It takes a little bit of time to get the Cool Runners set up exactly how you want them, but no more than if you had to make multiple trips to carry heavy metal bases. I *LOVE* how small the base packs down, and the fact that the product comes with carrying cases for the base and poles (and the poles each have their own elastic loops, so it keeps everything neat and tidy). The design is a great balance of portability and easy storage with a "competition feel"; I don't feel like it will be a huge change for my dog to train on these at home and competition-grade weave poles at our local training facility.