Continued…
Left Side
The right side doesn't have the mini pocket or the pencil stashes, but it does have two zippers, again both of which zip up. The top pocket is a perfect size for your watch, a baseball, keys, your wallet, and some other things (though they also fit nicely in the top-most pocket). The bottom pocket can fit three additional discs, and if you'd like to make the right side one big pocket, you can do that by unfastening the velcro and pushing the flap down. So no, you can't throw loose change in the top pocket without it falling through, but who throws loose change into a disc golf bag anyway?
Right Side
The top pocket is pretty darn spacious. The dual zippers let you open the pocket from the middle or either side. There's a square pouch buried deep in the back that makes for a good cell phone holster (so long as you don't need to answer your phone before it sends calls to voicemail). The pocket could be easier to access, but given the design of the bag, that's not really possible - it's just a cavernous pocket with slightly undersized access.
Note that in the photo below you can see the internal frame. Earlier versions had a bar going across the top, but that's been removed, so you can un-velcro the top flap (again, no loose change) and push it down into the bag, providing for one HUGE pocket that goes from the top of the bag all the way to the disc storage area in the bottom. If it's raining, that may be the way to use the bag.
Typically, though, the top pocket will store an extra shirt, some towels, your birdie bag, etc. If you can fit those things in the side pockets, though, the top pocket is large enough that you can fit four to six discs in there. If you're keeping track at home, that's almost 30 discs - 18 in the main pouch, two in the putter pocket, three in the right pocket, and six up top. Wowee!
Internal Frame
The side pocket with three MVP Amps hiding inside.
Side Pocket (with 3 MVP Amps)
This view below shows the bag with the flap sitting open. This is one of the more annoying features on the bag, though it's nowhere near as annoying as the comparable features on the Grip or the ProDiscus (I'll mention those shortly). Unless you're content to have the flap, uhhh, flapping around, it's recommended that you tuck the flap in and underneath the discs. Unfortunately, the time to do this is before you put any discs in… which is at odds with zipping up your bag to transport it. The first thing many Challenger Pak owners will do upon arriving at the course is taking out all of their discs, tucking the flap under, and adding their discs back in.
Once you've done that, things are great until the end of the round (though you can just pull the flap out from under your discs). Discs in the corners and middle of the Challenger Pak slide out easily because the opening is uniform - a consistent height across the width of the bag.
Compare and contrast that to the Grip and the ProDiscus bags - their rounded openings make getting discs from the left and right sides (often your wider drivers and/or mids, too) a real pain sometimes. The ProDiscus bag has a pocket which falls down and interferes with discs from above, and the Grip has velcro that holds the flap back but which can wear over time to be less grippy. The ProDiscus doesn't even have the velcro, just a flap that's always kind of in the way a little bit.
So, it's a tradeoff. Still, I think the Challenger Pak could be made better with one simple change: fold the pouch cover in half and flip it down in front, then affix snaps to the appropriate locations to hold it down to the front outside of the bag, not tucked beneath your discs.
Long View (Flap Open)
In the end, I think the Physical Flight Challenger Pak is the best disc golf bag on the market right now. Sure, some like the "coolness" of the Grip or the ProDiscus. Some like the ability to carry 83 discs and a 24-pack of beer in the Golf Mahal. Others like their quad straps and standard bags. But none offer the comfort and ease of use of the Challenger IMO, and this bag is well worth your consideration.
I'll be able to say more when I get to play a few rounds with mine, but that's a long ways off.
Left Side
The right side doesn't have the mini pocket or the pencil stashes, but it does have two zippers, again both of which zip up. The top pocket is a perfect size for your watch, a baseball, keys, your wallet, and some other things (though they also fit nicely in the top-most pocket). The bottom pocket can fit three additional discs, and if you'd like to make the right side one big pocket, you can do that by unfastening the velcro and pushing the flap down. So no, you can't throw loose change in the top pocket without it falling through, but who throws loose change into a disc golf bag anyway?
Right Side
The top pocket is pretty darn spacious. The dual zippers let you open the pocket from the middle or either side. There's a square pouch buried deep in the back that makes for a good cell phone holster (so long as you don't need to answer your phone before it sends calls to voicemail). The pocket could be easier to access, but given the design of the bag, that's not really possible - it's just a cavernous pocket with slightly undersized access.
Note that in the photo below you can see the internal frame. Earlier versions had a bar going across the top, but that's been removed, so you can un-velcro the top flap (again, no loose change) and push it down into the bag, providing for one HUGE pocket that goes from the top of the bag all the way to the disc storage area in the bottom. If it's raining, that may be the way to use the bag.
Typically, though, the top pocket will store an extra shirt, some towels, your birdie bag, etc. If you can fit those things in the side pockets, though, the top pocket is large enough that you can fit four to six discs in there. If you're keeping track at home, that's almost 30 discs - 18 in the main pouch, two in the putter pocket, three in the right pocket, and six up top. Wowee!
Internal Frame
The side pocket with three MVP Amps hiding inside.
Side Pocket (with 3 MVP Amps)
This view below shows the bag with the flap sitting open. This is one of the more annoying features on the bag, though it's nowhere near as annoying as the comparable features on the Grip or the ProDiscus (I'll mention those shortly). Unless you're content to have the flap, uhhh, flapping around, it's recommended that you tuck the flap in and underneath the discs. Unfortunately, the time to do this is before you put any discs in… which is at odds with zipping up your bag to transport it. The first thing many Challenger Pak owners will do upon arriving at the course is taking out all of their discs, tucking the flap under, and adding their discs back in.
Once you've done that, things are great until the end of the round (though you can just pull the flap out from under your discs). Discs in the corners and middle of the Challenger Pak slide out easily because the opening is uniform - a consistent height across the width of the bag.
Compare and contrast that to the Grip and the ProDiscus bags - their rounded openings make getting discs from the left and right sides (often your wider drivers and/or mids, too) a real pain sometimes. The ProDiscus bag has a pocket which falls down and interferes with discs from above, and the Grip has velcro that holds the flap back but which can wear over time to be less grippy. The ProDiscus doesn't even have the velcro, just a flap that's always kind of in the way a little bit.
So, it's a tradeoff. Still, I think the Challenger Pak could be made better with one simple change: fold the pouch cover in half and flip it down in front, then affix snaps to the appropriate locations to hold it down to the front outside of the bag, not tucked beneath your discs.
Long View (Flap Open)
In the end, I think the Physical Flight Challenger Pak is the best disc golf bag on the market right now. Sure, some like the "coolness" of the Grip or the ProDiscus. Some like the ability to carry 83 discs and a 24-pack of beer in the Golf Mahal. Others like their quad straps and standard bags. But none offer the comfort and ease of use of the Challenger IMO, and this bag is well worth your consideration.
I'll be able to say more when I get to play a few rounds with mine, but that's a long ways off.
