Bum Bag Fillers: a Weighty Matter

[gokidd]

You know the credit card commercial tagline -- "So what's in your wallet?"
I was wondering something similar: "So what's in your bum bag?"

This being my first season in WFTF, I was dragging around my bum bag, knee roll and 15-pound rifle this past weekend for a 70-shot contest.
After I got home and was sort of totally exhausted, I kinda wondered if I could stand to lose some weight ... from my shooting kit, of course.
(Heavens, I'm not giving up IPA or Cheez Whiz for nobody!)

Asking around the forum, there was no consensus on the lightest, bestest filler for a bum bag.
(No consensus on GTA? Gee, insert a Shocked Face here.)

Through blind luck, I Googled up a sheet of common material weights compiled by the folks at Tapco who manufacture and sell dandy big machinery for the huge grain silos you see all through the Midwest.
You can download it here http://www.tapcoinc.com/content/product_data/Tapco_Catalog_09_p88-94.pdf

Here are a few of my favorites for comparison. Each weight is for one cubic foot:

Ground recycled rubber -- 23 to 50 lbs. (This is the filling in my kneeling roll.)
Ground corn cobs -- 17 lbs. (This is what I have used in my bum bag up to now, Hartz Mountain small animal bedding.)
Granulated cork -- 10 lbs.
Navy beans -- 48 lbs.
Dry guano -- 70 lbs.
Dried sewage sludge -- 40 to 50 lbs.

I also researched Buckwheat hulls from another site -- 9 lbs. per cubic foot

So there ya go.
Options.

B

[gokidd]

Wahoo ... changed out my filler material for buckwheat hulls.
Lost 5 pounds of carrying weight between the kneeling roll and the bum bag.
I bought 10 pounds of the hulls and had maybe one pound left over.
B

[JP806]

Hi Bob
I also ordered the buckwheat hulls.
But
I found something much lighter and with almost the same support. polystyrene micro beads. It's spendy...and more expensive than the buckwheat hull....it's only money....right. We need to keep the economy going.

I mixed these in with my buckwheat hulls (50/50 blend). It's a good compromise between cost and weight. (I made the mistake of getting the cheaper lager bead size). If you get the micro size, you probably do not need to mix them.

Look at these attributes

"Say NO to lumpy chairs caused by cheaper larger pea sized beans.
Larger pellets don't conform to your body as well. GET A 2 PACK HERE:
These micro spheres make your bean bag chair feel silky smooth like fluid."

How can anyone say no to silky smooth comfort?

[DonC]

For very low cost I bought from Target, a bag of bean bag chair refill pellets. They do loose loft after extended use but I just add or replace when needed. My bag is so light I installed a clip on the bag strap and clip the bag to my rear belt loop when I'm walking. This leaves my hands free to carry other Field Target items.

[R.K.]

How about air.  Can't remember where or when I got it but(t) how about a self inflating seat cushion.

[JP806]

Hi Richard
I think that's a good suggestion for general use.

But(t) for FT....it may not be practical. What we need is a stable platform to shoot from. like sandbags to rest your rifles.

These bum bags are basically sand bags for your butt. The air cushion may just be a bit too bouncy to provide stability.

[gonzav]

I cut up the open cell foam padding Pyramid Air uses for shipping their pellets. I cut them to 1” cubes. They are compress and recover. No need to refill. Extremely light weight for my bum bag. You can cut them down to 1/2” cubes if you want more comfort.

[Rick67]

I have used rubber dust on my bags but they are heavy, although I just bench them.

Those companies/shops who do tire rethreading have them for free, lol!

[HunterWhite]

How about this stuff?

https://magicwatersupply.com/collections/packing-peanuts/products/1-4-cu-ft-white-bio-tube-recycled-anti-static-packing-peanuts-tube-shape-loose-fill-magicwater-supply

Hunter

[mobilemail]

How about a bag of rice or dried beans? Not too expensive, and a great backup if you forget lunch.