Sand Bag Workout for under $35.00

After reading through a lot of the GoRuck info (because I'm totally obsessing over completing one), I noticed they are now allowing you to use sand bags instead of those bricks!  I did a 3 mile walk with those bricks.  It sucked.  I don't care how much padding there is, they still seem "sharp." My back was tender the next day! I was having a hard time imagining walking, jogging, trekking, doing pushups and bear crawls for 8-10 hours with that digging into my back.

Considering I don't know how long it will take for my ankle to heal and I don't want to spend a whole lot of money (because there are race entries to buy!!), I decided to do some research on making my own sand bags.  Sand bag systems which include a duffel bag of sorts and a number of empty sand bags designed to hold 5-20 lbs of sand each are EXPENSIVE!  The cheapest one I found was a 60 lb set for $42 on eBay which actually seemed relatively reasonable, but I wanted more options and combinations than what the kit provided. Even the "sand bells" that we carry for an obstacle in a Spartan race are $20+...IT'S A SAND BAG!!!!  Then you have to go buy sand.  Sand is relatively cheap, but still!  It just seems crazy how they are priced.

Here is the supply list:
Zip lock baggies (gallon and quart sizes)
3 mil contractor trash bags
Duct tape (I used two 10 yd. rolls)
Sand
Scale
2-3 pairs of old jeans (men's work best - bigger legs)
Velcro (I used "industrial strength" which was sticky back...and not to friendly on the sewing machine)
Sharpie
Sewing machine and all the notions that go with it - thread, scissors, tape measure (if you're picky), pins if you want everything to hold still (I hate pins).

My first task was to fill the zip locks full of my desired weight of sand.  This was kind of a two step process.  I'd fill one zip lock, weigh it, then dump it into a NEW zip lock because dust was getting in the zipper and making it break.  The purpose of the zip locks was mainly for form since I thought using a HUGE bag would be difficult when it came time to shape.

Next, I taped the top of the zip lock closed with duct tape.

Remember to squeeze the air out before you duct tape them shut.


With a 60 lb. bag, I ended up with 5 10 lb. bags, 1 5 lb. bag and 1 3 lb. bag.  I'm going to guess that since my digital scale only did 1/2 lb. increments that some of them could be off by about 1/4 of a lb. to cause only 3 lbs. to be left.  Oh well.



Next, shove the sand bag inside of a contractor trash bad and start rolling into a neat little package.

Yeah - spacing/layout sucks...one day I'll care enough to learn HTML to fix it.

Eventually, it will roll up into a nice neat little package.










Getting smaller.  Press the air out.

Now wrap it in lots of duct tape! You could cover the whole thing but I really just wanted enough to give it some shape and hold the rolled parts of the bag in place while sealing the final edges.

The jeans - kind of a crappy picture, BUT they are jeans...and I think everyone knows what they look like.

The reason they almost look new is because my friend works for a clothing retailer.  These were returned because the back pocket rivet was ripping out of the pants leaving a hole.  They were going to be trashed, but he rescued them.










Next, measure.  You could be technical and account for fancy seams and hems and such...but I plan on beating these.  They will almost ALWAYS be inside of another bag, so I wasn't really picky about it.  This was how I measured: Lay out everything on top of the jeans and cut with a little bit of hem/finishing room to spare.

Flip the jeans inside out to prep for sewing.

If you are starting to reach the upper thigh part of the jeans, you may wish to add a seam for more of a straight line.

It's really a lot more straight looking, I swear.  I just did two rows of straight stitch.  I don't really know my stitches...and even after 15 years using the same sewing machine, I still don't have a clue how to really adjust everything to make it do the fancy stuff.

This was the already finished bottom of the jeans.  This worked well for my quart sized bags of sand (5 lbs. or less).

Next, stick on your Velcro.  Since I knew it would be holding a bit of weight and I MIGHT some day add some nylon straps, I wanted to make sure it stayed so I sewed around all of the edges of the Velcro.

When I had two unfinished edges of denim, I stuck the Velcro over top of the top unfinished edge thinking it might help with some of the "catching" of the bag and subsequent unraveling should I take the sand out.

Once you flip it back right side out and stuff your sand bags into it. Here is what it looks like.

I used a sharpie to write the weight on the outside.  It wasn't like they were designed to hold much more than that so I didn't have any issues permanently marking them (sometimes I have commitment issues). 

I really just need one more pair of jeans to cover my last sand bag, but you could always use a larger portion of the leg and stick two sand bags in tight for a 20 lb. bag.

This pic reminds me of minions for some reason....

Now to wait for my back ordered duffel bag from Amazon - worst case, I pay the extra $1 and get it in OD green. I just like black because pink accents look better on it :)

Cost:
Duct tape: $4.00
Sand: $4.00
Trash Bags: $16.00 for a box of 32. I used 7 bags for a total of $3.50.  You could probably use regular trash bags and just add more duct tape too. 
Industrial Strength Velcro: $8.00
Baggies: Had them. Won't miss them.
Sharpie: Had it.
Jeans: Donated.
Duffel Bag: $14.00

Grand Total: $33.50

Now....what to do with the left over butt of the jeans... maybe a Kindle case or a bag or a yoga mat carrier even though I HATE yoga!

Oh - and for those of you who ended up with the sticky Velcro