you, your bags, and whatever public transport or rideshare gets you to the venue. Here's how to make it work without losing your mind. 1. Limit Yourself To What You Can Carry In One Trip This is the golden rule. If you can't carry everything from the Uber to your table in a single walk, you've packed too much. You can't leave bags unattended at a convention entrance while you go back for more. One trip. Everything. PERIOD. 2. Put Your Display In The Smallest Possible Bag Your modular display kit packs into a 56x36x23cm case. That's carry-on sized, which means it can go on your back, over your shoulder, or on top of a rolling suitcase. The smaller your display packs, the more room you have for stock and personal items. 3. Roll, Don't Carry If you have a rolling suitcase for stock, use it. Stack the display case on top and strap or bungee it. Your hands stay free for doors, escalators, and your phone (for the rideshare app or venue maps). Rolling beats carrying every SINGLE time when you're moving through a city alone. 4. Pack Stock Vertically, Not Flat Prints and posters in tubes take up width. Prints in a portfolio case or rigid mailer stand upright in a rolling bag. Vertical packing means your suitcase stays narrow enough to navigate train doors and convention aisles without clipping people. 5. Wear Your Personal Items Backpack for your wallet, phone, charger, snacks, and money float. Don't put personal items in your stock bag. If you need to set your suitcase down at the table, your essentials stay on your body. This also means you can use the bathroom without dragging everything with you during setup. 6. Pre-Plan Your Route Down To The Platform Google Maps tells you which train to take. It doesn't tell you whether that station has a lift or just stairs. Check accessibility maps for your route. A station with an escalator is manageable solo with bags. A station with only stairs and a heavy display is a NIGHTMARE. Plan around it. 7. Build The Lightest Possible Booth Every gram counts when you're solo. The modular panel system uses frosted polypropylene and ABS connectors. Light materials. No metal, no wood, no glass. Your display should be the lightest item you're carrying, not the heaviest. Each shelf holds 5kg, so you can still display substantial products without the display itself weighing you down. 8. Allow 30 Extra Minutes For Everything Solo travel takes longer than you think. No one's saving your spot while you park. No one's watching your bags while you find the organiser. Add 30 minutes to whatever you think you need and you'll arrive calm instead of panicked. Setup itself takes under 30 minutes with the modular system, so budget an hour total from arrival to ready. Browse the full kit range to find a kit sized for solo carry. The Core (24 panels) is the lightest option for compact setups. The Shapeshift Base (46 panels) covers a full table and still packs carry-on.