Best Bean Bag for Birds?

Many of my best bird opportunities come when I use a bean bag from a car. I'm embarrassed to admit that up to this point I've used a sturdy, stretchy sock filled with beans and tied off at one end which has obvious disadvantages.

I'm wondering what some of the rest of you who use a bean bag in similar circumstances might use. I see that Naturescapes is offering a new "Wildlife Imaging Bean Bag" - does anyone have experience with it? Any other recommendations?

Typically I'm using a Canon 500 f/4 with 1.4 tc in a compact car. Thanks for any suggestions.

Ron, I built my own and had my wife sew up the end.

I took part of a pants leg off a heavy twill camo coverall that had worn out in other places. Sewed up one end, bought several bags of the smallest dried beans I could find, took them out of the bags they came in and put them in a big plastic bag. Inserted the bag into the open end of the camo and had my wife hem it with just a little room left for the beans to move around. Only cost was the cost of the beans. I don't use it much, but when I do it's a great thing. Just sits on the floor of my SUV when I'm not using it. There's enough looseness in the bag that I can drape it over a car window or windowsill and it settles in very well. It's also about 1.5 feet long and as big around as a loaf of bread, sort of. If I remember right it took 8 to 10 lbs of beans to fill it.

I use the BLUBB (Big Lens Ultimate Bean Bag) from Artie Morris and find it to be a very good product.

Hi Ron,
I have a nylon bag that is the size and shape I like to use. When I go overseas I just buy some rice and fill it. Then I leave the rice behind with someone there to eat when finished. I also use the same bag here filled with rice. I prefer to use rice, although I've heard that beans are good for your heart

Look at the Kinesis Photo Safarisack. Well built! kinesisgear.com

About 10 years ago when I went to South Africa, we bought a 2 kg (4.4 pound) bag of rice down there.. Like Ron above, you can get a bag of rice anywhere. And later, you can just eat it. I also think it works much better than beans.

If you want to make a good bag, cut off a leg of an old, worn out pair of pants. Turn it inside out and the sew one end shut. Turn it right side out and add the rice, or whatever. Finally, sow the other end shut.

Thanks to all five of you for the input. I'll check out the Kinesis and BLUBB versions and likely have to buy one of those or possibly the one from Naturescapes. I'd like to make my own but I can't sew and it would be cheaper in many ways to buy one that it would to marry a seamstress.

I bought a Molar Bean Bag from Vertex Photographic, and I love it. This thing is really strongly made, affordable at $39, just fill with beans, put it on your car door, and get your camera into position. I can't say enough good stuff about this bag, I'm rough on stuff like this, and it's still holding up like it's brand new, and going on two years old.

I searched high and low for a good car door mount, and got this one right the first time around! Here's a link to the website where you can get more info:

http://www.vertexphoto.com/BeanBag.aspx

One more thing, I've used this on my 4x4's hood when I wanted a shot I didn't have time to get my tripod for, and it worked extremely well.

Nancy

Ron,

I shoot almost exclusively from the car and use Kirk's fat bag. I've been very pleased with it. Kirk is one of the retailers listed here on the site.

Pat

I got into a situation with no beans or rice, so I stuffed my Kenesis with spare polypro vests, long johns and socks. Actually worked better than beans or rice. Fine for me in colder climates, but maybe a problem to come up with polypro in warm climes. Sure weighs a lot less, plus it uses gear I already have on hand.

Hi Ron:
I found a pattern somewhere on the web (I cannot find the pattern anymore) and made my own beanbag. Basically, it is 2 rectangular "boxes" sewed together in the middle. JoAnn fabrics has small styrofoam beads that I used to fill it. It probably isn't quite as stable as a real bean beanbag but it is a whole lot lighter and still pretty stable. If I find the pattern I'll try to post the source but I have been looking off and on for 6 months and haven't found it yet!
RP

I have switched to filling mine with bird seed. About the same size/shape/consistency as rice and can have other uses as well. I have the one that NPN sells and it lives in the car. Don't use it all that much but its nice to have in a jam.

Drew

Richard, is this the article you're after? http://www.web-nat.com/bic/ont/tips26.html
I've made mine according to that article and it works great.