Sabi Sack

Used my new Sabi. Filled with bird seed. I was surprised how easy it was to fill both sides. Used on my pick up. Very versatile. Used on dash, on windows and opened driver door and placed between door and body. Well made. Simple to use. It just works. Love it.

"I previously reviewed the Gura Gear Sabi Super which I really liked, so decided to also review it's smaller brother, the Gura Sabi. Because the basic design, materials, workmanship and warranty’s the same, (all of which is truly outstanding!!) I’ll address only the differences of the two Sabi bags in this review.

That original review of the Sabi Super is here on Tamrac’s site which I’d encourage anyone to read if considering either the Sabi or Sabi Super.

The smaller size of the Sabi is the most obvious and significant difference and depending on your needs that could be an advantage, especially when traveling, and filling. The volume of fill material is half of what is required to fill the Sabi Super. More specifically, the Sabi took a full pound of buckwheat hulls to fill. The volume of hulls required was about 2 - 2 1/2 quarts, or slightly more that two liters. By way of comparison a pound of rice’s volume about the size of a softball. The smaller Sabi does reduce the potential footprint of the platform to shot from. I’ve used it with complete satisfaction with a 500MM telephoto lens and teleconverter.

The larger size of Sabi Super over the Sabi, might be more appreciated when shooting off of or over a vehicle’s hood, pickup bed rails, or a fence, etc.; it just gives you a little more surface area and is more forgiving and with that comes a little more security. That larger size is also really nice when you’re just looking for a place to plop your camera/lens down with a lot of security. "

Bought two of the Sabi Super bean bags for our upcoming East Africa Safari. The bags are well made. The zipper is almost hidden, which will prevent unintended opening and spillage of the beans. Have not tried it out in actual field, but tried several times in our backyard, on our deck. It is solid and gives good support to the camera. Very happy. Price was very good. Delivery was fast.

The Sabi Super (SS) is built as if made to military specs. The fabric is heavy duty 1000 denier Cordura nylon and is double stitched with heavy duty thread throughout. It has a single concealed YKK zipper and reinforced handles. The attention to detail is certainly there and I have to say the workmanship is top rate. It should be mentioned these bags are ‘Made in the USA’ and the quality is fantastic. Accompanying the SS was a small placard listing the features and tips as well as the following statement: “Your Sabi was proudly made in the USA and is covered by a lifetime warranty. We designed the Sabi to stand up to years of enjoyment. If it breaks, we’ll fix it or replace it regardless of the cause.” When is the last time you saw something like that from a manufacturer?

Test: I took the SS to the field to shoot greater sage grouse. I put the bag on the car’s window ledge, put the camera and 500mm lens on it, found the balancing point (once there the camera/lens seemed to ‘nest') and fired away. There was a solid, firm feel to it all, it just worked. In all I shot several hundred images and found the bag never collapsed, deformed or shifted. I honestly thought; 1) wish I had this before, and 2) could I shoot any better other than having a tripod? The answer to that is a No, I don't think so. I could feel an improvement and this was confirmed once home with the images on the computer.

I've used the SS on both on the hood of the truck as well as the bed rail. As expected, same result - stability when shooting, and the bag stays where you put it. I also quickly found it makes a great place to put the camera/lens when traveling, especially on bumpy roads. Put the bag on the seat, nest the camera and head on down the road. It’s certainly more secure than just laying the camera on the seat.

Conclusion: The Sabi Super works great as a shooting platform, offering tremendous flexibility with it’s twin pillow design and the quality is top notch.