choosing a backpack-style bag

Andy Powell · Post by **Andy Powell** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 5:15 pm

I'm looking into getting a backpack-style bag. Here's the list that I've found so far:

Revolution Dual Pack
Revolution Dual Pack Lite
Grip Equipment Large Tour Bag
Gateway Backpack
Mystery Ranch Golf Mahal
Gorilla Boy Simian
Hero Discs XT Traveler

Am I missing any? Does anybody have any serious pros or cons they'd like to share? Right now I'm leaning toward the Grip EQ.

Chris Bolton · Post by **Chris Bolton** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 5:43 pm

Go with the mahal!!!

Andy Powell · Post by **Andy Powell** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 6:02 pm

The Mahal is actually at the bottom of my list right now. First, there's the huge price tag. Second, it just looks like it spreads the weight too far away from the body adding unneeded stress. If anybody has these bags at tournaments, I'd love to try them on to get a feel for them loaded.

Chris Bolton · Post by **Chris Bolton** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 6:28 pm

The yolk in the mahal allows the bag to fit great on your back. Yeah the side pouches are big but if you compress them down the bag really isn't that much bigger than my
Old revo.

Jeff Zipkin · Post by **Jeff Zipkin** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:40 pm

hey there andy.
while i've never tried on a mahal i can attest to the manufacturer's knowledge of pack design. mystery ranch has been making innovative, bomb proof packs for decades now. as a backpacker and a gear geek i like the idea of a dg bag designed by a pack maker rather than a dg company. the mahal doesn't interest me for other reasons, but i have no doubt that it carries great.
i'm holding out to see what voodoo comes out with. their traditional style dg bags are well thought out so i'm hoping their backpack style bag is the shizz. you can find them on facebook.
if not them then i like grip's design the best.

or i could design my own. hmmm.

Steve Solbo · Post by **Steve Solbo** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 12:41 pm

Here's how I think of the bags, in my opinion:

I currently carry a Revo Dual Pack, it's got plenty of storage, however on tourney days I can be sore by the end of 2 rounds, mainly b/c I pack the thing up with all kinds of stuff, it's prone to tip, and really doesn't effectively have a spot to hold my stool, which I would bring more often, if it had one, which in turn would lessen the stress I put on my lower back legs... I also should cut back from 6 beers to 4 beers in most cases :wink:

...

Mahal: Hands down the best "built" bag out there. 3 guys on Team Burgess carry the Mahal, and it really is probably the best bag on the market. Great construction, very usable, adjustable yolk to make the bag fit "you", not you fitting into the bag. It's not as "big" as everyone thinks it is.. I though the same thing, but the more and more I looked at the guys bags, I realized the pockets are collapsable and it truthfully can be slimmed down. The one major con for me was they only make a limited run each season with only 3 color options. Black, a greenish/tan and camo (Camo is $298 v. $268 for the other two options.) I also know for a fact that the only ones they have left are the camo ones. Cost is a little prohibitive, but I must say quality wise the bag is likely worth every penny, mystery ranch has a great reputation in the "pack" world.

GripEQ: The design and perks are killer, stool/umbrella holders built in convienent locations, been tested by some of the top pros in the world, Doss, Jenkins x2 and is pretty sleek looking. Rides higher like a backpack, has about 20-25 disc capacity, a putter pocket on top to quickly access your discs, plenty of storage on the sides. Company is very solid with customer service from what I understand, It is a fledging company, so they haven't been the quickest, but that would be expected with time... J@T (Justin Atwater-Taylor) is the designer and creator of the company from what I understand... from what I understand he's vowed to help out anyone that had issues with their first run bags... Tim Red Beard can elaborate more on this, he had personal experience dealling with J@T with his bag.

CONS: The first one had some significant stitching flaws and overall quality control issues. They are replacing some first run bags for people whom had issues... which is delaying those of us whom want the second run bag... to tell you the truth, if you decide on GripEQ you may be looking at getting it at the end of the summer... or later.. I am no. 84 on the waitlist to recieve a bag, was told end of possibly fathers day, then a week after that, then first weekend in July, I still haven't heard or seen anything on their website as far as their progress right now.

If you're gonna go DualPack, fork over the extra money for the Dual Pack, not the Dual Pack Lite, better quality, better materials.

Dave Jackson · Post by **Dave Jackson** » Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:42 pm

For several years I could not believe the disc golf bag offerings.
I always thought someone could knock-it-outta-the-park with a different, better built bag. Also, a bag made in the good ol' USA. Why wouldn't you?
Well, one reason is going to be your bottom line. Made in the Peoples Republic of China, is always less expensive. Made in the USA is usually a wee bit more pricey to produce and retail sell. But, duh, it's made in the USA.
So, needless to say, made in the USA is one of my favorite things about discs bags. That's not sh*tting on the good ol' folks from China, I just prefer American made when possible. Like my Toyota Corolla. Those are made in Detroit, right? :lol:

If there were a new bag to be sent to me on accident, I wish it would be a mystery ranch "mahal" bag. It's kinda a no-brainer, but one very expensive no-brainer I might add.
Mystery Ranch all the way. Ask any gear-geek, they'll tell you...

Royalt · Post by **Royalt** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:52 pm

ROYAL*T DISC GEAR DISC GOLF BACKPACK WITH COOLER BUILT IN HOLDS A SIX PACK NICE AND COLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LIGHTWEIGHT HOLDS UP TO 18 DISCS LARGE NET POCKETS HEAVY DUTY ZIPPERS $69.95

WILSONBOWLINGANDSPORTING.COM

Matt Aubin · Post by **Matt Aubin** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 1:08 pm

the ability to keep a six pack cold is pretty much the opposite of what i consider a serious DG bag to be.

Royalt · Post by **Royalt** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 1:13 pm

It is a pretty series bag. The ability to have the cooler is just another great option to hold a water or lunch while keeping it cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve Solbo · Post by **Steve Solbo** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 1:30 pm

intriguing. it would be nice to always have a "cold" beverage on the course at all times, whether it's water or something else. One pet peeve of mine... if you freeze your water bottles, they get all wet, nasty, etc, condensation starts running off soakin whatever pocket it is in.

Mike Murphy · Post by **Mike Murphy** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:09 am

I cannot say enough good things about my Simian. Its very durable, surprisingly light, a chair which doubles as a beer stand, and allows different types of straps.

I've always loved Gorilla Boy and will suggest them to everyone.

Jon Gordon · Post by **Jon Gordon** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:51 am

I own a golf mahal bag and I can back up everything that everyone has been saying about them. The materials used to make this back are amazing, you can tell they didnt cut any corners. I know everyone says "wow $ 300 after shipping, thats alot of money " Yeah it is alot of money however its totally worth it. A couple huge points about this bag I didnt see anyone mention is the lifetime warranty . Thats huge in my book. I owned a rev bag for 3 months and it started faling apart I tried contacting revolution and had no luck for months. Also The bag is waterproof with a spot to hold an umbrella closed or open. Nothing like a hands free umbrella.

Steve Solbo · Post by **Steve Solbo** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 10:43 am

Jon Gordon wrote:I own a golf mahal bag and I can back up everything that everyone has been saying about them. The materials used to make this back are amazing, you can tell they didnt cut any corners. I know everyone says "wow $ 300 after shipping, thats alot of money " Yeah it is alot of money however its totally worth it. A couple huge points about this bag I didnt see anyone mention is the lifetime warranty . Thats huge in my book. I owned a rev bag for 3 months and it started faling apart I tried contacting revolution and had no luck for months. Also The bag is waterproof with a spot to hold an umbrella closed or open. Nothing like a hands free umbrella.

I just wish they would make more bags with a different color than Camo.. I wanted a black one, but they were out.

Keith Burtt · Post by **Keith Burtt** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 6:19 pm

i have a black one :lol:

Steve Solbo · Post by **Steve Solbo** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:28 am

Keith Burtt wrote:i have a black one

My black one is gonna be shipped in 21 days

it's all black right burtt? no two tone bs?

Troy Dietrich · Post by **Troy Dietrich** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 4:01 pm

With any luck I should be getting my Grip bag around the same time you get your Mahal. We'll see.

Steve Solbo wrote:intriguing. it would be nice to always have a "cold" beverage on the course at all times, whether it's water or something else. One pet peeve of mine... if you freeze your water bottles, they get all wet, nasty, etc, condensation starts running off soakin whatever pocket it is in.

To solve that problem, get one of the double walled insulated Camelback better bottles with a regular top. Not the flip straw thing. It'll keep the water colder longer, and they don't produce condensation. The only problem is they don't hold quite as much (.6L plastic, or .5L in the stainless). Just use it as your second bottle. (Another alternative is they also make a neoprene coozy to fit their 750ml bottles).

Keith Clark · Post by **Keith Clark** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:39 pm

Waiting on my Simian. Unfortunately i just leave my HUC seat and forget to grab it SOOOOOO this should clear THAT right up. I had this bag in mind for the larger slower tourney's.

Steve Solbo · Post by **Steve Solbo** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:36 am

Troy Dietrich wrote:With any luck I should be getting my Grip bag around the same time you get your Mahal. We'll see.

Steve Solbo wrote:intriguing. it would be nice to always have a "cold" beverage on the course at all times, whether it's water or something else. One pet peeve of mine... if you freeze your water bottles, they get all wet, nasty, etc, condensation starts running off soakin whatever pocket it is in.

To solve that problem, get one of the double walled insulated Camelback better bottles with a regular top. Not the flip straw thing. It'll keep the water colder longer, and they don't produce condensation. The only problem is they don't hold quite as much (.6L plastic, or .5L in the stainless). Just use it as your second bottle. (Another alternative is they also make a neoprene coozy to fit their 750ml bottles).

Got a camelback ready to be loaded into my Mahal.

Jaxon Sheehy · Post by **Jaxon Sheehy** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 11:21 am

so does anyone HAVE the grip EQ yet? i didn't see a thread about it yet either but didn't go past one page on equipment thread

anyway, i'm on waitlist, but after seeing doss carry it at the vibram i was very impressed with the neatness and size. i like the compact nature of it- as well as the fit. i only carry about 16 to 19 discs on average anyway, so it seems to be something i'll be into...

Jeremy Binley · Post by **Jeremy Binley** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 1:14 pm

I have a Grip bag, its the new two tone grey/black combo. I love it.

Chris Martin · Post by **Chris Martin** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 5:05 pm

I've been using the Grip bag for about a year now. Onto the second one actually. Both versions are great but the second run is a big step up from the first. They worked out all of the kinks.

Jaxon Sheehy · Post by **Jaxon Sheehy** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 8:13 pm

good to hear! i hope i have it for next season!

Mike Davis · Post by **Mike Davis** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 8:03 pm

I got my grip eq bag this week and got to try it out yesterday, super comfy and feels light even fully loaded down. putter pocket is super cool. great design, very good layout.

best bag I have used, and the last bag I will buy.

cant say enough good about it.

(i've used gorilla boy squirrel monkey, voodoo mojo, fade crunch, lat 64 pro bag)

Jaxon Sheehy · Post by **Jaxon Sheehy** » Sun Sep 25, 2011 10:02 pm

sick- i'll pm you mike.

Shawn Mullen · Post by **Shawn Mullen** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 8:25 am

Seems like people are enjoying the grip eq. They look nice, however the last one I saw showed up ripped and missing stitching to it's owner, and needs to be sent back. This leads me to believe that the durability on these is going to be suspect, seems like they still have a lot of kinks to work out. Like checking the products before they ship them to the customer. I was looking into these but I'll wait until the quality control is worked out.

Mike Davis · Post by **Mike Davis** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:36 pm

1st run grip eq bags had a couple issue ( stitchng etc), but have been dealt with on the 2nd run bags. The new and beast 2nd run bags were sent to all 1st run owners as warranty (and you got to keep the 1st run bag) Justin @ grip has it under control now.
Grip eq are now down to 3hundo something on the waitlist for new owners. I love my new grip and won't hesitate to recommend them.

Shawn Mullen · Post by **Shawn Mullen** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 1:59 pm

Mike Davis wrote:1st run grip eq bags had a couple issue ( stitchng etc), but have been dealt with on the 2nd run bags. The new and beast 2nd run bags were sent to all 1st run owners as warranty (and you got to keep the 1st run bag) Justin @ grip has it under control now.
Grip eq are now down to 3hundo something on the waitlist for new owners. I love my new grip and won't hesitate to recommend them.

That's what I had been hearing. But this was a new second run 2 tone bag, with the same issues as the first. It's nice that they are making it right with the people who got the damaged bags. It just seems easier to check them before sending em out to the customer.....unless they are shipped directly from the chinese sweat shop.

Mike Davis · Post by **Mike Davis** » Mon Sep 26, 2011 2:06 pm

Shawn Mullen wrote:
Mike Davis wrote:1st run grip eq bags had a couple issue ( stitchng etc), but have been dealt with on the 2nd run bags. The new and beast 2nd run bags were sent to all 1st run owners as warranty (and you got to keep the 1st run bag) Justin @ grip has it under control now.
Grip eq are now down to 3hundo something on the waitlist for new owners. I love my new grip and won't hesitate to recommend them.

That's what I had been hearing. But this was a new second run 2 tone bag, with the same issues as the first. It's nice that they are making it right with the people who got the damaged bags. It just seems easier to check them before sending em out to the customer.

Ouch, that sucks :shock:

Jeff Cooper · Post by **Jeff Cooper** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 6:37 pm

Andy Powell wrote:I'm looking into getting a backpack-style bag. Here's the list that I've found so far:

Revolution Dual Pack
Revolution Dual Pack Lite
Grip Equipment Large Tour Bag
Gateway Backpack
Mystery Ranch Golf Mahal
Gorilla Boy Simian
Hero Discs XT Traveler

Am I missing any? Does anybody have any serious pros or cons they'd like to share? Right now I'm leaning toward the Grip EQ.

So what bag did you end up choosing?

Also to hijack this thread a little. To those who own a simian I am thinking of buying one. I cant tell how big the bag is by pictures online and have never seen one in person(maybe I have and didnt notice). Im not tall about 5'7" is this thing gonna be a tank on my back? I like the idea that it has a stool built right into the bag and as far as disc space it seems perfect. Is it durable? Will any plastic parts of the bag stick out of it down the road like the rev bags all seem to do.

NEFA DISCussion