Josh Henkin Sandbag

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by Athleng Nordic, Jan 30, 2008.

  1. Athleng Nordic

    Athleng Nordic Sadly passed away. RIP. Supporter

    I've ripped out my fourth home made bag to the point of non-repair. I;m seriously thinking of getting one of these: http://sandbagexercises.ifsstrength.com/sandbagus.html but want to know if anyone else has one and if it's worth the cost.

    So far I've destroyed two duffles, a US Army issue duffle and a US Navy duffle. When I say destroyed I mean I've ripped out the siding if the bag not just the seams. After the first one I started to reenforce the seams from the start. He claims it lasts I'd like some other opinion before hand.
     
  2. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    Jeez... I can't but help think that you could have someone custom sew you one for far less than $99.

    I did a bag work out yesterday at the end of boxing... just taking a 30kg bag and shouldering it on one side, then slamming it down then shouldering it on the other side, continuously alternating sides, for 2 minutes. For 3 sets.

    Nightmare a workout.

    A full body workout if ever there was one. I was whooped. Absolutely whooped. I never suspected I was that weak!!! Confirming my suspicion that the Chinese coolies who unload the rice sacks by hand at the container terminal all day long are as strong as oxes!!! :eek:

    Ok... back to the bag... the bag I used yesterday was from these guys.

    http://www.performt.com/

    The gym where I'm training people at has the full range of size/weight. It's a great little set up. But the things aren't cheap. It got me to thinking how hard it'd be to make a set of my own. Down by the docks there are any number of canvas shops and people that sew tarps and covers for the shipping industry. Their pvc/rubber coated nylon is bomb proof. In fact I see sandbags made of the stuff used all the time to weight down signs on road works. So it's got to be durable.... and it's got to be cheap.

    I think the trick would be to have it sewn up with the proper thread... probably a lock stitch with a high strength nylon thread. Heck... even see if they could bar-tack the stitch. That's the sort of stitch used on a mountaineering/rock climbing harness... and it's bomb proof!!! Then the other part would be to stitch some handles of high strenght nylon webbing around the bad.. and several other bits of webbing that harness the bag to reinforce the bag itself. Then you might want to consider a bladder inside the bag that holds the sand... separate from the bag itself.

    I realize you're probably still overseas... but I'd suspect that there is somewhere there you can get stuff sewn. Even if the locals did it by hand it might work. And I'm sure you have no shortage of sand!:D

    I think with the workouts you're putting them through... if it's just plain canvas... it's never going to last... no matter how well it's sewn. It's got to be reinforced with a rubber/pvc coating... and the seams have to be reinforced as well.

    Another place to look for ideas would be here:

    http://www.metoliusclimbing.com/elcap-half.htm#Half Dome

    That an other haul bag sights. Haul bags are used for hauling gear up aid routes in bigwall climbing (El Capitan etc.) they're pretty much the most bombproof sacks ever. They're good with abrasion (being scraped hundred of feet up a pitch) and they often get pitched off... through error or on purpose... and survive. It might give you some idea of how they're made and it might work to get one of these instead and just use some sort of double bagged bladder inside to hold the sand. Again these aren't cheap... so you'll have to check around.

    Here's another listing of haul bags:
    http://www.rei.com/category/40003638

    As you can see the design differs because they're designed to be hauled. The PowerBags are basically a canister with a lid that zips on. The one you've shown is like a reinforced duffle that side loads. Just stuff to consider. I would suspect the weakest link will be the zipper on most of these. But that could depend on usage.

    I'll have a look today and see what I can find out about getting one made here in HK. I could ship it out to you for what it costs to get it made and shipping (obviously without the sand :D ). That shouldn't be too much. If nothing else it could save you some cash and give you something to experiment with.
     
    Last edited: Jan 30, 2008
  3. Athleng Nordic

    Athleng Nordic Sadly passed away. RIP. Supporter

    Cheers Slip

    I have access to a sewing machine and I know how to use it, although I have to look-up a lock stitch.

    The haul bags look good but as you pointed out costly. They look like mini kick bags. The REI ones my wife can get since we're right there in Washington. :)

    Regardless I already miss my bag. :cry: The times we shared, the moments of success and the moments of despair. :D
     
  4. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    Ah... ok... access to a sewing machine is a good thing! Knowing how to sew is even better.... if more men knew how to sew we wouldn't be in the **** poor state of affairs we're in these days... the whole throw away culture... the whole bloody 'it's broke? buy a new one' culture. Don't even get me started about that... the number of things I've bought that have broke only to find that you bleedin' can't even order a replacement part... but they'll gladly sell you a new one!!! Take something back to a shop that's been fixed by you and watch the brainless sales clerks dribble on themselves... watch store managers go into hissy fits on how you've voided the warranty!!! :bang:

    I was down at the shop looking at one today that can handle heavy sail canvas. I have some dastardly designs I've been wanting to make. Now I just have to convince the missus I need an industrial sewing machine! :D

    Here's a bit on the lock-stitch:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockstitch

    Some machines have an auto setting for this type of stitch.

    Here is some info on a bar-tack:
    http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-bartacking.htm
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_tack
    (this is often used on the runner between two carabiners used in climbing.. it's also used in many places on climbing harness)

    Here's a shot of a runner by REI...you can clearly see the bar-tacking:
    http://www.rei.com/product/474001

    and because you know I wouldn't leave a bro hanging... here is sewing machine porn:

    http://www.sewingmachinery.com/used/usl-bartack.html


    BTW -
    Today at the gym I ran about 9 people (7 men and 2 women) through a monster circuit of heavy bag work and sand bag hauling, cleans, shouderings and all sorts of torture! Needless to say... they didn't know if they were coming or going. And there was me breathing down their neck and yelling like a drill sargent. God I love the smell of fresh Napalm in the morning! :D

    Now... I did notice that the 30kg Powerbag has this monster crease in the middle from wear. I gave it a few good cleans and slams to illustrate what I wanted the gromets to do for two mintues solid with a on minute break X 4 sets.... (men had 20kg bags, our rugby player did the 30kg bag and the ladies got 10kg bags) and to my surprise it sprayed an ever so fine dust of sand out. Just a very fine mist of it... so I suspect the bladder that holds the sand inside is broken. So... even with their good construction... they leak when under heavy use. I suspect that it's just going to be part of the natural life cycle of that type of equipment.

    My best guess is always have several rolls of duct tape on hand!

    Another interesting thing I noticed... most trash bags suck for making liners or bladders... it seems a good combination is a woven sack (like they use for bunker sandbags and emergency road work) encased in a thick mm poly bag. So today I picked up a set of extra large trash compactor liners... man!!! They're bomb proof!!
    They're like at least 3mm thick! They could take some serious abuse before they started to show wear and tear. That might be just what the doctor ordered for the insides of your duffle. They're cheap as well... and cheap is good.
     
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2008
  5. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    LoL we just use trash bags and canvas army rucksacks . . . they've worked fine so far.
     
  6. Athleng Nordic

    Athleng Nordic Sadly passed away. RIP. Supporter

    Until you have them heavily loaded and throw them. Then you blow out the sides, like I have.
     
  7. Athleng Nordic

    Athleng Nordic Sadly passed away. RIP. Supporter

    It looks like I'll have to wait to make anything case my machine won't handle the material. :woo:

    I'm now back to thinking of buying one. I thought about hand stitching but the time to do that puts me behind the power curve on training.
     
  8. Emil

    Emil Valued Member

    Generally speaking I'd say avoid anything from a website that opens on a lieutenant X type format and cannot spell. Generally tend to be worthless.

    Em
     

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