Club Obi Wan

I'm not only a close enough guy, but I also like gear that can be used everyday. Which while searching for bags I came across an item known as a Possibles Bags, traditionally used by black powder shooters to hold their gear AKA mountain men reenactors. Came across this site that has some really nice bags. kinda like a Manly man purse. LOL. Bob.
http://possibleshop.com/leathermanpb.htm

Not my thing at all, and the only kind of person that I think that that would look good on is...

If ever I had to choose someone to go to war with, it would be Fess Parker!

CarolinaQuirk wrote:If ever I had to choose someone to go to war with, it would be Fess Parker!

What did he ever do to you?

HahAAAAAAAAAAAAAA,,
nice one,Castor! ;-)

TR

I have several possibles bags. I shoot black powder a lot and I also build muzzleloader rifles so these are a neccessity for me when I go shooting. Some people call them possibles bags, but I just call it a shooting bag.

Castor Dioscuri wrote:

CarolinaQuirk wrote:If ever I had to choose someone to go to war with, it would be Fess Parker!

What did he ever do to you?

ah... I think he meant on the same side NOT against

There's also these bags. They're not cheap though.

http://www.renaissance-art.com/catg101/category.aspx

Hard to find and definitely not cheap, but I have one of these for general purposes.



I wish it was a little bigger because, it can fall into the man bag category.

Indiana wrote: Some people call them possibles bags, but I just call it a shooting bag.

Karl wrote:Some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a kaiser blade

You can check out http://www.saddlebackleather.com/ I have one of their bags, and I'm very happy with it.


Dave Munson is the name of the guy who sells them. He's here in Texas, and is a really nice fellow. Unfortunately, these are not cheap, either. However, I do think they are worth the money.
It's a good, tough bag with a lot of character, IMO.

Ron

Wow, those Adventure Satchels are gorgeous but man that's out of my price range.

But Browncoat, what is that bag you have???

The bag I have is a Belstaff Colonial. It the same bag featured in a few movies (Interpreter, Batman Begins and I am Legend). Unfortunately, it too carries a high price tag unless you can get one used like I did.

I LOVE those Saddleback Leather bags CRS.

Wow, looks like I'll have to start saving a lot of bad pennies get one.

Yeah, I was fortunate enough to get mine second-hand from my aunt's boyfriend when he bought a new one. I still had to pay quite a bit for it, but I haven't regretted it. I love the backpack conversion option. It is very handy for travelling, and I use it to carry my laptop and a few books to school. Dave does run auctions on eBay. Hopefully my mentioning it doesn't violate CoW rules.
Incidentally, in what scene of "Batman Begins" is the Belstaff Colonial bag? I'm going to have to check that out. That's a pretty sharp bag, too.

Ron

Captain Ron Solo wrote:Dave does run auctions on eBay. Hopefully my mentioning it doesn't violate CoW rules.

Nope, you're good. You just can't specifically provide links (or the obvious search info) for ebay auctions that aren't your own.

J

Thanks, Jerry.

Ron

Browncoat,
I already asked this, but you may have missed it. In what scene of "Batman Begins" is the Belstaff Colonial bag? I'm going to have to check that out. That's a pretty sharp bag, too.

Ron

Hi CRS:

Sorry I haven't been online in the past couple days. Bruce Wayne carries the bag at the very beginning after he gets out of the Chinese prison and heads up to the temple, I believe. I haven't seen the movie in a while so I'd have to check. He wears the bag under his parka ala Indy style.

The Belstaff Colonial is a 14 or 15 inch bag which is a bit too small for my current needs.

I'm curious what size bag you have in those pics? I'm tempted to pull the trigger on a 16 or 18 inch one to haul around my laptop and books.

B.

Browncoat,
I've got the 14" bag. I would prefer a larger one, but this one easily accomodates my widescreen (15") Dell laptop. It is also just big enough to fit a legal pad. If I were to buy a new one, I would go for the 16". It would be a monster of a laptop that didn't fit in the 16". Although, I could probably fit more books in the 18". Though I'll be out of scool before I can afford to buy a new one.
Check out his auctions on eBay, and you can probably get a deal over buying directly from the site. Historically, the auctions still get fairly high, but you'd probably save $50-$100.
Dave has made quite a few improvements in the construction since mine was made (I think mine is a couple of years old) , so they are getting pretty close to indestructible.
I actually traded out the strap that came with the bag with one of my Indy bag straps. I run the Indy strap through the trigger clips from the original strap, and it is much faster and easier to convert to backpack now.
Let us know if you decide to get one. What color do you think you'd go for?

Ron

Browncoat wrote: I'm tempted to pull the trigger on a 16 or 18 inch one to haul around my laptop and books.

B.

This is what i was thinking but for those prices i am gunna have to start saving money now so i could pay for it. Really awesome bag though...i really wouldnt mind having one for myself.

I know what you mean, ydam. I stalked those auctions for over a year trying to decide whether to get one. It was just dumb luck that while I was visiting the family, I noticed my aunt's boyfriend was toting his laptop in one of these bags. I couldn't believe it. He had gotten it used from someone else, but it was a bit too small for his laptop. (He's got one of those monsterous 17 or 18-inch Toshibas). Anyway, he bought a new one (I think he went for the 18-inch bag), and sold me his 14-incher for what he paid for it.
So, I know what you're going through. I probably wouldn't get one for the sake of getting one. But if you are in the market for a bag, I highly recommend these. Mine was already fairly broken in when I got it, but I don't see any reason that it won't last for as long as I care to carry it.

Ron

Captain Ron Solo wrote:I probably wouldn't get one for the sake of getting one. But if you are in the market for a bag, I highly recommend these. Mine was already fairly broken in when I got it, but I don't see any reason that it won't last for as long as I care to carry it.

Ron

I am always in the market for something and always looking for deals . I will keep an eye out for these and if you ever spot a good deal on an 16 or 18 inch shoot me a PM and i will jump on it.

If or should I say WHEN I get one, LOL, I thinking about getting it in the Chestnut Reddish Brown. Something about the color and the look of the bag screams old school adventure bag to me.

I can see that.

Ron

Browncoat,
I finally got a chance to take a look at Batman Begins, and I saw Bruce Wayne's bag. Looks nice, and it looks to be a decent size, about the size of mine, maybe even a little bigger. Definitely a Belstaff Colonial. How did you know the maker of the bag? Did you get your bag before or after seeing Batman Begins? I kind of want one, now.

Ron

CRS,

It's a 14 or 15 inch bag so its probably about as wide as your current one but not as high and probably not as roomy. I am a huge Belstaff fan (even before the current Hollywood mainstream push) and got it when I used to ride a motorcycle a couple years back...even then it was used off ebay and I still paid a bit for it.

I only recently just started noticing that the bag itself appeared here and there in films.

IMO would have made a more practical bag for Indy than the Gas Mask Bag (it's size and more pockets) and much like Indy's bag its based on a British military issued bag. I have an Noel Howard Indy bag and its only big enough to store the gunbelt and a few other pieces of Indygear that I have.

Yeah, the Belstaff bag would have been handy, but I couldn't see Indy toting it around all of the time. The gas mask bag is nice and sleek, and it presumably works well for Indy's needs: brush, journal, the occassional rock. I know that I personally will always think of something else I need to be carrying the bigger my bag gets. It is to the point now where my Saddleback is getting cumbersome. However, I don't plan on hauling my laptop around all over campus this year. That'll help; though I'll have plenty of books to fill the space.
I would like to have seen Indy carrying something like the Belstaff around on occassion, though.

Ron

You can check out http://www.saddlebackleather.com/ I have one of their bags, and I'm very happy with it.

I've considered one of these a time or two, but was hesitant working only from pictures. What do you think of the weight? 6-7 lbs seems hefty to then load up. Of course that weight is the product of an indestructable material, I realize. Just curious as to the daily living with it.

Just a quick comment about Browncoats avatar - Man that thing is creepy! Reminds me of my trip home on public transit this week. The bus I was on was absolutely crawling with cockroaches. So bad no one sat the whole ride home!! Oh and the bag Capt. Solo posted looks very nice. I would say that was definately in the spirit of Indy and probably more practical for everyday use. Find a bigger bag better myself.
Canada

where you at canada? we don't have cockroaches in the great white north do we??? just beetles, skeeters, horseflies and such....don't see too many roaches in my igloo....

Hey Indiana G:
Cockroaches - what part of the world doesn't have them? Never seen them on the bus before and of course never in the igloo!
Canada

IndyFlyer,
I just emptied my bag because I could not remember how heavy it was empty. I had forgotten just how much stuff I had in the bag: laptop & charger, legal pad, zipper portfolio that's full of documents, small camera, small umbrella, knife & multitool (of course I can't fly with these), digital voice recorder for class, cologne, Dell PDA, 8' network cable, my Wells Lamont gloves, a couple of USB thumb drives, checkbook, and pens & pencils.


To be honest, it doesn't feel 6-7 lb. empty. Of course, I'm used to carrying it fully loaded. I would say that there is no wasted weight. I'm sure a good chuck of the weight comes from the steel rod or shank in the top flap that the handle is mounted to. The top ring is also mounted to this rod, allowing it to be converted to a backpack. Having that piece of steel built in gives me confidence that those pieces are not going to pull out and the bag will hold its shape. And the handle itself is very beefy - it won't flex in your grasp.
With laptop and everything else, I'm probably carrying about 20 lb. If I had a lighter bag, it might only be 15 lb. that I'd be hauling. I personally don't mind the weight, but I'd be carrying a lot of weight around the law school regardless.
I hope I was able to answer your questions, Indyflyer.

Ron

Sure did, thanks! Great pictures!

BTW, where is the boardwalk pic, Port Aransas?

The boardwalk pic was actually in California, along the Pacific Coast Highway. I can't remember exactly where, though. I'm sure my wife will remember. I'll have to get back to you on that one.

Ron

Ron:
great interior shot of your kit bag. Looks like a nice lineup of pockets as well. Leather does tend to be heavier than say Ballistic Nylon but can't beat the look. Although one of my friends has a beautiful leather bag and her kids wrote all over the side. UGH. Now she is stuck with a gorgeous leather bag with scribbling all over the side.
Question. how do you find carrying your laptop in a bag that seems to have no padding for it? concerns?
Canada

Canada,
Yeah, it was a concern when I first got the bag. I remedied it somewhat by using the two shoulder pads that came on the strap (didn't really feel they were necessary on the strap) and laid them on the bottom of the large pocket. It provides some padding on the bottom, but of course, there's no protection on the sides. I have though about getting a padded sleeve for the laptop, but haven't done it yet. I'm really not sure that the laptop would fit anymore of it was in one of those sleeves. If I had the 16" bag, that would probably work really well to provide protection from not only bumps and such, but also from rain. The top corners of the laptop are not completely shielded from rain, so I have to be very careful in that respect. Anyway, I haven't had any problems yet. I'm also careful not to drop the bag on the ground.

Ron

Out of curiousity, has anyone bought a close-enough bag, or a possible bag, and tried using an Indy bag strap on it? I'm especially curious if those straps (more particularly the NH strap) would be able to handle something a little heavier than a MKVII

Captain Ron Solo wrote:Canada,
Yeah, it was a concern when I first got the bag. I remedied it somewhat by using the two shoulder pads that came on the strap (didn't really feel they were necessary on the strap) and laid them on the bottom of the large pocket. It provides some padding on the bottom, but of course, there's no protection on the sides. I have though about getting a padded sleeve for the laptop, but haven't done it yet. I'm really not sure that the laptop would fit anymore of it was in one of those sleeves. If I had the 16" bag, that would probably work really well to provide protection from not only bumps and such, but also from rain. The top corners of the laptop are not completely shielded from rain, so I have to be very careful in that respect. Anyway, I haven't had any problems yet. I'm also careful not to drop the bag on the ground.

Ron

hey Ron:
I am sure if you are careful you will have no problems with it. Great idea on using the strap pads on the bottom of the bag. I tried different bags for my laptop. one of the bags I used when I travel has no padding either and I use a padded bag I got at the dollar store to provide some protection for my laptop. I think it is a shoe bag actually but it is spongey so it works quite well. How large is the laptop? 15.4? 14"
Canada

Wow, CRS! Great pics of your bag and the inside. Looks like the 14-inch bag would be more than perfect to suite my needs as I also have a Dell Inspiron and yours fits in there nicely!

I really want one of those bags...just waiting for a refund to come back.

Castor Dioscuri,
I originally swapped the strap that came on the bag for the leather strap that I got from Todd. It was very comfortable, but wasn't quite up to the task, I'm afraid. The leather had a lot of stretch to it, and the weight of the fully loaded bag began to stretch the rivet holes to the point that I was afraid that one of the rivets would slip through. I ended up buying a strap of leather from a vendor on eBay that specializes in climbing gear. This strap is far thicker and stronger, and it works great.

Canada,
My Inspiron is 15.4".

Ron

Here's a link to the thread where different bag straps were discussed and I provided a MOD-sanctioned description of the eBay vendor that supplies the type of strap that I bought.
viewtopic.php?t=22651

Ron

Captain Ron Solo wrote:Castor Dioscuri,
I originally swapped the strap that came on the bag for the leather strap that I got from Todd. It was very comfortable, but wasn't quite up to the task, I'm afraid. The leather had a lot of stretch to it, and the weight of the fully loaded bag began to stretch the rivet holes to the point that I was afraid that one of the rivets would slip through. I ended up buying a strap of leather from a vendor on eBay that specializes in climbing gear. This strap is far thicker and stronger, and it works great.

Canada,
My Inspiron is 15.4".

Ron

Thanks Ron. This actually helps me get a sense of how large this bag is. I had a 15.4 inch laptop - compaq. it was just too heavy and very hard to find a bag for. sold it and bought a much smaller (12.2 inch toshiba). this is why i can use a bag to keep it in inside of an unlined bag.
Canada

Captain Ron Solo wrote:Castor Dioscuri,
I originally swapped the strap that came on the bag for the leather strap that I got from Todd. It was very comfortable, but wasn't quite up to the task, I'm afraid. The leather had a lot of stretch to it, and the weight of the fully loaded bag began to stretch the rivet holes to the point that I was afraid that one of the rivets would slip through. I ended up buying a strap of leather from a vendor on eBay that specializes in climbing gear. This strap is far thicker and stronger, and it works great.

Canada,
My Inspiron is 15.4".

Ron

Thank you Captain Solo, that sadly does answer my question, and I suppose it was a good thing that I waited before ripping out the strap! Sorry to hear about what happened to your Todd's strap, and I'll have to look into the climbing straps!

Castor,
Fortunately, my Todd's strap still works on my gas mask bag, since I don't carry anything heavy in that bag. So, I'm not really out anything. I also think I've read here that there is a bit of variation in the straps that Todd sells. Perhaps I got one of poorer quality than most. I know that when I ordered it, it was out of stock for a long time before he finally sent me one. Maybe it was all he could find to fill the order at the time. The grooves on my Todd's strap did disappear within a few weeks of getting it. I'm not saying that Todd's strap isn't worth what I paid for it. It just wasn't up for the task of supporting my Saddleback bag. Just an FYI.

Ron

I finally got my bag and love it!! I decided on the the 14 in bag in the Coffee Brown color. Man, I doubt if I'll ever truly break it in. I could drag it around town tied to my car and I bet it will still look the same after some leather reconditioner.

Thanks for the info on it, CRS!

Browncoat,
Congrats! I'd love to see some photos when you get around to it.

Ron

Not a gas mask or Possibles bag but I scored this on the bay. This is one of the seller's smaller bags, the bigger ones will hold a lap top. Look for leather messenger bags. Bob

Here is a quick pic of the bag I got:



It looks nicely distressed and used in the photo but its just the camera/flash picking up things you normally wouldn't. It still has a newness to it but I am beating it up daily now. The bag is so tough that it just calls for a little abuse.

However, as I do this I have to remind myself constantly that 1) the bag was not cheap and more importantly 2) sometimes. my LAPTOP is in it.

For comparison here is a pic of the Belstaff I own:

Browncoat,
Both bags look great! I see no reason why your grandkids won't fight over either one of them. How long did it take you to receive your Saddleback from the time you bought it?

Ron

I picked up a leather messenger bag at the Levis store in SF. It's a gorgeous piece of work with no annoying Levis logos (I don't even think it was made BY Levis), but has this coarse and plain feel to it.

I'll post pics tomorrow.