TAB GEAR request for help.

[Tburkes]

Hey guys, we have been receiving a lot of requests for a lighter fill in our rear bags. Since we will soon be coming out with different sized bags a light fill will be nice as well.

Do any of you know what the guys are using as a filler in the big pillow looking bags that have become popular?

If someone can turn me on to a supplier that can supply these in wholesale quantities, not something that you would by at a craft store, I'd appreciate and would send you the first bag that we make using the new fill as a thank you for your help.

Thank you in advance for any information you can provide.

Tony

 

[EasyGravy]

I really love the TAB rear squeeze bag. I wish it was1.5x or 2x bigger though I think would be a little more stable for me. Its just a smidge to small sometimes. Fill doesnt bother me. My .02.

 

[gohuskers]

I guess the fill never bothered me either. I do wish is was just a little bigger like the previous poster indicated.

 

[KYS]

I don't like the fill on those big pillows. They seem to thin out over use and time. My larger bag has really worn down and is not as full as it used to be. I went back to the traditional style rear bags because of it.

 

[dddoo7]

I have been making homemade bags for some time now. I use dry beans and have never had a problem. I also use airsoft bb's in rear bags that I think might get wet.

 

[Tburkes]

We can easily make a custom sized bag for guys wanting a larger bag. The sizes you guys, EasyGravy and gohuskers, are asking for are about the size we'll also be offering in the near future in addition to what we offer now.

Adam, interesting perspective, I have not heard that until now.

 

[plt228]

Not sure what they are actually using but I'm going to try a bag filled with Fairfield Poly-Fil Micro Beads. Ordered a 20 ounce bag that will fill 1/2 cubic foot.

 

[Stpilot12]

I have been making homemade bags for some time now. I use dry beans and have never had a problem. I also use airsoft bb's in rear bags that I think might get wet.

Same here. I've been using beans for years, recently switched to airsoft bb's. Lighter and don't care if it gets wet. However, those poly micro beads sound promising...

 

[flounderv2]

Ok so Im going to put this here since the other "large bag" company hasnt done anything with it yet.

I love the style of the other bags and the flexibility that they have and a smaller one for barricade work like the straight laced would be great. The fill does thin out over a period of time of hard use so my thought was this which ive communicated but no one has done anything with it. Id do it myself but I dont have the time so heres my million dollar idea.

Make the bigger bags like the pump pillow and the tac pac but make them with an rubber air bladder in them. An air bladder that has an externally accessible twist nipple or similar which makes it easy for the user to inflate or deflate to whatever amount of cushion or rigidity they want.
This solves a few things,
1 The bag wont thin out over time and need to get sent back for refill which saves time on your end and removes user frustration.
2 It allows the user an "adjustable bag" bag for different situations. Doubles as a nice compactable pillow as well.
3 Make the cover so that it has access to the bag in the event of a puncture so that the user can put a standard tube/raft patch kit on it.
4. This may even work on the smaller bags if you can find the fight size bladder

My guess is you would also want some type of light fill or padding around the bladder or sewn into the cover just so it didnt feel too much like a balloon.

I told the guys at Weibad about this at the brawl this year and they loved the idea however I havent seen one come to market yet so here ya go.

 

[dddoo7]

However, you are going to have a hard time finding American made air soft bb's...

 

[Ronin1973]

Tag for Later

 

[SingleShot85]

HOLY FUCK........ air bladders, twist nipples, stupid ass pumps.... it's a fucking rear bag, are we that shoot'er handicapped......

 

[matt2143]

Adam is correct, the wiebad type bags do 'break in' over time. However, how I use the bag I find this helps some as the bags seem to be a little over filled upon delivery.

Tony sent you a PM.

 

[flounderv2]

HOLY FUCK........ air bladders, twist nipples, stupid ass pumps.... it's a fucking rear bag, are that shoot'er handicapped......

Wow, who kicked your puppy this morning. Open your mind and think for a second before you speak. I never said anything about pumps now did I. You obviously have a set of lungs so use those to fill your bag. The point is functionality and flexibility both for the maker and the shooter. I bet you didnt complain when adjustable cheek pieces came out did you.

I can tell you for a fact that there are plenty of matches and situations where an adjustable bag would be a godsend. Have you not seen the recent posts of people complaining about guys carrying 5-7 bags around at a match. Thats the point. They do that because they all serve their own purpose. Two weeks ago down at PTS, guys were borrowing bags from others because of the positional requirement on some of the stages. They took a tac pac and pump pillow or 2 pump pillows and doubled them up tight under the forend of the rifle because of the position. Think about it. you can have 1 bag thats adjustable to fit all your needs. So you spend say $80 on that bag instead of $80, 120, 95 on multiple bags.

 

[R.Walters]

Wow, who kicked your puppy this morning. Open your mind and think for a second before you speak. I never said anything about pumps now did I. You obviously have a set of lungs so use those to fill your bag. The point is functionality and flexibility both for the maker and the shooter. I bet you didnt complain when adjustable cheek pieces came out did you.

I can tell you for a fact that there are plenty of matches and situations where an adjustable bag would be a godsend. Have you not seen the recent posts of people complaining about guys carrying 5-7 bags around at a match. Thats the point. They do that because they all serve their own purpose. Two weeks ago down at PTS, guys were borrowing bags from others because of the positional requirement on some of the stages. They took a tac pac and pump pillow or 2 pump pillows and doubled them up tight under the forend of the rifle because of the position. Think about it. you can have 1 bag thats adjustable to fit all your needs. So you spend say $80 on that bag instead of $80, 120, 95 on multiple bags.

Im looking forward to your new product releases Tony. I will be in touch soon.

That was mainly me borrowing the bags

 

[Lowlight]

You'll soon want only one bag, at least for the Cup, as I will be limiting bags in 2015, no more 2 or 3 hanging on a shooter. That is getting over the top.

It will be up to match directors to police it, and from conversations you might be seeing more of that to limit their use. So I will be mandating 1 rear bag only, pick it and stick with it.

Personally, in place of the pillow I don't know why the small ruck you are already carrying can't be used, but that is me. Positional Shooting will be done with a sling and nothing else, you can put that single rear bag under your butt, but otherwise, no more stacking and creating support with pillows, learn to shoot slung up as the match director intends.

For Fill,

I personally like the current weight of the fill, but also recommended Tony add a new size to the stable, something 3" larger all around, in the zipper design to let the End User adjust it as necessary. That is my vote.

 

[SingleShot85]

zipper.... equals weak link and ultimate fail........ but maybe Tony and rig one up that wont......

 

[TheGerman]

We can easily make a custom sized bag for guys wanting a larger bag. The sizes you guys, EasyGravy and gohuskers, are asking for are about the size we'll also be offering in the near future in addition to what we offer now.

Adam, interesting perspective, I have not heard that until now.

Yep that's what I need too. The standard bag is a little too small (or the fill gives too much) for anything I have that isn't a full out rifle stock.

 

[peaceatwar]

You'll soon want only one bag, at least for the Cup, as I will be limiting bags in 2015, no more 2 or 3 hanging on a shooter. That is getting over the top.

It will be up to match directors to police it, and from conversations you might be seeing more of that to limit their use. So I will be mandating 1 rear bag only, pick it and stick with it.

Personally, in place of the pillow I don't know why the small ruck you are already carrying can't be used, but that is me. Positional Shooting will be done with a sling and nothing else, you can put that single rear bag under your butt, but otherwise, no more stacking and creating support with pillows, learn to shoot slung up as the match director intends.

For Fill,

I personally like the current weight of the fill, but also recommended Tony add a new size to the stable, something 3" larger all around, in the zipper design to let the End User adjust it as necessary. That is my vote.

I'm interested in seeing how many matches and what venues enforce this rule. Would this apply to the anti-slip forearms as well? The things Ceylon is selling?

 

[Triad]

You'll soon want only one bag, at least for the Cup, as I will be limiting bags in 2015, no more 2 or 3 hanging on a shooter. That is getting over the top.

Have we gone the way of IPSC??? Glad to hear you are thinking about reigning in the gear.

Sorry, Tony. Off topic of your OP.

 

[flounderv2]

zipper.... equals weak link and ultimate fail........ but maybe Tony and rig one up that wont......

Guessing you havent been paying attention to his recent product releases.

 

[Lowlight]

Did I say anything about the slip covers, those don't do much but protect the finish of the rifle, they don't "hold" the rifle to the barricade. It's a cover.

The gear is getting out of control, hopefully others follow suit and police it like I intend on doing

 

[peaceatwar]

Did I say anything about the slip covers, those don't do much but protect the finish of the rifle, they don't "hold" the rifle to the barricade. It's a cover.

The gear is getting out of control, hopefully others follow suit and police it like I intend on doing

I enjoy this aspect of shooting I'm sure not everyone feels the same way but learning and mastering new equipment is a part of the sport. I still haven't figured out how to master the hog saddle tripod or the Wiebad tac-PAC but I'm happy to have them and am thoroughly enjoying the journey.

 

[Lowlight]

Guys pulling out 3 extra bags is not mastering gear, they are stacking pillows until it fits.

I would have more respect if they broke out a tripod (that they carried the entire match) and used that, not building some crazy position with 3 or 4 WieBad Pillows when the stage calls for a shot with a sling. Resting all that on your knee instead of using the sling is not what I considered mastering your gear. Especially since you don't see them carrying them the entire match.

 

[SingleShot85]

Guessing you havent been paying attention to his recent product releases.

please tell me you are not referring to his ammo carrier while trying to shoot down my zipper reference..... because that would be as queer as a buying football bat with a three dollar bill

 

[mattsnuked]

Milk Bottle Beads .com - Milk Bottle Filler ~ white styrofoam micro beads for filling a milk bottle [www.MilkBottleBeads.com]


http://univfoam.com/styrofoam-projects/polystyrene-or-styrofoam-beads

This is what most I've seen are using Tony.

 

[delfuego]

Poly-Fil Micro Beads.

Or something similar. Looking forward to a lighter bag! After shooting Steel Safari and similar matches I have been hanging my bag from the stock and the 1-2lbs bags get old.

 

[flounderv2]

please tell me you are not referring to his ammo carrier while trying to shoot down my zipper reference..... because that would be as queer as a buying football bat with a three dollar bill

Nope, Im talking about his new rear bag with a nice big zipper so you can compress it down small and fill it with whatever fill you want when you get to your AO. If you want to see the bag, go search for it, there have been plenty of videos posted on it. Not sure if youre intentionally trying to come across as crass and condescending but its only making you look bad. Get that chip off your shoulder, almost everyone is here to help.

Better yet, here ya go.
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/s4-sniper%92s-hide%AE-equipment/260952-new-product-tab-gear.html

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152648927262953&set=vb.368638077952&type=2&theater

 

[JasonB]

One bag to rule them all.

- Thank you 8lb 7oz baby Jesus.

 

[SingleShot85]

I'm sure Tony will test the hell out of that thing before giving it his stamp of approval...... quality and materials are not the problem. I can appreciate the ability to fill the bag to my liking, but its a bit different then hauling around a bag of beads so you can stuff and unstuff your rear bag to suit every little different shooting requirement/ position is going to cause problems........

 

[Lowlight]

I'm sure Tony will test the hell out of that thing before giving it his stamp of approval...... quality and materials are not the problem. I can appreciate the ability to fill the bag to my liking, but its a bit different then hauling around a bag of beads so you can stuff and unstuff your rear bag to suit every little different shooting requirement/ position is going to cause problems........

Are you High ?

Going to cause Problems ?

it's an option, nobody said it's an every time, every day option, although you can certainly use it that way. It's a way to travel with less weight, it's a secondary option of another rear bag, where did he say it's designed to be suited for every situation ? Heck you can store it, if you forget a rear bag you can pull this out and fill it as needed, remove the fill when done and drive on.

Please educate us on the "problems' you see with a rear bag a user can adjust the fill with ? It's shipped with the standard beads, you can remove them, you can not use them, you can do whatever you want, where is the problem ? Filling it wrong ?

I swear people just make shit up only to hear themselves speak

 

[19Scout77]

Tony, shoot a note to Stu at redtac. I have one of his prototype lightweight bags he made a few years ago. I do not know what is in it but the entire thing weighs around 2.5oz.

 

[Mulga]

For Fill,

I personally like the current weight of the fill, but also recommended Tony add a new size to the stable, something 3" larger all around, in the zipper design to let the End User adjust it as necessary. That is my vote.

+ 1 I agree. KISS

 

[TheGerman]

I'm sure Tony will test the hell out of that thing before giving it his stamp of approval...... quality and materials are not the problem. I can appreciate the ability to fill the bag to my liking, but its a bit different then hauling around a bag of beads so you can stuff and unstuff your rear bag to suit every little different shooting requirement/ position is going to cause problems........

Personally I think we should fill our rear bags with Peeps.

That way I can cram as many in there as will fit, and as I need a lower bag, I just eat a Peep.

 

[Nate O.]

Personally I think we should fill our rear bags with Peeps.

That way I can cram as many in there as will fit, and as I need a lower bag, I just eat a Peep.

Mmmm.....peeps

 

[flounderv2]

Like I said. --> Air Bladder

Adjustable more than any other fill
Nothing extra to carry
Nothing to lose
No added weight when filled, etc.
Easily fixed by end user without having to send back
Multi Purpose - Pillow, Bag to carry other crap in when bladder is deflated, possibly store water in if emergency.

Think of all the military / hunting applications in environments where you want to carry the least amount of weight with most functionality.

 

[dddoo7]

Like I said. --> Air Bladder

Adjustable more than any other fill
Nothing extra to carry
Nothing to lose
No added weight when filled, etc.
Easily fixed by end user without having to send back
Multi Purpose - Pillow, Bag to carry other crap in when bladder is deflated, possibly store water in if emergency.

Think of all the military / hunting applications in environments where you want to carry the least amount of weight with most functionality.

I have used camping mats that had a twist valve to fill them with. They even had foam inside so that they would inflate themselves. I don't see why the same principle wouldn't work for a rear bag. It would be almost instantly infinitely adjustable...and you wouldn't need a pump or even your own breath if it had foam inside the bladder.

 

[Lowlight]

Here is the current Zipper Pouch

TAB GEAR Zipper Pouch Rear Bag - YouTube

 

[flounderv2]

I have used camping mats that had a twist valve to fill them with. They even had foam inside so that they would inflate themselves. I don't see why the same principle wouldn't work for a rear bag. It would be almost instantly infinitely adjustable...and you wouldn't need a pump or even your own breath if it had foam inside the bladder.

That was the exact concept I was going with. Same twist valve as on sleeping bag mats. I couldnt remember where I saw the valves I had been thinking of. Thanks!!!

 

[taliv]

air bladder sounds like an interesting idea, but i wonder if it wouldn't compress and 'bounce' a lot under recoil. seems unlikely that it would return to original position in time to see impact, but i could be wrong. would be cool if you could make it work

i like the poly fill micro beads. they are light weight enough that hanging a small rear bag on the gun and a medium bag on my pack is really minimal weight and worth carrying.

if my str8 laced bag has compressed or settled in over time i haven't noticed. it was ordered with 50% fill and i like it like that.

 

[TRAAV]

That was the exact concept I was going with. Same twist valve as on sleeping bag mats. I couldnt remember where I saw the valves I had been thinking of. Thanks!!!

I had a seat cushion for hunting that had one of these. You could open the valve then pull the cushion apart (to fill it) then close the valve. Then you could open it up and roll the pad up and close the valve and it would stay rolled up.
I think this is a good idea. I would like to see someone play around with this.

 

[TRAAV]

I had a seat cushion for hunting that had one of these. You could open the valve then pull the cushion apart (to fill it) then close the valve. Then you could open it up and roll the pad up and close the valve and it would stay rolled up.
I think this is a good idea. I would like to see someone play around with this.

Like this
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00025DAX2?pc_redir=1407326470&robot_redir=1

 

[Tburkes]

Wow, I had no idea that this would take off into the discussion that it has.

I appreciate all of your input and suggestions. I was contacted by a member by phone who gave me some very promising information to acquire some product in bulk. If/when we get some in and make a bag with it he will get the first one that is ready for market.

flounderv2, nice idea, I'll look into that as I'm researching suppliers.

There you go Ronin1973 now you won't have to call around looking for my suppliers, you've got several to choose from here.

R.Walters, no problem, whenever it's convenient for you.

SingleShot85, so far the zipper is holding up pretty well. It may not be as bullet proof as a sewn shut bag, but I think the advantage of what the zipper allows you to do is worth it.

TheGerman, I'll make a prototype sized about 1.5-2" this week and give it a test and report back here with pictures for you guys to look at. I hear you guys talking, we can deliver on this easily, I just have to get caught up. I just picked up 3000 pounds of the regular pellets we use so we're set for a while on supplies.

No worries at all Triad.

19Scout77, thanks, I haven't talked to Stu in a while, that'll be a good excuse to touch base with him.

When Frank was down shooting videos we talked about this a bit and there has been quite a bit of request for a larger sized bag recently. I have been kicking the idea of the user fillable version around for about a year. We'll be making a larger bag that is sewn shut as well as multiple sizes of the refillable version too.

TRAAV, interesting, I'll have to look around for different sizes of that. The only thing is is that the only way I could get a decent price on something like that would be to purchase a container load from China. Since I can't justify that I'd have to buy them from say Amazon for $17.50. By the time I've got the item here and made a pouch for it to go into you'll have $50-$70 retail price in the bag. Are you guys ready to spend that kind of money on a rear bag?

 

[Ronin1973]

Mr.Burkes,
My apoligies if you took my "tag for later" as a way to find suppliers, that was not my intent, as I do not manufacture anything. My intent was to watch how this thread was going to go. The last time there was a thread about larger pillows it went viral and had to be deleted.

Also forgive me, but what your accusing me of, is that not what you doing?

"TAB GEAR request for help:"
Do any of you know what the guys are using as a filler in the big pillow looking bags that have become popular?
If someone can turn me on to a supplier that can supply these in wholesale quantities."

Why not just call Wiebad, Str8laced, or any other manufacturer using that fill in their bags and ask them for help?

Again, I'm sorry you took my "tag for later" as something against you.

 

[THibben]

Morning Tony,

If you're not too worried about the filling 'locking up nice' then perhaps look at the macro spheres that are used in the production of syntactic foams for ROv's etc. various sizes and extremely strong, very light.

Or perhaps a different design approach, rather than the filling perhaps a step change in concept, will call you later, need to catch up.

Trying to get my head round putting a 'spring' i.e. an air bag, under the rear end of the rifle to get it steady? Perhaps I look at the function of a rear bag in a different light?

Frank, not shot a US match in a while but putting the brakes on stoooopid gaming is essential. Anything that the 'practical' crowd touches ends up &ucked up! Take a look at their guns/rigs/stages and what happened to CAS due to their influence?

TTFN Terry

 

[halloween]

Hello,

We use micro-balls of polystyrene ( without phthalates ) to fill our bags and our
customers are quite happy about it.

Possible to use in front or rear bags, rear bags filled like this
are only 75 grammes

You just need to refill it frequently because they lost little bit of volume when using
intensivly. Possible to reduce this effect by choosing bigger polystyrene balls diameter.
Anyway this kind of micro-balls are available in all baby shops, it's used to refill pregnants
womens pillows.

 

[dddoo7]

Like this
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00025DAX2?pc_redir=1407326470&robot_redir=1

I liked this idea so much that I ordered a thermarest lumbar pillow to try. I was going to make a 1000D cover for it and use it as a rear bag, but after trying it for a few minutes I found that it is not nearly as stable as a bean bag. The crosshairs shake a whole lot more.

 

[TheGerman]

Thanks for looking into making a bigger bag.

I still think there needs to be a 'fill it with Peeps' option.

 

[ZombieMonkey]

A larger bag with the same type of fill as the original would be my vote, I like the current fill as your bag has replaced my other options for about 90% of the shooting I do. Something a little bigger for when required might be nice.

 

[SniperCJ]

Wow, who kicked your puppy this morning. Open your mind and think for a second before you speak. I never said anything about pumps now did I. You obviously have a set of lungs so use those to fill your bag. The point is functionality and flexibility both for the maker and the shooter. I bet you didnt complain when adjustable cheek pieces came out did you.

I can tell you for a fact that there are plenty of matches and situations where an adjustable bag would be a godsend. Have you not seen the recent posts of people complaining about guys carrying 5-7 bags around at a match. Thats the point. They do that because they all serve their own purpose. Two weeks ago down at PTS, guys were borrowing bags from others because of the positional requirement on some of the stages. They took a tac pac and pump pillow or 2 pump pillows and doubled them up tight under the forend of the rifle because of the position. Think about it. you can have 1 bag thats adjustable to fit all your needs. So you spend say $80 on that bag instead of $80, 120, 95 on multiple bags.

Or you *could* just learn how to shoot your rifle. Rear bags, ballistic computers, wind meters, its all gotten a *bit* ridiculous.

I personally don't like anything lighter than poly beads. The lighter fill seems to all be some sort of Styrofoam that ends up crushing into dust eventually.