Aluminium Kit Skips – 7 important benefits for your club

You may have seen the large, metal looking cases being carried off of the team bus. You may have seen the large containers in the background of jubilant scenes in dressing rooms after a landmark victory. You may even have seen them lined up in newspaper or social media photographs of teams being put through their paces at training.

But what are kit skips, and what are they used for?

Put simply, aluminium kit skips (also referred to as travel skips) are large aluminium cases used for transporting sport kit. Everything from shirts, training bibs, cones, medical gear, boots, balls and everything else a team will need at a match or during training.

Widely used by Premier League football teams, their use is now growing amongst other sports too, including athletics, rugby (league and union editions), hockey, basketball and even NFL.

With popular options being the Zarges K470 and Eurobox ranges, along with options from Bott, these prefabricated aluminium containers are perfect for the demands faced by today’s kit managers.

Arguably the key benefit of using aluminium containers for the purpose of transporting kit is that they are easy to clean.

Particularly for sports like football and rugby, players kit is likely to become dirty and muddy following games / training sessions etc. A lot of this is then transferred to the surfaces of the case when transporting the kit to be cleaned.

Obviously for fabric bags and even plastic cases which could sometimes be used, cleaning the surfaces of these would prove difficult (or even impossible). However, the smooth surfaces of aluminium mean that the internal walls of the kit skips can be easily cleaned. This, in turn, ensures they have exceptional longevity (as the cases can be used over and over again).

Also of benefit here is that aluminium is inert and unreactive, meaning virtually any cleaning products can be used on the surfaces.

And, finally, the fact that aluminium cases can contain any moisture means that they will not leak during transit back from games either.

Another key benefit of using aluminium containers as kit skips is that they are very light in weight.

With wet kit being heavy, adding this to a case which is heavy itself can make lifting and handling difficult.

However, another key consideration is international travel (or even long distances within the UK) for away games, training camps etc. Typically these journeys would be made by air, so there is a requirement for as much weight saving as possible (with costs being determined by weight rather than volume).

Aluminium kit skips are amongst the lightest protective case options, making them perfect for this scenario. The stacking corners (perfect for the cases to be safely and neatly stowed in the hold of the team bus or a plane) and ability to lock the cases, are also big positives here too.

And finally, Zarges kit skips are ATA approved for air travel.

Another way that aluminium Travel Skips can help kit managers is through the addition of wheels / trolleys etc.

Zarges K470 cases for example (perhaps the most widely used aluminium case for transporting kit) can be enhanced with convenient clip-on castors that can be clamped on in seconds, without the need for tools. This provides an additional, flexible option for transporting heavy items.

Another option is to use separate trolleys, also available in sizes that are compatible with the range of aluminium cases used as travel skips.

Either of these options make getting the kit from the team transport to the changing rooms much easier and more efficient.

With even replica kits now costing upwards of £100, the value of the kit that the professionals wear can run into many thousands of pounds. And who can forget the embarrassment suffered by teams having to wear the wrong kit due to mix ups by the kit managers? 

What this essentially means, is that it is critical that the kit being transported is protected from theft, loss, or tampering.

Fortunately, aluminium kit skips can help with this.

The majority of cases used for this purpose can be locked, using standard pad locks or a number of other features fitted to the cases.

The tough aluminium construction also makes it very difficult for would be thieves to get into the cases, meaning that the all important kit is kept safe and sound.

Despite their light weight for easy handling, aluminium kit skips are surprisingly strong and durable.

This makes them resistant to knocks, bangs and general mishandling (getting them on and off the team coach for example), and offering excellent protection to items within.

Whilst this may not be particularly important for general kit, specialist items – such as medical equipment, defibrillators etc. – can be damaged in certain circumstances.

The strength and durability of the cases also means they provide excellent longevity, minimising ongoing costs to your club.

One of the biggest cliches in football is “can they do it on a wet Monday night in Stoke?”. Well, the answer for aluminium kit skips is, yes they can!

Many people are surprised to know that aluminium will not rust, making it suitable for use in damp environments.

Aluminium kit skips are also splash and rain proof, meaning that if they are left outside during a downpour then they will keep the contents dry. Similarly, wet contents will be contained within the case on the return journey.

The smooth surfaces as detailed earlier also means the outside of the cases can be easily cleaned, so if they get wet and muddy this is no problem either.

Besides this, aluminium kit skips are also not affected by extremes of temperature.

So, whether you are away at Albion Rovers in the middle of a January blizzard, or on warm weather training in Dubai or La Manga, your travel skips will perform as expected.

In the age of constant social media updates and rolling 24-hour Sky News coverage, every miniscule detail of professional teams is analysed and commented on. Even the players and staff leaving the team bus or arriving at training.

What this means is that your Kit Manager (and Kit Skips) get a surprising amount of media coverage. As such, it is important that they look their best at all times.

Fortunately, aluminium kit skips provide a clean, professional appearance by default, but also offer a wide range of branding options too.

This includes all over paint to match your team colours, the ability to add printed crests and branding, and even to add graphics and logos using low-cost methods (such as cut adhesive vinyl).

What this means is that, whether you are challenging in European competition or battling to escape the Isthmian League, there is an option to ensure your kit skips and containers will always look the part.

Chances are that, depending on the level your team competes at, you may already be using Kit Skips. If this is the case, GWP Protective can help in terms of both fast turnaround and competitive pricing for any travel skips that you require.

If you are a lower league team or even semi-professional however, you can still benefit from using kit skips. With no minimum order quantities, you can afford your kit the same protection as used by the giants of the Premier League and European competitions.

Please click here to view the aluminium travel skip options available or contact a member of the GWP team for further assistance.

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