Equipment Bag - Which style fits you needs?
Over the past few years one piece of baseball equipment has undergone massive change - the player's equipment bag. Enough change that it can be very hard for people to narrow down the bag that is right for them. Where once there was only one or two variations of the same bag there is now several different styles of bags in dozens of different colors and sizes.
There are three different styles of equipment bags that players use nowadays:
Deciding which one of these types of equipment bags is right for you starts with understanding your needs as a player, coach or parent.
Each one of these styles has different purposes and needs in mind. Understanding those needs starts with evaluating what kind of bag you had previously and how it served you.
If you are simply replacing a bag because it has worn out but is otherwise functional, try to stay within that bag style unless you anticipate a significant change. If you are bag that is more spacious or takes up less room than it is important to understand the characteristics of each style.
By far the most popular style for young baseball players today, the backpack or batpack is a blend of style and convenience that young athletes can't get enough of.
The batpack looks and wears like an ordinary backpack but is set up completely different on the inside. Instead of places for books and binders, the batpack has places to carry gloves, bats and other baseball equipment.
The
DeMarini Voodoo Rebirth Backpack for example, is a new batpack that carries up to two bats, your glove, helmet and other gear as well. This equipment bag even comes with a special compartment for cleats that is home to a ventilation system to help reduce odor.
Fresh for 2017, the Voodoo Rebirth also comes in a host of eye-popping colors.
The batpack style equipment bag is for players with a small amount of equipment. The batpack is not for holding catchers gear or multiple helmets. Any player who expects to have to carry multiple pairs of cleats or several gloves may want to look for a bigger style equipment bag.
Player bags are the equipment bag style that most closely resembles the bags of the past. They have the familiar elongated shape with the space for two (or sometimes more) bats. The
Louisville Slugger Series 7, for example, can hold up to 4 bats.
The Player Bag tends to be more spacious than the batpacks but is not as convenient to carry. Player Bags are easy to throw over the shoulder and most new models come with wheels. The wheeled models allow you to tow your bag easily over hard surfaces and takes the strain off your back and shoulders.
Most models of players bags are not large enough that they can fit catchers gear safely inside. There are some, however, like the new
Wilson Pudge 2.0, that are large enough to carry catchers gear comfortably.
Team Bags are for those needing as much space as possible in their equipment bag. The design of these Team Bags are to hold a large amount of equipment. They are often used by coaches to carry his or her team's equipment. They can also be used as an equipment bag by catchers. Catchers often have trouble finding an equipment bag large enough for their equipment especially if they play multiple positions. Because of their varied uses, Team Bags like the
Allstar Oversized Wheel Bag, are constructed with durability as a top priority.
Parents responsible for multiple children or for transporting a lot of equipment will find team bags very effective. The versatility of these equipment bags allow them to have uses many times over a number of years.
