Picked up a Shift and I'm p*ssed
... that I waited so long to pull the trigger. :doh::doh::doh:
I purchased a Revolution Team bag (precursor to the Carolina bag, having only a single beverage holder) with QuadShocks shortly after they first came out (paid a grand total of $105.95, including next day shipping) and have been using it ever since. Over the course of ownership, I averaged between 150-200 rounds and 100-150 days of field work a year. While I'm not particularly hard on bags, I'm not particularly gentle, either (my previous disc golf bag, an Innova Competition, lasted just over a year). The quality, materials, workmanship, and durability truly are second to none: heading into year 14 there are no rips, no holes, no busted seams, zippers, attachment points, or hardware. Based on its current condition), I think I could reasonably expect to get another 5-10 years of use out of it. Nevertheless, over the past 2-3 years I've become increasingly dissatisfied with it for reasons discussed below, and so two weeks ago, I ordered a Slight Shift.
The Shift arrived on Tuesday, 09/01, and after putting it through its paces, the verdict is in: the Revo bag has officially been retired. In terms of ergonomics, weight distribution, fit, comfort, stability, and disc presentation, the Shift so far outpaces the Revo that there simply is no comparision.
CAPACITY: Upper Park Designs lists the capcity of the Shift as 16-18 discs. I'm currently carrying 17 discs (same as in the Revo): 3 mids in the bottom vertical pocket, 1 driver in the middle, 3 mids in the top, 6 drivers in the left outer pockets, 4 putters in the right outer pockets, but could (have) easily stretch that to 20 by adding another 2 to the side pockets and one in the middle vertical pocket, without using the main storage compartment.
ERGONOMICS: The Shift measures in a slightly more than 9" taller than the Revo, meaning that I have to bend over half as far to pick up the Shift as I do with the Revo. Slotting my most-frequently-used discs in the top and middle vertical pockets further reduces the amount of bending and straightening. (The mini pocket on top of the Shift helps, too.) While I may not have noticed this 10 years ago or given it much heed if I did, these days, as a grandmaster-aged player who's rapidly closing in on SGM, it makes a difference over the course of a round, in energy level, and consequently, execution, on the closing holes of a round or tournament.
WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION, FIT, AND COMFORT: Subjectively, the fully loaded Shift feels significantly lighter than my Revo, despite carrying the same number of discs and other gear. I attribute this, in large part, to the fact that the Shift rides higher than the Revo (the bottom of the bag rests just above the top of my hip bone) and hugs my back. With the Quads cinched all the way up (which makes it difficult to put on/take off), the Revo rides a good 4-6" lower and hangs against my butt, placing the center of gravity well behind my hips, necessitating a forward lean at the waist to offset the backward pull of the bag; with the Quads adjusted for easy access, the Revo sits lower still, exacerbating the backward pull, and swings from side-to–side as I walk. The the forward lean and the cumulative torque of 6.5 lbs of discs shifting from side-to-side ~2500-2800 times over the course of a round ain't exactly easy on the lower back! Again, while I may not have noticed it 10 years ago, these days I definitely do, particularly toward the end of a long round!
STABILITY: The Revo is prone to tipping over and spilling discs when set down on moderately steep to steep slopes, which NC Piedmont and Western Carolina courses have in abundance: a tendency that is exacerbated when carrying less than a full complement of discs. Not so the Shift: whether carrying four discs, or seven, or seventeen, the Shift stands upright when I put it down. To date, I have had a grand total of one tip-over—when I backed into it while sizing up a throw.
DISC PRESENTATION: The segregation of discs into seven distinct pockets is another area in which the Shift excels, not only in terms of accessibility but also of visibility. I notice this particularly when doing field work or when practicing a course where I may throw multiple discs from a lie. Because all the discs are visible at all times, it's easy to determine at a glance how many I've thrown or if one (or more) is missing: no more having to keep track of the number of discs thrown (was that #5 or #6) or paw through the bag to ensure I've collected them all. When you've got more brain cells hitting the bug light every day, that's a huge bonus.
FEATURES OF THE REVO THAT I PREFER
INTEGRATED RAIN FLAP: The Shift rainfly is reasonably easy to put on and take off, but it's not nearly as convenient (or as heavy duty: the Revo's rainflap, like the rest of the bag, is 1650 Denier Cordura) as the Revo's rain flap.
UMBRELLA STRAPS: one less thing to hand-carry during iffy weather;
DUAL LARGE STORAGE POCKETS: The two large storage pockets on the Revo allow me to segregate items that I want to keep clean (snacks, valuables (wallet, phone, keys, sunglasses), fresh towels,
etc.) from messy/potentially messy items (insect repellent, sunscreen, birdie bag, used towels, disc towel,
etc. That said, I ordered the Shift knowing that it had only one internal storage pocket, with the idea of clipping an external pouch onto one of the D-rings.
NIGGLES (These are not so much criticisms as they are observations.)
WAIST STASH POCKETS: I find the waist stash pockets to be on the small side. It takes a fair bit of pulling, stretching, and maneuvering to get my Otterboxed iPhone 5s into/out of the pockets, even without the holster. A slimmer case may mitigate this somewhat, but I'm somewhat dubious that an iPhone 6 would fit.
If I could offer one suggestion, it would be to make the bottom of the waist stash pockets waterproof: I played an early morning round on Labor Day, and by the third hole, the dew had soaked through the bottoms.
STORAGE ACCESS: access to the main storage area is a bit cramped with the vertical storage pockets loaded. That said, it's no more inconvenient to remove the discs from the lower vertical storage pocket to access the main storage area than it is to unzip the storage pockets on the Revo.
UPD MINI: Dang! That's one seriously Hugh Jass mini! :-D Ain't gonna be accidentally leaving that thing behind!
These are, however, VERY minor concerns. Aside from the waist stash pocket bottoms not being waterproof, they're scarcely merit mentioning, except in the interest of completeness.
BOTTOM LINE: At $129, the Shift an flat out bargain; at $99 for the Slight Shift, it's an absolute steal.
If you're at all considering a backpack bag and don't carry a butt-ton of discs and other gear, you owe it to yourself to check out the Shift. In terms of ergonomics, weight distribution, fit, comfort, and stability, it is at least the equal of the offerings from higher profile (and more expensive) brands; in terms of disc presentation, it is unrivaled.
