DIY Backpack Bag

[metallicafreak121]

So I decided to make my brother a backpack style bag for Christmas this year. I carry a Grip A series and always kinda felt bad that he was cramming all his discs and valuables into a tiny 12-disc Fade bag. I knew neither of us had the money for a sweet backpack style bag, so I decided to do some research and make him one! For under 50 bucks, here's what I came up with!


First off, the bag itself is the Lake And Trail 35L Backpack bag. Cost me $36.


I used 3/4 inch PVC pipe. Add 8 elbow fittings and 4 3-way fittings. $6 worth of material there. The rack that the discs sit on is 3 inches off the base, allowing for extra storage. I managed to fit 4 beer cans in there. Also good for a sweatshirt, or a hat, extra towel, pack of smokes, whatever.


The rack fits 11-13 discs. A pocket up above the discs can fit 1 disc, and the putter pocket fits 1 putter (the bag is kinda small, so the frame pressed against my putter pocket). The mesh pocket in front of the discs is great for pencils, pens, scorecards, minis, etc.


The pocket near the bottom of the bag can be used to store your phone, wallet, keys, etc. You can switch the purpose of this pocket with the mesh pocket if you find your valuables more safe there.


Last but not least, identical sides carry drinks, or you can use a side to pack a tripod stool that you can fasten in similar fashion to the Grip bags.

All in all, I think it's an improvement. I think this would make a pretty killer backpack style bag for a beginner or intermediate player, considering it only carries about 15 discs. Maybe not tournament worthy, but definitely think it should hold up for casual rounds.

Let me know what you think!

 

[Chromezero]

I think it's great! I can't imagine spending $200+, for a backpack to carry discs in. I only carry about 12-14 discs anyway, so this would be great for me. I'm sure your brother will enjoy it.

 

[Vance in AK]

Nice.
Your brother has a pretty cool brother

 

[metallicafreak121]

Nice.
Your brother has a pretty cool brother

I would have to agree!

 

[btothej89]

Good Job! The Bag looks solid. Great gift for your brother, he will like it, i am sure about that.

 

[metallicafreak121]

I uploaded a Youtube video for this bag as well. A little more in depth look at it, as well as a couple things to look for if you decide you wanna make a bag yourself!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKhKa1DKJKI

 

[Gump]

Very nice. He'll definitely like it. I've made a couple diy bags. Some were pretty much set aside from the pvc.

 

[Gump]

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[PMantle]

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What is that?

 

[Gump]

Marlboro eat drive sleep cooler bag. You can find them online for $30 but this one was found at a local thrift shop.

Gel straps, heavy duty handle, entire back side is a pocket, two bottle holders, two side pockets, mesh pocket on the flap. Only thing I did was cut a slit/sewed in a mini pocket and add the pvc. Plus it's a cooler and has a drain plug on the back side.

 

[Gump]

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[metallicafreak121]

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10 bucks? Yowza.

 

[asc349]

Sweet overmolds

 

[Gump]

Indeed.

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

I thought I'd bring this thread back from the dead because discovering new DIY bags is always fun. I went to a thrift store with the intention of finding something the Mrs. could use for casual rounds. We found a small kids backpack for 10$, then added break away extension clips from a hardware store (3$) for the shoulder straps.

The Northface Sprout is a well put together kids backpack that is scarcely taller than a disc with the capacity to hold 8 or 9 drivers. It has a small exterior pocket large enough for your personal items, loops to hang tags or towels, and even a small mesh pocket inside the main compartment for a mini. On the sides are two small mesh pockets perfect for a cell phone or even a 12 oz can depending on how many discs you are carrying.

She was able to comfortably fit the following items in the mini pack :
- 1 putter
- 2 mids
- 4 drivers
- cell phone
- 12 oz water bottle
- wallet
- keys
- mini
- small hand towel

It's been field tested on two short hilly courses and it performed like a dream.

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

I liked my wife's bag so much that I got a 3$ thrift store bag for myself. It's another kids backpack made from a stiff canvas material. They're perfect for discing because the main compartment size is big enough to fit discs, but small enough that they won't slop around. Mine can accomidate 10 discs (4 drivers, 2 mids, 4 putters), all I had to do was add the extension break away clips and it was course ready. My local courses are short and typically don't require more than 5 or 6 discs (mostly assorted putters and mids) . This one was an especially good find because of the outside pocket.

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

I'm piecing together another project, this time with a external back pack frame. The straps are a little thin and I was thinking about replacing them. I'm not really too familiar with quad straps, will those work or would I be better suited finding replacement straps specially suited for exterior frame packs? It's hard to tell from online pictures.

 

[mcodyclapp]

If you're building a big bag, want some beefy straps, and don't mind camo, MOLLE II shoulder straps would be perfect. I believe they also made them in Desert Storm era desert camo and possibly solid green.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/COMPLETE-CA...8b812&pid=100204&rk=10&rkt=28&sd=321369507681

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

The frame itself isn't that big at 1ft x 2ft. I am concerned that those straps are too big for the frame, but that price though....

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

I pulled the trigger on the straps a few weeks ago. It was kind of gamble because I had to order it online without knowing for sure what they'd be like. I went with some outdated desert camo from an army surplus store. They're noticeably nicer than most dg bag straps I've seen being made.

My intentions, besides experimenting with an external frame setup, were to make a bag I could use for a mountain side course tournament later this season. Last year I really could have used a something a little more hike friendly, this is my experimental solution. I wasn't intentionally trying to make a lower priced bag, it just kind of happened that way.

Personally, I think this current setup would complete with any of the major bags even though it's not even fully fleshed out yet. I like how I can change out the configuration to what I want by inserting or removing items from my mesh backing. My straps are comparable or better than any company (especially Salient), the materials are reasonably cheap, and it's very customizable.

Here's my price breakdown:
-20$ for frame found at a thrift store
-8$ for mesh backing from home improvement store
-10$ for 550 cord, which I still have plenty left over from attaching the mesh to frame
-25$ on EBAY for MOLLE shoulder strap and waistband. Shipping is included in the price.
-5$ for the putter pocket/cage from home improvement store.
-10-50 $ for a rain cover. Mine came from a multi-day hiking pack I already own.

-30$ Discraft purse I had just sitting around, but I am also making a metal framed cage that can be swapped out costing 5$ in materials. I'm also entertaining the idea of custom making pouches and pockets out of leather.