Brown Bag Co bag straps

[jimbosprint]

I've had my Brown Bag Company Toolrider GSX straps since September of 2010, used on my Gorilla Boy Chimp. They are made for construction tool belts, but also work well as quad straps for disc golf bags. And they look suspiciously similar to DGA gel straps.

Comfort - They have gel padding on the shoulders and shock absorbers, so they are very comfortable.

Cost - Cheaper or as cheap as anything else available.

Flaws - The adjustable straps slid instantly to the longest length and would not stay adjusted, so I had to put safety pins in the straps where I wanted them. That happened to be at the shortest possible spot because they would hang down to the back of my legs otherwise. This fix worked fine from day 1. The clips are metal and never broke, but every once in a while they would bend open too far and fall off. Again easily repaired.

Long term - After 100 rounds or so, the mesh and the gel showed signs of wear, but didn't begin to fail until around 200 rounds. After 300 rounds, they are no longer comfortable. The gel on the right shoulder strap has worn out and what's left is sharp and painful.

Overall, I feel like I got my money's worth and they get a :thmbup:, but they're the only quad straps I've ever used. I'm curious to hear from others that have had them, and how they compare to the other straps available out there.

 

[EL-KABONG]

They gotta be the same people that make the dga's.

Other than saying TOOLRIDER on them, I'd say they are the best deal for the $

I bought the dga's before I learned of these...bummer

 

[bholy08]

Yeah seen these mentioned in several threads...look nice

 

[jimbosprint]

Bump for the weekday morning crowd.

 

[prerube]

Yeah seen these mentioned in several threads...look nice

There are about 4-5 threads on these. I use them myself.

 

[jimbosprint]

There are about 4-5 threads on these. I use them myself.

How many rounds are on yours, and how are they holding up? Did the adjustment slip or the clips ever bend open?

 

[prerube]

How many rounds are on yours, and how are they holding up? Did the adjustment slip or the clips ever bend open?

Probably 2-3 years and I have never had an issue. The adjustment clips have not bent or broken, but the bag does slowly slide down. I leave it low now.

 

[EL-KABONG]

I put black duct tape on the straps below the sliding adjustment buckles to keep them from moving. The bag got lower and lower during rounds until I did that. Weird; because the hardware on these is top notch, except for those adjustment buckles. Ez fix tho.

But even on shortest adjustment, the L64 bag rode too low.

 

[jdw80550]

Couldn't really tell from the pic, do these have the chest buckle? I have the DGA gels and I love them except they are made for someone who has a bigger torso than I do, and I find myself having to buckle them to keep them comfy.

And yeah I have a lat 64 bag and does ride low, but nothing compared to how my fade tourney felt after switching.

 

[jimbosprint]

Yes, they have a chest buckle. But I never used it, and I should have cut em off a long time ago.

 

[Jukeshoe]

I have a pair of these that I no longer use. I recently switched to Phenix Quadstraps.

Here's my review of these badboys:

Pros:
-Very comfortable. Definitely a good option for people with a bigger torso/frame as they provide tons of room and are very easy to get on and off (easier and roomier than Phenix, for example). The gel straps themselves held up very well and were always super comfortable.
-Chest strap for long haul walks really helped divide the weight.
-Cheapest option for quads. I think I paid like $21 shipped from something like a Maynards or whatever.
-I really liked the phone pocket on the left strap. I never put a phone in there, I used it to hold one of those headstrap flashlights for glow golfing or when a round would go into dusk and people would lose discs in the dark.

Cons:
-Not durable at all. Like I said, the straps themselves held up well, but the triangular shape part (where the two straps meet) started fraying really badly within a couple of months. Granted, I'm super rough on my gear and played a fair amount of rounds, but I'd say they started going after no more than 40-50 rounds, maybe less. I ended up sewing a piece of fabric to it to stabilize the tearing, and that lasted another good amount of time, but in the end they were hanging by a thread (and duct taped...super ghetto ).
-The buckles slipped quite a bit and needed to be stabilized with something and/or adjusted fairly regularly.
-They weren't great for playing in the rain, as the gel strap parts would get really water soaked and squishy...but that's pretty nit picky.

Overall, I'd rate them favorably, especially considering the price. But, I'd probably recommend just shelling out the extra $20 to get a "real" pair of quads (better weight distribution, better quality and durability). Plus, then you're supporting the dg community instead of some huge chain that isn't dg oriented.

My 2 cents.

 

[Askari]

Quick fix for those metal buckles coming open. I cut a piece of heat shrink tubing and slipped it onto the buckle and sealed them shut. And then got a nice set of d rings to connect to my bag. I have a gorilla boy silverback fully loaded and the straps work great.

 

[Mr. America]

These straps are pretty nice. I've been using mine for awhile now. Durability seems fine so far. Only issue is the adjustment buckles not staying in place, I usually adjust them once a round. You can buy a disc or two with the money you save.