throwfromthewoods
Double Eagle Member
This is the Dolfin Team swimming backpack. I got it for $30.00 online. These pictures are with me doing nothing but taking it out of the box and dropping discs in. It's still going to take a little work, but as you can see, right off the bat it's pretty serviceable. There are 20 discs in the main compartment. The front pocket only fits 1 putter. You can fit 4 more discs in the side or a long-sleeve shirt/light sweater. Still no good bottle holder though. There is a mesh bottle holder if you don't care about insulation.
Pros:
-Big, I can fit a total of 25 discs if I want to sacrifice some miscellaneous storage room. Or, I can fit 12 discs and 4 big cans of Yeungling.
-Bottom is rubberized and waterproof. The nylon itself is also waterproofed. It's built for the pool, so it's pretty weather-resistant. Along the zippers is the only thing I can really see that's not water-sealed.
- Rides up high. Straps have a sternum clip across the front. Cell phone holder built into the straps.
- Top flap easily folds underneath what is actually a laptop sleeve in the back of the bag.
Cons:
-Lack of padding. The back is technically padded, but doesn't have any external padding like we expect from our bags. The straps are also poorly padded.
-The nylon is tough and weather-proofed, but it's still not as heavy-duty as a Voodoo bag or the like. I'd say it's a slight step up from Fade nylon quality.
-No upper compartment. Most backpacks (Cabelas, Flak, Revo, Challenger) have an upper storage compartment. Some don't (Mahal, Grip, Prodiscus) but make up for it with big side pockets and other areas. This bag has some good storage, but it's a step down from other backpacks.
-Sturdiness. This is where most of my work will be done. The bag technically stands up on it's own. But there's no frame to speak of, so disc weights start to make the bottom sag and the back bulge a bit. I will be using thin, lightweight Plexiglas panels to fix this. And then I will be dropping in a U-Channel divider (perfect fit).
Maybes:
-Inside along the back (see pics) there are a couple small pouches and pencil holders. I'm not sure if they'll be a convenient place to keep stuff or a hindrance. One of my problems with pencil holders outside the bag are that the pencils always seem to find a way to fall out, and then they're gone. If they fall out here, I won't lose them. For now though, it seems like a nice place to keep pencils and a scorecard/mini clipboard.
-Loop hooks on the front. (see pic) There are two straps with clips on the front right above the "putter" pocket. It's designed to hold a rolled up towel for the pool. It can be used for that, or an umbrella, or a seat (much like the Mahal) but I'm not sure if they are placed where they'll just be in the way.
$30.00 for the bag, $10.00 for the Plexiglas, and $10 for the U-channel divider. That gives me a $50.00 backpack with minimal work and no PVC frame building. We'll see how it holds up, but it seems to be a solid companion to my smaller sling bag.
Pros:
-Big, I can fit a total of 25 discs if I want to sacrifice some miscellaneous storage room. Or, I can fit 12 discs and 4 big cans of Yeungling.
-Bottom is rubberized and waterproof. The nylon itself is also waterproofed. It's built for the pool, so it's pretty weather-resistant. Along the zippers is the only thing I can really see that's not water-sealed.
- Rides up high. Straps have a sternum clip across the front. Cell phone holder built into the straps.
- Top flap easily folds underneath what is actually a laptop sleeve in the back of the bag.
Cons:
-Lack of padding. The back is technically padded, but doesn't have any external padding like we expect from our bags. The straps are also poorly padded.
-The nylon is tough and weather-proofed, but it's still not as heavy-duty as a Voodoo bag or the like. I'd say it's a slight step up from Fade nylon quality.
-No upper compartment. Most backpacks (Cabelas, Flak, Revo, Challenger) have an upper storage compartment. Some don't (Mahal, Grip, Prodiscus) but make up for it with big side pockets and other areas. This bag has some good storage, but it's a step down from other backpacks.
-Sturdiness. This is where most of my work will be done. The bag technically stands up on it's own. But there's no frame to speak of, so disc weights start to make the bottom sag and the back bulge a bit. I will be using thin, lightweight Plexiglas panels to fix this. And then I will be dropping in a U-Channel divider (perfect fit).
Maybes:
-Inside along the back (see pics) there are a couple small pouches and pencil holders. I'm not sure if they'll be a convenient place to keep stuff or a hindrance. One of my problems with pencil holders outside the bag are that the pencils always seem to find a way to fall out, and then they're gone. If they fall out here, I won't lose them. For now though, it seems like a nice place to keep pencils and a scorecard/mini clipboard.
-Loop hooks on the front. (see pic) There are two straps with clips on the front right above the "putter" pocket. It's designed to hold a rolled up towel for the pool. It can be used for that, or an umbrella, or a seat (much like the Mahal) but I'm not sure if they are placed where they'll just be in the way.
$30.00 for the bag, $10.00 for the Plexiglas, and $10 for the U-channel divider. That gives me a $50.00 backpack with minimal work and no PVC frame building. We'll see how it holds up, but it seems to be a solid companion to my smaller sling bag.
