Best next bag for me?

Friar Fly · Post by **Friar Fly** » 26 Jan 2010 18:58

Another hobby brought me into footbag--I was able to pick up a Duncan Daredevil free. Though it works fairly well, I'm thinking about getting another bag. I'm looking for something that's inexpensive (less than $10, including tax and/or shipping) and fairly durable (I share my one-bedroom apartment with a kitten and a dog who thinks footbags are her toys, too). Stitching my own is out of the question for now. I was looking at a "NutSack," but I'd like some opinions before I buy one. After doing some reading on this forum, I've noticed some disdain toward the crocheted bags; should I avoid those?

Jazzkid · Post by **Jazzkid** » 26 Jan 2010 19:21

I love my nutsack, but for footbags I go with an Abshire medium facile weighed around 70 grams, or a fearless 55. Matt Cross also makes great bags!

oh yeah , you can train dogs to never go after the 32 panels, but training pussys are harder.

will_T · Post by **will_T** » 27 Jan 2010 09:29

the most commonly recommended beginner bag (for under $10) can be found here:
http://freedomfootbags.com/product_info ... ucts_id=28

hand stitched bags like the ones people on this forum make will be more expensive, though for the most part they are superior to the Mr. It's really up to you whether or not you want to drop $30 or $10. Whichever you do, just be sure to store it safely so your pets don't get a hold of it.

Oh, and if you get a hand-stitched bag from someone on here, be sure to ask for a bag without any lead filler. That could go badly should one of your pets steal it.

and yes, avoid crochet bags, they don't freestyle well at all

Jazzkid · Post by **Jazzkid** » 27 Jan 2010 10:35

Will actually has the best idea. Sorry, i couldnt resist.

Friar Fly · Post by **Friar Fly** » 27 Jan 2010 17:07

will_T wrote:Oh, and if you get a hand-stitched bag from someone on here, be sure to ask for a bag without any lead filler. That could go badly should one of your pets steal it.

My dog will eat almost anything she can get into her mouth. So, no lead in this house! Are there bags out there that are filled with pellets that are natural, biodegradable, and won't harm pets?

mc · Post by mc » 27 Jan 2010 17:15

I've heard of bags filled with organic stuff, but if it gets wet and soggy, it could rot.

Maybe you'd have more luck by keeping your footbags in a drawer where the dog can't get them?

Friar Fly · Post by **Friar Fly** » 27 Jan 2010 17:22

Matt Cross wrote:I've heard of bags filled with organic stuff, but if it gets wet and soggy, it could rot.

Maybe you'd have more luck by keeping your footbags in a drawer where the dog can't get them?

Rotted organic stuff tends to smell pretty bad, too.

My footbag is stored where the dog can't get at it. When I'm kicking, however, she eyes it, and goes after it when it hits the deck. I'll just continue to do what I've done: retrieve it before she does!

Wasabi · Post by **Wasabi** » 02 Feb 2010 09:39

Get an elemental footbag. And keep your bags away from your pets by placing them somewhere secure.

Friar Fly · Post by **Friar Fly** » 04 Feb 2010 01:41

Wasabi wrote:Get an elemental footbag. And keep your bags away from your pets by placing them somewhere secure.

The Elemental footbags look all right, but more than I want to spend. And my footbag is stored out of the pets' reach.

mc · Post by mc » 04 Feb 2010 09:39

a decent footbag can last 6 months to a few years. Having a decent bag makes it so you can focus all your effort on your form and style, as opposed to having to focus on getting the damn thing to cooperate.

having a bad bag can make footbag very frustrating, and slow your progression. instead of buying a mediocre bag like the "nutsack" you mentioned, hold off on buying the bag for a few more weeks, put some money aside, and get a decent one.

or, if saving $20 is more important to you than having a piece of proper equipment, maybe freestyle's not the thing for you, which is fine. Lots of people have a blast just kicking around whatever they've got.

It's all about your priorities. If your priority is saving a comparatively tiny amount of money (especially when you spread the cost over the life of the item) then go with that.

If your priority is having a piece of proper equipment, and developing yourself as a footbagger, get the proper equipment.

Of course, a lot of people are going to recommend you get a set of proper footbag shoes as well, which can cost as much as double (or more) the cost of the bag. If you search on ebay, though, you can find Rod Lavers for $10-20 plus shipping (you just have to search every day and be patient). Hopefully you've got a set of shorts that are not too baggy already. If not, you can drop by your friendly neighborhood superplex multistore and get some for under $10.

I'm just saying, for the fun you have, the friends you make, and the personal advances you achieve, the money is insignificant.

WyrmFyre · Post by **WyrmFyre** » 04 Feb 2010 10:24

I wholeheartedly agree with everything Matt says above, and especially with regards to shoes.

There is something about putting on a pair of lavers, shoes that you invested in purely for footbag and reaching out for a well stitched choice 32 panel bag that really puts you in the mindset to go out and play footbag, its a completely different feeling to strapping on your everyday shoes, grabbing your cheap and cheerful crochet bag and going out and kicking.

I got my lavers for a third of the price because they were second hand on ebay. They were leather, but ive stripped the inside layer off, modded the toe box, drawn on them, and basically beat the crap out of them. It must be approaching 6 months now though, and they still have plenty of wear in them. My bag of choice is also my oldest, maybe 6-7 months old now (at a guess) and again, still has plenty of play left in it.

My recommendation is that you sit tight on your funds for now, build them up, and treat yourself to the suggested equipment, and i promise that 6 months from now, you'll be passing this same advice on to another beginner

will_T · Post by **will_T** » 04 Feb 2010 10:35

orrrrrrrrrrr...... you could read a few tutorials on this site and learn how to make your own bags

that's what i did. material costs are fairly minimal, and the satisfaction you get from creating something out of nothing is worth the effort. it's just like 'teach a man to fish, and you feed him for life.' then you're equipped to make all the bags you could ever want or need.

+1 for what matt said, footbag being a sport, requires proper equipment both for performance as well as safety. knee and ankle injuries can result from chasing a poor bag around in shoes without proper support. hope we aren't scaring you off with all these technical posts!

mc · Post by mc » 04 Feb 2010 10:41

heheh, I've injured my ankles and knees a lot more by trying stuff that's out of my technical reach in good shoes with a good bag, than I have chasing a bad bag with bad shoes

but that's just me.

I'm just saying, your joints are screwed no matter what way you go.

/ot

Friar Fly · Post by **Friar Fly** » 04 Feb 2010 19:55

will_T wrote:hope we aren't scaring you off with all these technical posts!

Not at all.

Matt Cross wrote:if saving $20 is more important to you than having a piece of proper equipment, maybe freestyle's not the thing for you, which is fine. Lots of people have a blast just kicking around whatever they've got.

You're right about that--freestyle isn't for me at this time, but for other reasons. I have some knee problems, and I know I have to work on my knees before I attempt anything resembling freestyling.

I have some shorts that should work, but the only athletic shoes I own are New Balance 608s. I will definitely look into getting some Lavers when I feel I'm ready to move on to freestyling.

Re-reading my original post, I realized that I left out another reason I'm looking for a new bag: my Duncan Daredevil tends to go flying every after I kick it. I'm just learning the basics right now, and I was wondering if a sand-filled bag might help in that regard.

For now, I'll hold off on buying another bag, and look into the stitch-yer-own aspect. I can't sew or stitch worth crap, but my girlfriend can...

Donovon · Post by **Donovon** » 05 Feb 2010 09:16

Friar Fly wrote: I realized that I left out another reason I'm looking for a new bag: my Duncan Daredevil tends to go flying every after I kick it. I'm just learning the basics right now, and I was wondering if a sand-filled bag might help in that regard.

Generally speaking, Pellet/Metal filled bags tend to set "truer," while sand bags tend to stall a little easier. That Mr. Sandman for like $8 is a steal if you want to work on stalls.

~Donovon

Alf · Post by **Alf** » 05 Feb 2010 20:45

DONOVON WROTE:

That Mr. Sandman for like $8 is a steal if you want to work on stalls.

true, but not the best when it comes to "true"-setting!

but really one of the best bags to start learning freestyle tricks!

If you want a good kicking-bag, you should really consider one of lotus (elemental-footbags) leather- or big freestyle-bags!
prizes are in aussi-dollar, so even cheaper than it first seems!!!!

http://elementalfootbags.com/html/kicking.htm

Fade2black · Post by **Fade2black** » 05 Feb 2010 20:57

Along with Elemental, Fourkast and Freedom also have inexpensive bags that are of above average durability.

Did someone already mention these.. its late and the caffeine + my A.D.D didnt allow me to read the rest ha!

Wasabi · Post by **Wasabi** » 08 Feb 2010 15:47

Since you're in the Cali- area, invest on Fourkast gear. Elemental footbags make some really cheap bags with awesome performance, so I have no effing clue what you mean by "expensive" when you have most people charging $25-$35 (even $50) US for their bags.