What do you guys...

What do you guys use to fill your Bean Bag ? I know the usual, rice, dried peas, bird seed, dirt etc etc but was wondering if anyone had found something light but still stable ???

Terry

In the past I've dabbled with little polystyrene balls about the size of small peas. I bought them from a shop selling fabric and wool and so on. They don't 'settle' in the bag and mould around the camera quite as well as things like rice etc. but they obviously make the bag much lighter. As such, I found myself using the bag more often - with a heavier filling I was often inclined to leave it at home.

Michael S

Bird seed... or polyballs that are in bean bags if its a long long walk. I tend to find the weight of the 500 means the the polybeads will move and mould around the lens.

Hi Terry

I have two bean bags, one filled with pearl barley seed (it was going cheap in ASDA!) and another lightweight bag filled with small polystyrene beads. I prefer the heavier bag, it's a bit more solid as a support, but if I am yomping a long way the lighter bag is much easier to carry.

cheers

Sean

HDPE beads are the best in my opinion, if you can find them. They have mass, but not too heavy, and don't rot or make a mess (rice and other seeds) if the bag gets wet. Polystyrene or other light weight materials don't really provide enough lateral support. Don't put "dirt" inside the beanbag at any cost. Every time you move the bag, adjust the position of the camera, more dust will come out onto your equipment - definitely bad news.

Thanks for all the advise guys, gives me a few things to consider

Terry

Sunflower seeds, quite light, very stable, and a useful back up for tempting the subject a little closer
Best wishes
Phil

I have a bag fillled with the ploysterene (macaroni) that Grays of Westminster pack around gioods. It weighs naff all was totally free and works well, provided it does not blow away"

Where can you buy HDPE or polystyrene beads from? Does anyone know of a waterproof beanbag supplier? Used rice (and pasta when I got a rip and lost the rice) while on Mull and everything got soaked and the beanbag swelled up. The whole thing went rotten after two weeks as it was soaked in salt water everyday. Any suggestions appreciated!

"The whole thing went rotten after two weeks as it was soaked in salt water everyday." - Hi Elliot, I always have a plastic bag or 2 with me 'just in case' they come in handy

Terry

Put an over sized plastic bag insider the bean bag and put the stuff in that...works fine,

T

The Kinesis Safari Sack, sold in the NPN store, is water resistant, if not completely waterproof. The birdseed I`ve been carrying around in it for a couple of years has still not rotted, despite using it frequently on damp ground, and in the rain.

Hi, Thanks for the suggestions. Am worried that a plastic bag is too noisy for wary critters though. Any thoughts? Have always thought it strange that Waildlife Watching Supplies sells waterproof covers for everything apart from the one thing that is guaranteed to get wet... your beanbag. Will look at the Kinesis... cheers.