My name is Levi Buckingham and I work for a backpack company in Bozeman, MT called the Mystery Ranch. The Mystery Ranch is owned by Renee Sippel-Baker and Dana Gleason, and some of you might have heard of their previous backpack company Dana Design. I grew up with Dana's twin sons, Dana and Paul, who are both designers here at the Ranch, and have known the Gleason family for almost 15 years. I am fortunate to work side by side the Gleasons as well as my brother Luke, my girlfriend Brigid, and many of my close friends. The Mystery Ranch is truly a large family that is growing more and more every day as our focus has expanded beyond simply backpacking and skiing and into firefighting, hunting, the military, and now Disc Golf! We are known for making the burliest, most durable backpacks in the world and stand by that claim with a LIFETIME WARRANTY. 100 % of our backpacks are made in the ol� U.S. of A, and I am proud to work for a company that supports people in my community and in our country as a whole.

I started playing disc golf about 10 years ago and have been playing competitively for about 3 years. I have been at the Mystery Ranch for a little over 2 years and started developing and designing the Golf Mahal just after starting. In that time I have been lucky enough to work in many different departments, including Materials Prep, Post-Production, Inspection, Shipping, and now Design & Quality Control. I was thus able to learn about the construction process and customer relations from beginning to end, starting with the design of the bag and working through the layout and cutting of the materials to the sewing of the bag and all the way through to inspection, finishing, and finally shipping the bags to our customers. I received an immense amount of help from my girlfriend and others in the beginning, but am now proficient in sewing and design. I have designed and built countless prototypes, all of which have been leading up to the Golf Mahal. It is my baby.

The bag is now ready and being built on our sewing floor as I write this. I will tell everyone now that the design of the bag is not final. I say this because I am receptive to the needs and criticisms of disc golfers, and hope to make changes to accommodate such as we go. The first production run includes only 20 bags, 12 of which are already sold through word of mouth and our blog alone. If you want more information or to look at more pictures please check out our blog at mysteryrants.com. The bag is not available on our website yet but will be soon, and if you want to pre-order a bag you can do so by calling us up and leaving a credit card on hold.

About the bag being $285 - I am fully aware that our backpacks are expensive, but you get what you pay for. Our construction methods go above and beyond any other manufacturer on the market to date, hence the lifetime warranty. Furthermore, every single bag goes through a rigorous inspection process during sewing, and then again when the bag is completed. Not to mention that we provide all of our employees with insurance, paid vacation, and good wages. The Mystery Ranch is a company that cares deeply about the products that we make and it shows. I have no qualms saying that these are the best backpacks in the world and I stand by every single one (many of which I have personally inspected).

Finally, I would like to announce Matt Orum, & Gregg Barsby as the newest editions to the Mystery Ranch Disc Golf Team. And for those that don�t already know, Montana's own Christian Deitrich and Seth White will be continuing on the team. I would like to thank them both for their support and help in developing the Golf Mahal. I have included a facts sheet and pictures of the 2 colors that we will be featuring for the first run. I hope you like what you see!

GOLF MAHAL FACTS SHEET:

Overview:

- LIFETIME WARRANTY
- Constructed Entirely in Bozeman, MT USA
- All Materials Coated with Teflon for Water Resistance
- Constructed of 500 & 1000 Denier Cordura with 500 x 1000 Denier X-Pack on Collapsible Side Compartments
- Waterproof Uretek Zipper on Side Compartments & Detail Pocket
- Umbrella Slot

Futura Yoke System:
- Small, Medium, and Large Yoke Sizing with Differently Sized & Shaped Shoulder Pads to Fit Varying Torso Sizes & Shapes
- Telescopic Adjustability of Yokes to Accommodate Any Length Torso
- Composite Adjuster Made From Recycled Plastic Shaped to the Torso
- Hydration System Ready with Hose Easily Lacing Through Shoulder Pad

Main Compartment:
- Holds 12-18 Discs
- Umbrella Slot Holds Umbrella While Wearing the Pack!!!
- Main Compartment & Putter Fly Lined with 200 Denier for Added Water Proofing
- Rain Flaps Over Main Compartment Sides
- Bottom Double Layered with 500 & 1000 Denier Cordura
- Main Compartment Sides Reinforced with 6lb Laminate Foam
- Main Compartment Front Reinforced with .060 HDPE Plastic

Collapsible Side Pockets:
- Hold 6-10 Discs, Rain Jacket/Fleece/Hoodie, Any Size Hydration Bladder
- Partially or Fully Collapse
- Uretek / Waterproof Zippers
- Lids Fold Into Umbrella Slot
- Hydration System Compatible

Putter Pocket:
- Holds 2; Discs can be Easily Accessed Even With Umbrella/Stool Compressed
- Compression Straps Pull Umbrella/Stool Off the Ground and to the Front of the Bag
- Mini-Marker Pocket Holds Any Size Mini

Detail Pockets:
- Waterproof Uretek Zippers
- Plenty of Room for Cell Phone, Keys, Pencils, etc.

Water Bottle Pockets:
- Grometted for Drainage
- Hold Any Size Bottle (Including Snugly Fitting Smaller Bottles)
- Wearer Can Easily Access Bottles While Wearing the Bag

Volume:

Main Compartment: 950 cu-in
Side Compartment: 325 cu-in each / 650 cu-in combined
Detail Pocket: 100 cu-in each / 200 cu-in combined
Total Volume: 1800 cu-in

Dimensions:

Width:
- Side Compartments Out: 26�
- Side Compartments Collapsed: 18�
- Front Only: 8.5�

Height:
- Front: 11�
- Back without Yoke: 16.5�
(Varies greatly with yoke in depending on adjustment to person�s torso length)

General:
- Side Compartments: 5� x 8�
- Putter Pocket: 5.5� x 8.5�
- Mini Pocket: 5� x 4�
- Water Bottle Pockets: 6� tall
- Detail Pockets: 4� x 4� x 8�

Weight:

- 4.5 lbs

after looking at those pictures i think i need to change my shorts...

love the umbrella open and being held by the bag. love the 3 large disc compartments and separate putter pouch.

still, ouch on the price. I buy quality, but i dont have a need to replace my revolution backpack yet. had it since they came out, and the thing still looks brand new.

I will keep an eye on this bag and mystery ranch.

Just so everyone knows, these bags are amazing! I will be ordering one soon hopefully, as I got to hang with Levi at the USDGC this last year and inspect a bag myself. While it is true that the price can be considered steep, realize that you wil have this bag with you for the rest of your life! The Mystery Ranch crew is a great group of folks, and are trying to produce the worlds best disc golf bag for serious golfers.

Dion

how many discs will that monster hold?

What does it weigh empty and dry? Never mind. I just saw it. 4.5 lbs.

sweet bag, gonna look into this!

Levi, this is Daemon. We met in SC last October. Just wanted to say good luck in NV and AZ in 2 weeks.

Levi, this is Daemon. We met in SC last October. Just wanted to say good luck in NV and AZ in 2 weeks.

Thanks man - it was great meeting you. Hope to see you in AZ/NV?

how many discs will that monster hold?

If you loaded it completely full of discs it would hold between 30-36, give or take a few discs depending on how many putters/mids/drivers you had. I realize that this would be ridiculous (unless your last name is Feldberg), but the idea is for that you can hold between 14-25 discs and still have room for a jacket, hydration system, snacks, etc. This is especially nice for those of us that play through the winter season in places like Montana.

Levi,

It looks like there would be plenty of room for a digital SLR camera in a side compartment. Is there any type of padding in the compartment? Would you feel safe carrying $1000 of photo gear in the side?

Levi,

It looks like there would be plenty of room for a digital SLR camera in a side compartment. Is there any type of padding in the compartment? Would you feel safe carrying $1000 of photo gear in the side?


The sides of the collapsible side compartments don't have any padding, the the fronts (where the water bottle pocket/detail pocket are located) are reinforced with Plastic. So to answer your question, probably not. A digital SLR would probably still fit fine if it was in a padded case. If you are going to be at the Gentlemen's Club or the Memorial, I will be there with a Demo that people can take out and play with. I will also be at several tournaments in the Northwest and will be at the Worlds and the USDGC with packs for sale.

Speaking of which, there are only 6 bags left in the first run and the next run won't be available until roughly April, so if anyone out there wants one sooner rather than later you should act now. This is a pilot production of what will be an official Mystery Ranch Product (hence it not being on our website yet), making these 20 bags particularly special.

Levi

Levi,

Man I'm stoked for what you got going up in MT.
I've still got that Pink CryZtal Garden City Flyers Buzz you gave me when I was staying up at Seth's for Spring Fling a few years back. Some of us CO guys are trying to figure out another time this year to get up to the X again as it is soooo sweet.

What's gonna be the sweetest tourney up in Bozeman or MT in general this year?

Keep up the work those packs look cherry.

As a proud owner of one of these I can say there is no other bag on the market that even comes close as far as comfort and durability are concerned. you have to put one on to know what that yoke system does for your back, it in itself is worth the cost of the bag. Do yourself a favor and get this thing, you get what you pay for and it is the ultimate bag!

P.S. Yo Alex what up! its Seth. you should come down for Spring Fling mid April. gonna be sick!!!

As a proud owner of one of these I can say there is no other bag on the market that even comes close as far as comfort and durability are concerned. you have to put one on to know what that yoke system does for your back, it in itself is worth the cost of the bag. Do yourself a favor and get this thing, you get what you pay for and it is the ultimate bag!

P.S. Yo Alex what up! its Seth. you should come down for Spring Fling mid April. gonna be sick!!!

you have one already? im jealous, ordered one but waiting for them to finalize them or something?!?! i can't take it anymore!!

did it take you long to adjust it to fit right or did you have to tweak it a lot to fit just right? Have you played a round in the rain with it? how well does the waterproofing system work?

you have one already? im jealous, ordered one but waiting for them to finalize them or something?!?! i can't take it anymore!!

did it take you long to adjust it to fit right or did you have to tweak it a lot to fit just right? Have you played a round in the rain with it? how well does the waterproofing system work?


The bags are coming off the sewing floor at the end of this week and will be inspected and finished by the beginning of next week. They should ship by the end of next week!!!

The other great news is that we have dropped the price to $259!!! Anyone who has a bag on pre-order will NOT be charged the original $285. Thank you all for being patient.

The packs all come with a "How to Fit" manual for the Futura Yoke System and fitting them is a breeze. It's incredibly easy to make tweaks to have the bag ride lower or higher for differing situations. And it's bomber in the rain!!! But I guess I'm slightly biased being the designer and all - hopefully Seth will chime in and back me up on this one.

Levi

did it take you long to adjust it to fit right or did you have to tweak it a lot to fit just right? Have you played a round in the rain with it? how well does the waterproofing system work?
Didnt take too long to adjust, its pretty intuitive and comes with instructions on proper fit. I have played several rounds in the weather and this thing excels!! A great feature is the room you have when the front flap is zipped down. It lets you grab discs without unzipping it and it provides a nice shelter for towels. the side pockets are also great for towels jackets ect... I keep a birdie bag in the smaller pocket on the side.

New price!! sick!!!

As a proud owner of one of these I can say there is no other bag on the market that even comes close as far as comfort and durability are concerned. you have to put one on to know what that yoke system does for your back, it in itself is worth the cost of the bag. Do yourself a favor and get this thing, you get what you pay for and it is the ultimate bag!

P.S. Yo Alex what up! its Seth. you should come down for Spring Fling mid April. gonna be sick!!!

Word bird.
Seth, good to see you on here....Me and Tyler have been talking about the X at least 1 a month since we were up there. God, it is so sweet....it's funny how the X is such a love or hate it entity..yes an entity on it's own....and so it seems is the Mahal.

I'll see if I can swing a journey North to sign up for a tourney that could be quite precarious.

Playing in MT I have played with Seth, Levi and all the other MT pros and can vouch for this bag....it is a MONSTER and is made to handle all that you throw at it.

I also live here in bozeman and have seen the mahal in action several times, very efficient, clean, tight, adjustable everywhere and thus personalized bag...

dana's been making awesome gear for gotta be 20+yrs, my ol dana design backpack has served me well for almost that long skiing,camping, travel...a lil faded now but no probs ever with stitching, durability,etc, his stuff is all over at our local skihill bridgerbowl - skibums also need good gear thats gonna be there for the everyday, this is a lifestyle not just some weekend warrior hobby...

I could do a compare/contrast on the skibum/discbum thing, great people enjoying a piece of mom nature's splendor somewhere, often on a local "track" that you get to see change if even slightly on a daily basis, alone sometimes in a crowd others, it becomes like a religious or spiritual thing to be there.
Compare their baseline prices? especially if its at the adv/expert everyday level? Its apples to oranges I know but lets just say in skiin I aint gettin much of anything gearwise lifetime for 259...

this is for life not just some cute weekend hobby, get whats gonna last...

Thing is awesome too bad I just bought a Rev a couple months ago.

ship date?!?!? :-D

Getting mine on the 17th and I can't wait!!!

Got my Mystery Ranch Golf Mahal in the mail last Thursday.

I used it friday night for some night golf, saturday afternoon, and sunday all afternoon. I carried 22-24 discs, towels, drinks on both sides, and a golden retriever.

Most peoples first reaction was "wow that bag is huge." Granted I did have the sides pushed out to their max capacity, but it is doesn't feel any heavier than my revolution dual pack. The weight distribution is great, it felt like I could wear it all day for a 4 day tournament if I needed to.

The instructions they provide with the pack are fairly easy to understand. They basically tell you to have a friend help you fit yoke system to the right level on your back, so the pack rests comfortably to the shape of your shoulders and back.

I showed the guys at the night mini on friday what all the bag offered. Capacity, comfort, drink holders, umbrella holder, rain flap, and adjustable straps... the typical response from the local disc golfers here was "wow that has everything you would want in a disc golf bag." I tend to agree with that response. I am very happy with this purchase, and hell.. you just can't beat a LIFETIME warranty. So if you can afford to spend a few extra bux and you want something that is tournament ready. I personally would recommend this bag. I can't see myself ever needing to switch.

I have only tested it for 3 days, but it screams quality so far.

How many bags are left? Have you sold all of them? What Colors are left to choose from?

Im still debating on getting one...

Being an Eagle Scout, I am very familiar with Dana Design and their quality.

Im getting tired of not being able to really adjust my Revolution Backpack to fit me like i need/want.

Give me some info please! if you want to email me directly you can: codyflee @ gmail [dot]<dot> com

Thanks!</dot>

Cody visit their website.
http://www.mysteryranch.com/site/index.html

Cody visit their website.
http://www.mysteryranch.com/site/index.html

Yeah, been there, done that.

A search for Golf Mahal turns up nada.

As they mention in this thread, until it hits "production" and gets out of the test release, the bag will not show up on their site.

Unless i have to do some super secret ordering or something of the sorts.

I may give them a ring and see if i can get the 411 over the phone or via email.

Just called them. Sold Out until June.

Guess i will just have to pick one up at Worlds...

If you google it, it comes up with an info page.

I own a Golf Mahal, and the thing is sick. I know everyone above me has already said this, but this bag is comfortable, light, and weather ready. I've played at least 2 rounds a day, sometimes 4, since I received it a few weeks ago. I try to carry a backup for key discs, and it's easy with the space in this bag. With my old Innova bag my back would hurt after 2 rounds, but I can load this up and go all day. Great job Levi, every golfer I've talked to wants one!!!! Thanks for a great bag!!

I have used Dana Design backpacks for more than 18 years and all I can say is that Dana Gleason makes the best backpacks on the planet. Mystery Ranch is Dana's new company and their packs are even better than the original Danas. So with that being said, I am guessing that these packs are absolutely amazing and will hold up for a long time. I still have my original Dana Design Crazy Peak which is still in good condition after 18 years of use.

They might be expensive, but I am sure that the pack is worth it. I am going to have to get one ASAP.

Levi,

Will you have some of these at the AM Worlds this year or will we have to order through the website?

if he brings them to am worlds, he better bring a few dozen, since i plan on getting one.

I just really hate that they are sold out. I want one now!

I hear you on the sell out part. It took me too long so sell my other bags and such to get the money together. Now I am completely bagless. LOL I guess I can carry my discs in a grocery bag at the worlds!

Don't forget to recycle!!! LOL

Most definately! This way I can change my bag color by just visiting a new store!

Most definately! This way I can change my bag color by just visiting a new store!

Or you could just tell everyone that asks that you were sponsored by Walmart, or Safeway or whoevers bag you decided to sport that day!

Even better! Corporate Sponsorship!

I saw one of these bags this past weekend at a tournament and it looked rather sick. I'll definitely consider getting one of these once my current bag bites the dust.

One piece of advice i do want to give, is be sure to offer a discount to vendors who want to purchase several of your bags, if you do decide to offer them to retail vendors.

My buddy who owns a Disc Golf Store had a very confusing conversation with the owner of Revolution Bags, who basically told him, go eff-off, i dont give anyone a discount, not even if you buy 50 of my bags at once or more than 50.

What a great business move that was, pissing off someone who wants to carry more of a product.

So, now he carries Fade bags, and is looking for a good replacement for the Revolution Backpacks.

He plans on checking you guys out at Worlds.

Mystery Ranch products are available only from Mystery Ranch (no wholesale for dealers on anything). So, get 'em from the source! Especially when the source has such great sideburns...that's right Levi, lookin' at you buddy. I have one of the pre-production runs of the Golf Mahal, and it has been absolutely unbelievable so far even without the improvements later versions have incorporated...it is just so, so much more comfortable and versatile than anything else out there. I try and make it difficult and unpleasant to carry during practice rounds by stuffing it to the absolute max, but I haven't succeeded yet. I even rested a basket on my bag last night doing some course work, and walked down a sketchy cliff path at Diamond X DGC in Billings, MT, with the basket over my head and resting on my pack, and I was totally blown away by how well the weight was distributed over my entire body and how comfortable I was. The price on these babies is actually really cheap for what you get...I know for a fact that this bag is priced significantly lower than other Mystery Ranch packs of similar complexity and build cost, which is a direct hook-up to the disc golf community because they like us and know that we are, in general, a community with more limited financial resources than say, the skiing crowd.

The biggest advantage, of course, is that my girlfriend now LIKES carrying my bag instead of giving me an evil glare like I used to get with my old Rev backpack!

LOL @ CD....most definitely the sideburns on Levi are EPIC!

One piece of advice i do want to give, is be sure to offer a discount to vendors who want to purchase several of your bags, if you do decide to offer them to retail vendors.

My buddy who owns a Disc Golf Store had a very confusing conversation with the owner of Revolution Bags, who basically told him, go eff-off, i dont give anyone a discount, not even if you buy 50 of my bags at once or more than 50.

What a great business move that was, pissing off someone who wants to carry more of a product.

So, now he carries Fade bags, and is looking for a good replacement for the Revolution Backpacks.

He plans on checking you guys out at Worlds.

Check out Gorilla Boy yet?

He doesn't wholesale

man..Holds my umbrella ... SOLD. Look forward to seeing more about these. Especially with pattern, color options, and building upon what they have already. Fridge... vending machine..toaster oven. satellite radio..... j/k. I have no doubts that this bag will take off with disc golfers like the dual pack did.

Best of luck Levi.

About to order one next week.

All I know is that Dana Gleason makes comfortable backpacks. I am sure this will be no different. And they have a lifetime warranty!

Be prepared to wait - I ordered mine the second week of April and am still waiting. Of course, I fully expected it to be July before they would start shipping out the latest batch so don't think I'm upset - I'm just anxious!

From what I understand they only made 15 of each color (4 colors), so if you weren't one of the 60 people who ordered a bag you might be waiting awhile.

Got mine ordered about the beginning of June, and can't wait to get it! I contacted them last week and the guy told me they were shooting for starting to ship after the 4th.

I ordered mine a couple of weeks ago and I am already chomping at the bit to get it. I hope it gets here soon!

After a pair of 4 hour tournament rounds this last weekend, I decided to call and check the status of these bags today. Expected to ship the end of this week or early next week!

I still have not seen my bag. I am getting very anxious to see it. I hope it is worth the wait.

These things are definitely worth the wait! Since I live in missoula, which is only 3 hours away from bozeman, I got the first ACU bag that was done. All I can say is they are SICK! Got caught in the rain last night doing course work for an upcoming tournament. Nothing in my bag got wet at all! So much more comfortable than my old Rev. It's also great to be able to hold a 70 oz. water blatter in one pocket and still have room for anything else you might need during a typical Montana DG round, or anywhere else for that matter. And you can't talk about this bag without mentioning the lifetime warranty and the guy who made this bag possible. Thanks Levi for putting out the most kick *** golf bag ever!

It's finally here! I'll go ahead and list my initial impressions and report back after a few weeks once I have a better grasp of it's strengths and flaws.
http://conchovalleydiscgolf.org/temp/photos/MRbag-small.jpg (http://conchovalleydiscgolf.org/temp/photos/MRbag-large.jpg)

First, if you're looking to carry extra discs, this is THE BAG. I have 14 discs in the main compartment with room to spare, leaving me the two side pockets to use for extra storage (they easily held 6 putters if you were wondering). The build quality is top notch and the fitment, once adjusted, it easily the best out there.

The only downside I've found so far is the lack of any pencil holders. I keep thinking I'm overlooking them because there are so many storage spaces, but clearly this is something that should be addressed before the next batch is run.