Monday, April 02, 2012

My New Geobag


I have finally found a replacement for my geobag.

Faithful readers (hey guys!) of this blog may remember that a few months ago I wrote a post about the bag I carry all the gear I carry into the field in (if you missed it, its here:  Tools Of The Geocacher).

That bag was made out of canvas, and is starting to wear out in annoying and alarming places. So I have been on a search for its replacement.

I have checked out several outdoors stores and many military surplus shops (where I got my original bag).  None of them had a suitable replacement.

Since brick and motar stores failed me, I decided to order a Timbuk2 bag online.   Timbuk2 messenger bags are very rugged and have a lifetime guarantee.  They are made from ballistic nylon, which is the stuff they used to make flak jackets out of.  The bag also has a water resistent lining, a feature my old bag didn't have.

The bags are also custom made for each customer in a factory in San Francisco, so I could get the exact look I wanted.  I went with chocolate brown with an orange highlight (for safety!).

I bought the small sized messenger bag, which is large enough to hold all my gear, including my laptop, but small enough to not be overly bulky.

Field tests this weekend show that it sits perfectly on my back, and does not slide around when I bend over to look for those low lying caches.  It will take some getting used to the new configuration of where all my stuff is located in the bag, but once I get over that, it should serve me well.

I found about 1000 caches with my old bag.  This new one should last me for many more finds than that.