Calling all 29" Mother Lode users

[boyinr]

My 33" Diamond has become a pain due to the zippers and such.  I had it for more 10 years in and out of a truck bed.  No complaints but, I was looking for something different, so I went with the ebags Mother Lode 29".  I know one of the things that I will need to get over is, the Diamond literally held a weeks work of stuff (pack it up on Sunday evening and it was good to go), I carried almost two of everything and had a dedicated shoe compartment. 

If it helps, I typically hang up shirts, pullover/jackets and pants.  With the Diamond I have a plastic tub in the bottom with clean underclothes, tees, socks, jocks, tights, hats and room for base shoes.  I used the top for plate gear (2 masks) and plate shoes on the end compartment.  The cover stored all the indicators, stopwatches, plate brushes, hand warmers, etc.....      

My question is how do you pack this?  Gear on the top or the bottom?  Where do you put plate and base shoes?  I see the top and 2 side accessory pockets. What goes in there?

Looking to get started in the right direction with some solid advice from some experienced users.  

[JHumbert15]

I’ll give you a brief rundown of mine.

Top/First Area: Gear. Shin guards, mask, CP. In the smaller “mesh” zipper area on the underside of the zipper top flap, I put an umplife accessory bag.

Bottom Area: I put my umplife hat carrier, Skully, extra mask in an UL Mask Bag, and another accessory bag which holds my patches and rulebooks (the ref smart accessory pouch. Then you have 2 mesh zipper areas there as well. Left side gets 2 ball bags (main use). Right side gets 2 extra black and 1 navy (ew, thanks OHSAA) ball bags. 
 

The small zipper area by the handle at the front gets shoe cleaning stuff. Rags, scrubbing bubbles, etc.

Finally, the 2 side zippered areas. One gets belt, gloves, and sunglasses, and the other (pretty much never opened) gets extra harnesses- mask, CP, and ref smart timer box w instructions and batteries.

 

I know a few people that put shoes in the bottom as well. I have 2 Force 3 bags that I put them in and then put the bags over the handles. 
 

Uniform will be getting an UL garment bag once it’s back in stock.

[JSam21]

In the top, I have my plate gear and shoes (Base and plate). I wear size 13 so you can fit them in there. The mesh holder in the top I have my shirt stays. Bottom depends on what is going on. If I'm working a weekend set with a locker room, I put all of my uniforms, pants, socks, jock, under shirts, jackets, ball bags, etc, in there. The mesh areas in the bottom contain rule books/manuals/memo binder in one, indicators, plate brushes, and extra shoe laces in the other. External side pockets, one side has my cold weather accessories (3 pairs of gloves, hood, hand warmers) the other contains writing and timing accessories, (two line up wallets, extra pens, a bag of notecards/conference/replay tracking cards, a box with belt timer, stopwatch, extra batteries, and stubby screwdriver), top external pouch hold two belts, sunscreen, chap stick, forgotten convertible jacket sleeves, and sunglass cleaning clothes. I clip a cap carrier to the soft handle at the top of the bag which stores my hats and sunglasses. 

Shoe cleaning stuff I carry separately in a plastic shoe box.  

[elares]

Top: CP, shins, mask.

Top small pocket near handle: line-up card holder, indicators, pens, spare shoe laces, patches, snack bars

Bottom: shoes, hats, belt, ball bags, clothing

side pocket1. gloves, ear covers, arm warmers, gator

side pocket 2. sun screen, snack bars, sun block arm covers