My long time trainer and friend is moving at the end of the year and I want to get her a nice gift. Limit is about $200. What are your favorite ringside backpacks?
She is in her 30s, usually showing on her own with 2-3 horses. Sometimes she has a student or two.
Love my Samshield leather backpack, but that’s probably a bit above your mentioned budget.
The MaeLort backpacks looked super cute too.
I have a Noble backpack that I’ve been using for years, and it’s held up quite well. Knock wood.
I ended up ordering a Samshield iconpack from Europe. It was only about $10 more than the Maelort in navy (I got the navy iconpack) and I felt it was a little more her style. Not sure how long it’ll take to get here, but I hope she loves it…especially since I can’t return it.
That’s the one I have :). It comes with its own raincoat <3
I have the Noble Outfitters bag. I’ve found that it’s a lot of value for the price point. I’m not quite abusive to my equipment, but it has to hold up to a lot of use. Mine is a couple years old and still looks nearly new. Lots of pockets to stash everything, including a padded section that works great for my iPad. My only complaint is that the side mesh pockets that I use for water bottles could be a hair bigger- they seem to be sized for an average plastic water bottle, but some of the wider reusable bottles don’t fit.
I have the Samshield and I use it more for work and/or a carry on than the barn. It’s great!
I have an Ariat and a Noble and the Noble gets the nods because of the light colored interior fabric. It’s much easier to find things that plunge to the depths of the bag with the light gold fabric lining.
I was searching for a backpack and was hoping to find one under $100. I found these:
LÉTTIA Deluxe Backpack - Union Hill Equestrian Products & Supplies (lettia.com)
Horze Backpack | HorseLoverZ
I ordered the Lettia. Will report back once it arrives.
I ended up ordering the Samshield backpack from overseas for my trainer and she loves it. I purchased a Kerrits backpack for myself and I have been happy with it thus far.
If you’re willing to branch out and go to a sporting goods store, baseball backpacks are pretty ideal. Their size is great, have a pocket or strap for helmets, a pocket designed for a baseball bat fits whips pretty ideally. They come in plenty of colors.
Question. If you, as the rider, brings the backpack to the ring, who watches it while schooling / showing so it doesn’t grow legs and walk away? Where do you leave it while riding?
Sadly, you likely toss it in a corner by the schooling ring and monogram it or mark it with an identifying feature (ribbon, poof, etc) and pray! They do walk off from time to time… if you can find a small GPS tracker to stick in it… probably not a bad investment, especially if it’s going to hold your phone or wallet.
Different opinion on the Samshield bag: The zippers are sticky, WD-40 hasn’t helped much. A friend has had two of the zippers break. The bag is also very common, so it can be hard to spot at the ring. I love the idea of the baseball bag! I am going to try that.
Does anyone have a specific baseball bag they like?
I have a Grand Prix bag that I got secondhand and really like. It’s dying after some heavy use, but I’m reluctant to spend $100 for a replacement. I do like its pocket structure, which is better suited to gear. I feel like some of the bags are really work backpacks with an equestrian brand on them. And no way am I taking my laptop up to the ring, so I’d rather have more room for boots etc.
Went looking and I like the look of the Under Armour Utility Bat Pack. I like the roomy interior and the “cleat cubby”. Seems like the perfect size for split boots or wraps.
Just wanted to update on the Lettia Deluxe Backpack, I am sending it back. It’s quite flashy with all of the blingy zippers and I would prefer one a bit larger. The reason I am sending it back is that the zippers are very sticky to zip and unzip. One is almost impossible.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
