How can I fill my IM sandbags to 250+ lbs?

[Ray Toulany]

Hi all,

I own multiple Ironmind sandbags, and I've filled them with no. 2 coarse washed silica sand in the following manner:

I filled the large white liner bags to 50lbs each, and made multiple 10lbs bags and 5lbs bags using the yellow liner bags so I can change the weight of the bag.

I want to make a 300lbs bag, but can't get more than five 50lbs bags, for a total of 250lbs, into the blue bag. (with 5 bags, I can barely get the sandbag closed, and it's so stuffed, it's more like a heavy bag than a 'loose' sandbag, which basically negates the unpredictable nature of a sandbag.)

I watched Dave Ostlund's 300+ lbs sandbag clean and press, and was wondering if someone can let me know what he filled the bag with to get it that heavy? If no one knows what Dave used, can they recommend what they've used, and where I can source it?

Thanks,
Ray

[Mark Shuetrim]

not sure what Dave used but you could try replacing some of the sand with lead shot or gravel or maybe placing a plate or dumbell in the middle of the bag

[Randall Strossen]

Ray -

If you are using sand, the large IronMind sandbag will be stuffed pretty tightly (looking like a heavy bag, as you said) when you get to the neighborhood of 300 pounds, but this is the customary form for heavy sandbags.

To boost the weight/get a less dense fill, I would follow Mark's recommendations—put something really dense in the center for a lot of mass in a compact form (like lead shot) and then use the rest of your filler for additional mass and to get the sand bag packed the way you would like it.

Finer sand should allow you to get more weight in the bag than coarser as it will leave you with less air space between the grains.

Please let us know how these suggestions/another one works for you—other guys might well have the same question.

[Bill Crawford]

I pack my IronMind bag with multiple yellow bags full of sand and it weighs in excess of 300 lbs. There are ways to get it heavier but frankly 300 lbs is a beast.

Bill

[Andrew Durniat]

2 construction grade garbage bags to line the Ironmind bag and play sand packed mine to 300.

[Ray Toulany]

Thanks for the input guys.

I avoided finer sand because coarser sand was recommended. Looking back, I should have used #0 or #1.

I'm not too keen on using a weight plate because I plan on shouldering and pressing them. There's a chance I might get cracked upside the head or in the teeth when wrestling it up there. If I was only bear hugging it and loading it to a platform less than shoulder height, adding weight plates would be a great idea.

Lead shot looks like a great idea, but I had a very difficult time sourcing it locally. Turns out it's almost $2 per pound (the shipping really puts up the price)! Not the end of the world for smaller quantities, but still pricey.

After asking around, it seems that tire/wheel weights are an inexpensive substitute for lead shot. I'm going to call a few tire shops and see where it gets me. I'm probably going to get some finer sand and see how that works, too.

I'll be back when I can with some updates.

Thanks again,
Ray

[Ray Toulany]

I pack my IronMind bag with multiple yellow bags full of sand and it weighs in excess of 300 lbs. There are ways to get it heavier but frankly 300 lbs is a beast.

Bill

Hi Bill,

Can you share how you get the bag heavier than 300lbs?

And what type of sand and liner do you use to get it to 300lbs? How tightly packed is your sandbag once you get it up to this weight?

Thanks again,
Ray

[Randall Strossen]

Thanks for the input guys.

I avoided finer sand because coarser sand was recommended. Looking back, I should have used #0 or #1.

I'm not too keen on using a weight plate because I plan on shouldering and pressing them. There's a chance I might get cracked upside the head or in the teeth when wrestling it up there. If I was only bear hugging it and loading it to a platform less than shoulder height, adding weight plates would be a great idea.

Lead shot looks like a great idea, but I had a very difficult time sourcing it locally. Turns out it's almost $2 per pound (the shipping really puts up the price)! Not the end of the world for smaller quantities, but still pricey.

After asking around, it seems that tire/wheel weights are an inexpensive substitute for lead shot. I'm going to call a few tire shops and see where it gets me. I'm probably going to get some finer sand and see how that works, too.

I'll be back when I can with some updates.

Thanks again,
Ray


Ray -

Absolutely about the wheel weights—a tire shop might be really happy to just give you some.

Good luck—looking forward to hearing how it works for you.

[Doug Carroll]

I don't know where you live Ray but, here in Santa Rosa the tire shops cannot give out there lead weights. Some years ago I tryed gettting the weights from tire shops here in town, they said they could no longer do that. They said by law their shops had to show proofs of how they were disposed of or face heavy fines. Hopefully you will have better luck.

[Randall Strossen]

I don't know where you live Ray but, here in Santa Rosa the tire shops cannot give out there lead weights. Some years ago I tryed gettting the weights from tire shops here in town, they said they could no longer do that. They said by law their shops had to show proofs of how they were disposed of or face heavy fines. Hopefully you will have better luck.


Doug -

Have to protect us from ourselves in California, I guess—I think it's illegal to sell 100 watt light bulbs here now. Good thing there's still Nevada for contraband like this. :;lh)

[Andrew Durniat]

Apparently 50# bags of play sand are not that accurate. I had built what I thought was a '250#' sandbag, but i wasn't happy with how it closed (i had to duct tape it because it was so full the affixed strap was of no use). I ordered another IM bag and was going to replace some of the sand with lead weights to make up the difference. I was more than a little surprise when I placed the bag on the scale to discover the bag actually weighed in at 295#..:) Naturally I added 5# to make it an even 300# and sealed it back up with utility card which worked better and then made the new bag into the 250# i was originally looking for, it feels light comparatively. Long-story short, don't just assume that 50# bags of sand are 50#.

[Matt Hall]

You could use pennies to some degree to give a slight boost.

After 1983 then roughly 181 pennies = 1 pound
Before 1982 then roughly 146 pennies = 1 pound

Still not really cheap, but you may have a jar laying around.