The sport of polo requires equipment that needs to be kept in pristine condition for the player to excel. The gear requires a backpack that compartmentalizes the stuff so that nothing that touches the feet is close to the gear for the head. From the mallets and helmet to the saddle, knee guard, belts, and boots, every item needs a canopy of its own.
The accoutrements for polo generally require three kinds of bags to complete the set- a mallet bag, a gear or kit bag, and a bag for the boots. It is also often the case that the gear bag would be large enough to fit even the boots.
Things to Remember
Since the sport requires a plethora of things before the player is ready, carrying the commodious paraphernalia around can feel taxing at times. The player, thus, needs to strike the right balance between stuffing everything into one bag only to find the equipment damaged and fitting it into multiple cumbersome bags which makes repacking another daunting exercise.
Hitting the sweet spot of careful but not cumbersome would require some thought based on the player’s frequency of matches and the cost of their equipment along with their dedication to the sport.
Also, keep in mind that expensive does not always amount to superior quality. Fancy backpacks can follow years of professional playing, but material quality, zipper quality, and economical designs are a staple even at lower budgets. With these, one should never compromise.
The professional with expensive gear- multiple mallets, high-end boots- should opt for not one but three separate bags to form the backpack. This ensures that all the components stay in their respective compartments refraining from spilling out and damaging the rest.
For the regular player, always on the go, a rucksack-sized multipurpose bag will be a boon. No more keeping track of multiple bags and the knick-knacks that go in each. One bag worn on the shoulders- and the player is ready to take on the world- quite literally.
Even for the enthusiast or amateur, the equipment is a huge investment. So, another investment in secure sheathing for at least the mallets along with a large kit bag for the rest would be useful.
However, these are merely tentative indicators. The rest of the guide focuses on the different kinds of polo backpack units and their respective strengths. It remains up to the reader to gauge which of these would prove the most useful for them.
Read on to know more and make the right choice.
Mallet Bag- The Batons for the Game
The mallet or stick bag can make or break your polo matches. Depending upon the horse one is riding, the average polo mallet would range from 50 inches to 53 inches and the player will keep a few handy for contingencies. The professional might also like to carry a foot mallet for practice off-mount. The best and most spacious mallet bag will have room for 12-15 mallets. Some even allow for up to 20 mallets. It is useful to have bags that are specifically designed to avoid the entanglement of the slings with the mallet heads, thereby avoiding damage to the equipment.
Both nylon and polyester work well in terms of water resistance and should be chosen. These materials also make cleaning the bag easier. The bag can be either the rolled-up kind or the zippered variety. One should ensure that the zipper works fine and the rolled-up bag has proper slots for the mallets so they don’t end up in a tangled bunch.
Kit Bag- Miscellaneous Gear
The mallets are but a quarter of the recipe for a victorious match. The rest of the gear- helmets, gloves, a saddle, and even a ball- requires a safe nook of its own before each match. Enter the kit or gear bag. A kit bag is where the player would ideally leave the rest of their valuables during playtime. Having been designed for this purpose, such bags usually have multiple small and medium-sized pockets to allow the person to keep phones, wallets, and playing gear separately, in designated spaces.
These bags, with their humongous room for knick-knacks, are generally marketed as multipurpose, weekend getaway bags, which balances out their steep prices.
This is a bag designed to preclude damage by water and carry a heavy load. The best ones will come with padded and adjustable shoulder straps to provide comfort over long hours of lugging.
Boot Bag- Carrying Home the Grime
The boots are quite literally the foot soldiers on the polo field. They suffer much wear and tear and come out soiled and dirty by the end of the match. They require a carrier that does not start emanating a stench while on the way back and one that allows for stainless transportation.
Boot bags are generally l-shaped matching the shape of the boots. A zipper of premium quality is a must to stow away the dirt-laden pair. The latest innovation has been on the sides of the bag that now come with a mesh on each side to allow ventilation. This is the easiest way to stop odor build-up, especially if the player sweats a lot.
The convenience is augmented with grab handles that enable easy transportation. However, what is especially important when looking for such bags is their material. A polyester canvas will make cleaning as easy as wiping the dirt with a wet cloth and voila! It becomes spotless. For a bag meant to carry grime and grease, this is a fundamental attribute that should make or mar your purchase.
The All-purpose Mallet Bag- One-stop Shop
Such a bag is on the pricier end of the spectrum, but worth the money if the player is a Don Quixote of the polo world- wandering and looking for polo tournaments to prove their prowess; or has densely-packed days of polo practice. These are large bags, compartmentalized vertically to allow different sections for the myriad polo equipment.
A main large compartment in the middle provides room for the mallets, as many as 20 of them, while the compartments at the top and bottom are ideal for keeping your helmets, gloves, saddle, and boots, respectively.
This bag is designed for heavy lugging and is made of water-resistant material. It comes with padded and detachable shoulder pads that can ease the weight on the back. It makes traveling over long distances easy and even something you can look forward to.
Conclusion
There is the obvious factor of competence and skill associated with winning a polo match, but it does not minimize the role of top-notch equipment that has been revered and handled gingerly by the sportsperson. To foster true dedication to the sport, it is important to underscore the idea of the right backpack to sheathe the appropriate equipment. It is not something to be brushed off lightly. This compact guide should come in handy as soon as the thought of dabbling in polo and buying the gear comes to mind. The right gear deserves the right kind of protection.