PE bag- tell me about your DC's!

[Tansie]

DS1, (13) has your standard pull string sack, but the thing is, it's rammed. It is also uncomfortable to carry as several kilos' weight rests on 2 thin bits of string on his shoulder.

He has a locker but no peg.

He is not a keen sportsman, so he only has 'the necessary' in it, i.e:

Rugby/footy/hockey shirt (just one!)
PE polo shirt
shorts
long socks
long trackie trousers
trainers
football boots
mouth guard
shin guards

He reckons they don't know exactly what kit they're going to need each PE lesson hence taking the lot along. Though I realise otherwise, he'd be taking bits and pieces in all the time or having to rummage through a 3 storey high locker in a crowded corridor trying to assemble what he needed for the next period's PE. They also appear to barely access their lockers at all during the day- they carry everything with them. He thankfully has stopped bringing it all home arbitrarily, often unworn (though also has left it there, mouldering over several days wet, muddy and smelly.. )

DS2 starts Y7 this week.

I am actually wondering if I should put his PE kit in a smallish holdall? He's pretty small himself (shortest boy in the year...) so I imagine a laden sack style bag will drape in the dirt!

What do you think? What does your DC take their 'general' PE kit to school in?

Ours use a standard issue duffle bag. It has a drawstring top but also backpack style straps and a section at the bottom for boots though an optional boot bag is also available

It contains

Polo shirt, house t shirt, rugby shirt, hooded sweatshirt, shorts, joggers, fottball socks & ankle socks, shin guards & trainers.

They are still in juniors so it has to be easy to carry. Checked the senior school kit list and it's exactly the same except for an extra pair of white shirts or skort for the girls.

DD (and all her friends) use a plastic bag. Current fave is H&M as it's quite strong. Contents are trainers, socks, jogging bottoms and polo shirt. Jumper gets added in winter (but not ever actually worn, I suspect she wears her school jumper.

Canvas bag with 2 straps but zip pocket outer & drawstring type opening at top. I picked it up in a charity shop. It says ONCO but I can't find exact same thing online, <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=drawstring+rucksack&start=114&hl=en&safe=active&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1052&bih=612&as_qdr=all&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=lz4b_Xm9GXntBM:&imgrefurl=www.bigintheuk.com/Catalogue/0/113/Bags%252BAnd%252BTravel/Rucksacks&imgurl=www.pi-systems.co.uk/product/600/TA03-Drawstring-Backpack-Blue.jpg&w=600&h=600&ei=IEZDUJPxFcn80QXI-oDIBA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=531&vpy=276&dur=159&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=124&ty=246&sig=118287185820707337948&page=6&tbnh=133&tbnw=133&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:15,s:114,i:130" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">it's a lot like this in style. He can fit a lot in it & easy enough to carry.

Secondary school sells a logoed holdall, but doesn't mind what's used as long as it's mainly a dark colour. I got the cheapest similar holdall, with handles and a clip on (sturdy looking) shoulder strap.

Everyone uses a sports holdall here.

would this be a good idea?

It looks bigger & tougher than most, still harder to carry long distance on back than something with 2 straps/rucksack style.

Thanks. Fortunately the walk part is 5 mins at this end, none at the other, though DS1 does walk the hour sometimes 'for fun', and, of course, they also have their school backpacks to contend with all the time! I'm hoping they can sling a duffel bag over their back packs!

DS has a fairly cheap sports bag with a shoulder strap from Sports Direct (not too big, as it had to fit in his locker). A drawstring bag wouldn't have been big enough, as he takes footy kit as well as general PE stuff.

DD1 is starting Y7 next week, and seems happy with retaining her Primary School drawstring bag (for now!). Neither of them have to walk far to/from school.

They are supposed to bring the kit home once a week, but, according to DS his locker is "miles away" so he sometimes can't be bothered.

I am hoping the boys can shove bigger bags into their lockers! The primary school sized drawstring bags are just proving too small for all the kit as listed above. They bulge when I pack them and I'm quite good at it! DS2 would stand no chance. For a primary style bag to be big enough, it'd drag on the ground a couple of feet behind DS2!

our school provide a holdall with the school logo on it - its fine apart from the end zipped compartment is meant to be for muddy football boots and once they get to Y9 their feet are too big for the boots to fit in! have had to buy a football boot giant pencil case type thing to go in the holdall

My boys mostly use drawstring bag, plus a boot bag when it's football/rugby season.

But after the first lesson they always know what sport they are doing in that "block", so they only have to take in one set of kit; not the whole lot.

Yes, it'd be handy to know exactly what they were doing each time, though, tbh, I'd rather not see their PE kit at all over a half term unless it's wet and filthy (but mine barely move doing sport so there's no issue of smelly, yet!), so it wouldn't 'work' for them to be carting it in and out as needed- especially as the school do appear to spring a change of sport on them with no notice. DS1 mentions having to return, the whole class, to get changed from rugby kit to gym kit as the program suddenly changes, so they kind of need it all there all the time.

noticed in ds2's sixth form handbook that in Y12 (sn school) they will be learning to wash their PE kit in school! Result!!

I got DS and DD holdalls. They fit a suprising amount in and can be carried by hand or slung over the shoulders.

I have got my 2 Addidas drawstring back pack bags, like this. They were off our local market "bagman" at £6 each, bargin!

Mines back to school this week - his drawstring bag contains - house t-shirt, shorts, socks, mouthguard and shin pads. His trainers are in a boot bag.

Not even taking it 1st day - is confident he won't have PE and if they do then he'll be fine in uniform.

Come the cooler weather we'll add a hoodie and joggers - which will still fit in his bag.