The Best Bag?

[Blake_T]

Dave,

my apologies if i ruffled any feathers as i did not intend to, but it is understandble if i did so.

i can say that the revolution carolina bag is hands down the best bag on the market. the frame alone (that wow'd me back in 2001 when i first saw them at the fly mart at worlds) is enough to ensure that i will be carrying a revolution bag from here on out (be it club, pro, or team bag).

i realize that the posts of mine that come off as most negative are generally posts that fall into the "keep an open mind" category and are usually focused upon keeping eyes on the big picture and evaluating them fairly.

this is a fairly common post of mine and it happens on all types of threads.
some examples (used purely as examples but capture the undertones of whatever the post may be):

statement: "buy a revolution bag, they are the only good bags on the market."
my reply: "there do exist other good bags on the market."

statement: "buy a wraith, innova makes the only good discs on the market."
my reply: "there are good discs out there not made by innova."

statement: "mach III baskets are the only good baskets."
my reply: "there are other baskets that also catch well, often of the same quality and for a cheaper price."

statement: "champion and z plastic is the only good plastic worth throwing"
my reply: "while they are more durable, there are other plastics that can fly just as well if not better."

generally, my posts that seem negative when i feel opinion is being rail-roaded in a specific direction that leaves no alternative to the one choice.

the items i really champion are generally when they are the best at what they are.

example: best straight driver
the best straight driver is the driver with the best combination of being high speed stable (doesn't turn, isn't overstable at high speeds), being the least low speed overstable while still being predictable (little fade, but fades every time), and has the best carry given the two factors above. from my experience, the dx teebird falls into that niche.

i don't wish for the teebird to last forever. i wish someone would come out with teebird 2.0 that is substantially longer than the teebird while being equal or superior in terms of high speed stability and low speed overstability.

to me, variety is the spice of life as it breeds competition and innovation. everything can always be a little bit better. the more options that exist, the more the bar will be forced to rise.

imo, bags like the innova tour bag and lightning prostyle/large bag are great for revolution because it makes it very apparent just how superior revo bags are. however, there are a handful of bags on the market (made by revolution and by others) that are able to withstand 600+ rounds of serious play.

each person has their own priority list when evaluating my bags and the search narrows with each necessity. in my own case, it is:
1) capacity: must comfortably hold 14+ discs (11 bags fit)
2) multiple drink holders: must have 2+ (5 bags fit)
3) it must have a frame: (2 bags fit)
4) it must have 4 point connectors: (2 bags fit)
5) quality: i want it to last more than 3 years (2 bags fit)
6) price: can i afford it?

for some, #1 is price and that automatically filters out bags above a certain level. for me, #2 is often what eliminates many of the high quality bags on the market.

i have no experience with the pro and club bags from revolution, so i do not know their quality, but i'm sure they are equal to or surpass that of any other bag on the market. i have recommended revolution bags to many, but there are a few instances where i do not:
1) when someone has a strict budget requirement hard cap of $100 and needs 2 drink holders.
2) when someone must have a capacity of 20+ discs and still have room for storage.

it is true that none of the current revolution line is applicable to those two situations.

for some, they are not yet ready to invest in a top quality bag from the get go. i have found it is usually the cheaper bag tearing after 6 months that is the motivator for them to jump to revolution bags. however, others are the weekend warrior types that play maybe 40 rounds a year and those bags may be an ideal fit for their budget.

i completely understand the price of revolution bags. with bags you get what you pay for and quality materials/labor is expensive. i also prefer buying bags that i know were not hand-made by an 8 year old in china for $0.03 a day. it is true that injuries, work, and the passing of my gf have limited my playing time but i was able to get in around 100 rounds this year (which is nowhere near the 300 rounds a year i used to play a few years back). my gateway bag lasted 5+ years and 700+ rounds without a tear (i sold it this summer). i am hoping and fairly certain that my revo bag will last just as long and hopefully well beyond (i'm sure i will post when it gets there).

i just want you to know that i am not trying to step on toes, i just want everyone to go into things with an open mind, eyes open, head on a swivel, and make decisions with complete and objective knowledge of what exists so that they can make the best choice for themselves. hopefully i will find the time/energy to tackle the bag shootout article i have been working on so that i can simply link an article rather than make any statements that may come off in the wrong way.

i do appreciate greatly what you have done for me and have done for the sport.

btw, draw what you can from what i have posted above as they are things i would love to see from revolution in the future: 2 drink holders on the pro/club bags, a larger frame model that will accomodate ~18 discs in the frame. another possible idea would be a "no frills" bag that had the same frame as the tour but with a smaller single storage pocket in order to create a high capacity bag with a very compact size.

[calvarycoffee]

i am currently using a Revolution Mini bag.

i really like it.

i guess my #1 priority in a bag is its sturdy-ness.

i play most rounds in the morning, which means LOTS OF DEW on the grass. the bottom does not absorb the dew and it hasnt become "mushy" like a sweaty cotton t-shirt. it has retained its shape nicely.

plus the small zippered pocket nicely holds a 40. hehe.

dave

[bigs348]

So I just got in my Revolution Texas Team Bag. I've wanted a Revolution for quite a while, so I am pretty pumped right now. First off, I ordered it Monday night around midnight, and I got it this morning. I was excited about that -- that's decently quick compared to a lot of places I order that take 2 or 3 days for "processing" before they even send it out.

I've been using a PDGA Tour Bag for over two years now. The bag is awesome (especially for $50), and I really have no reason to give it up except the cool factor and extra ammenities of owning a Revolution bag. The bag shows a little bit of wear on the seams, but it's not ripping or tearing or anything, and it's in pretty dang good shape. I may use it as a rain bag or to carry my practice putters or something. It's too good to just set aside.

Anyways, here's why I splurged: I use two different putters (one <25 and one >25), and I like that I can now carry both in my putter pocket. I also like having a frame. I didn't like the accordian ones in the Tour Bag and so I took them out well over a year ago. The problem was that I've started carrying less discs recently and now they all fall over. So I always end up with 2 or 3 discs I don't need in my bag just to keep everything straight. I also got a bonus-kinda from work for an extremely long project that I just finished up, and this is me treating myself.

So I got a Texas bag because I wanted it to be all black and not have the grey section like the Carolina bags. Also, I don't need two drink holders, so I saved $15, and like 2 oz. or something off the weight. So anyway, more to come about this bag once I get it out on the course. Until then, it's just sitting here next to me on the couch and I'm a big fan.

[CincyKeith]

Congratulations on your purchase. I'm sure you'll find plenty of years of use out of it. I reinforced the bottom of my Carolina bag with an extra piece of vinyl which fits snugly under the frame. I'm still yet to see any wear and tear from my bag after about 10-11 months of use.

[TexasOutlaw]

9 months with mine, and no visible damage. I traveling around playing every day last summer. The worst damage it took was from a mouse that tried to chew the trim of the rain flap.

[Smyith]

i have had my gateway back pack since late spet or early oct (cant remember). ive put probably close to 60-80 rounds in during this winter. the only water to make it in my bag is what fell off the discs i didnt completely clean off. its durability has been great, its super comfortable and it holds plenty of discs for me ( 18 in the main comparment, i could probably fit another 3 in other parts). it has a insulated drink holder and a pocket next to it that could be a drink holder if you want it to be ( i use it for my spectacles). i have absolutely no compliants so far and has exceeded my expectations.

it was b/w that and the carolina bag when i was deciding. ultimately i choose the gateway bag b/c i dont like the way that straps feel and back in the day of high school my back pack had every book i needed in it and weighed around 40-50 lbs, i never felt any pain on the shoulders, that solidfied my decision.

out of the people i have talked to and the bags i have seen the only 2 companies to go with in my opinion is revolution or gateway.

[bigs348]

I'm really digging my new Revo bag, but I think I would still recommend the PDGA Tour Bag over all else when you look at all the amenities that it has to offer. It has two drink holders, it can hold upwards of 20 discs if you want to (without extreme cramming), has connectors, will last for quite a long time, and it's only $50. The only downside is that it doesn't have a frame (unless you count the accordian things), but you can buy bag frames to fit it on ebay for like $10.

I think it is built basically the same as a Gateway bag, too, and is really high quality. It's not the Cordura of the Revo bags, but it's damn fine material. I think it's not as well known and touted as Revo and Gateway, and therefore often overlooked. For the money, I think that's the best bag on the market. Notice I said, for the money. Obviously I don't think it's actually the best bag on the market, being as how I'm now a proud owner of a Revo bag. But it is good stuff.

[TexasOutlaw]

I actually wasn't sure if the Revo bag was worth the price UNTIL i got one. Now, if something were to happen to mine, I'd start skipping lunch again and working over time until I could afford another one.

Would a cheaper bag serve the same purpose? Sure, but it wouldn't be a Revolution bag.