Tip: Source for big duffle bags for shade cloth, etc.

[ilmarinen]

Been thinking of writing-up some of those things I thought worked really well for us last year (2008), and some that didn't work so well. Starting with a (minor) success.

This may be silly, but boy were we glad for it at the time. We wanted bags or other storage for our large amounts of shade cloth (almost 3,000 sf), so we looked for cheap big duffle bags. Turns out the best deal we could find are bags intended for storage of artificial Christmas trees. There are a couple different kinds--the cheapest are made with tarp-like woven material, and then there are some made with a nylon fabric. The zippers are cheap, as are the straps, etc. However, they made strapping shade cloth to van roof rack much easier and are great for storing the cloth in our basements. Also works well for storing "squish" type stuff. The cheaper ones actually seemed to hold-up as well as the more expensive ones. Can easily fit over 1,000 sf of shade cloth in a bag and prices were $10-20/each online. I’m guessing there will be some sales on these after the holiday season. I’ve seen them in the big-box retail stores.

[cullen]

ebay and army surplus store is your friend.

duffel bags i think would be better long term.

[ilmarinen]

That was my first thought too, but didn't find anything near the size/price ratio of the xmas tree storage bags. Long run, might be cheaper to go with "real" duffel bags, but it'd take a number of years to make-up the price difference--and I didn't readily find duffels nearly as large as the xmas tree bags.

ebay and army surplus store is your friend.

duffel bags i think would be better long term.

[cullen]

how big are these bags?

[ibdave]

how big are these bags?

No you can't sneak in that way...

[cullen]

[ilmarinen]

The ones I have are 30" diameter by 60" long. (2.5' x 5'). Wouldn't try to be anything heavy in them, but shade cloth (woven and aluminet varieties) are light.

e.g.
http://www.organize.com/newchristreb.html#product-tabs
http://www.hangercity.com/newchristreb.html (order multiple and <$10 each)
http://tinyurl.com/5ov4m9 (got one of these for like $15 in the middle of summer)

how big are these bags?

[ilmarinen]

Of course, now that I look again, I do find some nearly-as-large duffles online (30"x50") for about 2x the price. So, those might be the better deal for durability.

[cullen]

i found 50 for 50 bucks. but i have no idea what i would do with all that if i did buy them. set up a burning man store outside gerlach?

[Dork]

I had good luck hitting up REI yard sales in the off-season. They often have brand new duffle bags with a zipper that's off-track, which is easy to fix. I've picked them up for $5 for the XXL size, which are real handy for keeping misc gear. They're tough enough to hold heavy, sharp stuff too - one held all the parts for a trampoline frame for a few years until the frame gave out.

[pinemom]

ahh...these are what are what we need for the Booby dome covers.
They fit great in 08' when the boobies were smaller...now that theyve grown so, they dont fit in any larger sized rubber maids anymore!

I actually was thinking of sewing some duffles for them. and screw the zippers...once playa dust gets into a zipper, its days are numbered!

[bdeywoo]

Roll up the shade cloth, bungie it with three bungies and you have the same effect. A long somewhat solid mass that can be easily strapped down and or molded and stuffed into a trailer. Also if you leave it where the wind can get at it on the way home you have a mostly dust free cover for next year!

[jackc]

[quote="cullen"]i found 50 for 50 bucks. but i have no idea what i would do with all that if i did buy them. set up a burning man store outside gerlach?[/quote]

I have an idea if you want more... :roll: :idea:

[AntiM]

jackc, go to your profile and enable your BBCode, then your quotes, etc. will work.

We use parachute bags and duffles for our carport coverings, camo netting, bedding and such. Some of them were free because MyLarry had them issued to him at one of his commands, and oh, the extras came home too after the decomm, but you can find them through surplus if you look and wait for the sales.
Yes, we already had our duffle bags too from the Navy. Larry even found one on I-15, with two really nice blankets in it. Literally fell off a truck. Someone will be ticked off.

For our carport poles, we roll them into a burrito made of billboard vinyl, which them becomes our base floor of the shade shelter.

[Turnip]

I found a tent-combo package on clearance at Walmart. It came with two camping chairs, two cheap sleeping bags, a cheap lantern and of course a tent. Better yet it was ALL stuffed into ONE huge zippered canvas bag that also had another zipper to extend the size of the bag. It also has a heavy duty handle and wheels. All on sale for $40 because it was February...

The tent wasn't worth crap, but the bag is amazing. Gotten about 4 years of use out of it with no signs of it breaking down. Wish it was a different color besides BRIGHT red, though. Shows dirt like a motherfucker.

[CornStar]

> in response to "once the playa hits zippers they are done for"

first of all, i have definitely gotten many fucked up zippers via playa, especially my tent after monday's rainstorm last year.

but since playa is just dust turned clay inside of the zippers, can't you just soak a clogged zipper and the clay dissolves?
... has anyone tried this?

[maartini]

i found 50 for 50 bucks. but i have no idea what i would do with all that if i did buy them. set up a burning man store outside gerlach?

I have an idea if you want more...

Then why you come here???

[mazatta]

I'd say hockey equipment bags, but that might out me as a Canadian.

[Bob]

Seattle has a great surplus store on 1st Ave near the Pike market, as I recall.

I get duffel bags at the little variety shoppes out on Mission or in Chinatown. They usually have those bungie ball things too.

[Packoderm]

I get duffel bags at the Goodwill just to use to take stuff home from the Goodwill store. I pay $1.39 per pound.

[Bob]

The Goodwill shoppes around here have gotten a little expensive, probably in response to all the hipsters and society matrons frequenting them.

[Packoderm]

We have an outlet center where they are constantly wheeling in bins of stuff. When they bring out a new bin, a crowd of people are waiting for it and dig into it like a frenzied, mass dumpster dive. I should videotape it sometime. One half of the store is clothes, and the other half is other stuff. That's where I got Coco. Despite the appearance, she's surprisingly moop free. I held her out the truck window going 70 mph, and nothing came loose.