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I, Backpack

kortina.nyc

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Re: I, Backpack

#31

Post by nathancahill »

almog wrote: post #22

It would have taken less time and money to just sew it by hand. You can use scrap material, or order fabric from ripstopbytheroll.com (a popular supplier for anything MYOG). I buy most of my long distance hiking gear from US cottage shops which have great service but sometimes you have to mend your pack or tarp yourself on the field. It's quite easy once you get into the habit of doing it early rather than letting it…

Yep. For folks that are interested in getting in to this type of thing, check out /r/myog and /r/ultralight.

Re: I, Backpack

#32

Post by lloeki »

After a lot of back ache and destroyed backpacks, I found a backpack from Crumpler, model Sheep Scarer. I carried it everywhere for over 10 years, hiking, working, travelling. It was very practical, comfortable, surprisingly weather and theft proof, and basically indestructible. Unbelievable bang for the buck.

The overall design was great but one of the key element is the shoulder straps that were tied at the front of the bag, not back-side. This was what made it theft-proof and extremely comfortable as it would push it towards your back, and more so with added weight, because physics.

Unfortunately I lost it (luckily it was mostly empty), and they don’t make it anymore. I’ve been unable to find a decent backpack til then.

Re: I, Backpack

#34

Post by progre »

cpach wrote: post #21
dwg wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep! A few points about this... I have noticed that many "quality" brands tend to introduce lower quality lines as they grow in size. Perhaps as they hire more business folks and the founders becomes further and further removed from the operation of the company. At first glance the lower quality line can be hard to tell apart from the higher quality products. Also, price does not necessarily determine quality so it p…

This. I used to carry Fjällräven backpacks. That brand is/was basically Sweden’s Patagonia. If you bought a Kånken model backpack in the eighties, it would last forever. Then sometime in the 00s they moved production to Asia. Guess what happened to the quality …

Predictably, the price stayed the same though

Re: I, Backpack

#35

Post by wingerlang »

lloeki wrote: post #32

After a lot of back ache and destroyed backpacks, I found a backpack from Crumpler, model Sheep Scarer. I carried it everywhere for over 10 years, hiking, working, travelling. It was very practical, comfortable, surprisingly weather and theft proof, and basically indestructible. Unbelievable bang for the buck. The overall design was great but one of the key element is the shoulder straps that were tied at the front o…

> The overall design was great but one of the key element is the shoulder straps that were tied at the front of the bag, not back-side. This was what made it theft-proof and extremely comfortable as it would push it towards your back, and more so with added weight, because physics.

Could you elaborate on this? I don't see anything special from photos.

And also why don't you buy a second hand one?

Re: I, Backpack

#36

Post by benfrancom »

PaulDavisThe1st wrote: post #17

I spent $400+ on an arcteryx backpack 20+ years ago. Last summer, I hiked the Cape Wrath "Trail" in the Scottish Highlands. It continues to be flawless. I wrote to the company afterwards to thank them for a product that still works better than I could imagine, and in fact is better than any product they make today (at least for the purposes of a 17 day backcountry trip with almost no resupply). Sadly, one of the reas…

I had a similar issue with Kelty. My old one from the late 90s lasted 20 years and had amazing craftsmanship. I use my backpack every day for commuting on bike in all sorts of weather. The old one was amazing, with thick nylon and robust zippers and straps.

The same model from 2016 only lasted me a few years before it failed. It was super thin with these weenie zippers, and obnoxious doodads.

https://imgur.com/a/wmIggaz

I bought a new Vertx backpack a few months ago, and the craftsmanship looks great and is working well so far.

https://vertx.com/gamut-2-0-backpack

Re: I, Backpack

#37

Post by cpach »

progre wrote: post #34
cpach wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. I used to carry Fjällräven backpacks. That brand is/was basically Sweden’s Patagonia. If you bought a Kånken model backpack in the eighties, it would last forever. Then sometime in the 00s they moved production to Asia. Guess what happened to the quality …

Predictably, the price stayed the same though

Indeed…

Re: I, Backpack

#38

Post by lloeki »

wingerlang wrote: post #35
lloeki wrote: post #32

After a lot of back ache and destroyed backpacks, I found a backpack from Crumpler, model Sheep Scarer. I carried it everywhere for over 10 years, hiking, working, travelling. It was very practical, comfortable, surprisingly weather and theft proof, and basically indestructible. Unbelievable bang for the buck. The overall design was great but one of the key element is the shoulder straps that were tied at the front o…

> The overall design was great but one of the key element is the shoulder straps that were tied at the front of the bag, not back-side. This was what made it theft-proof and extremely comfortable as it would push it towards your back, and more so with added weight, because physics. Could you elaborate on this? I don't see anything special from photos. And also why don't you buy a second hand one?

> Could you elaborate on this? I don't see anything special from photos.

Here:

- https://balotot.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Crumpler-Shee...

- http://unhunter13.free.fr/forum/crumpler/sac_ouvert.jpg

- http://forum.tt-hardware.com/fichiers/uploads/upload_6_3/fer...

- https://s3.bukalapak.com/img/8108548365/w-1000/IMG2019011313...

Notice how the zipper is behind the shoulder straps. When worn, the bag can only be opened ajar, and the zipper operated only with much difficulty, which makes any attempt at stealing blatantly obvious.

Also this makes the tension from shoulder straps apply to the outermost fabric structure of the backpack, whose weight will therefore make it press against your back instead of pulling backwards on shoulder straps due to the overhang of the typical backpack design. The bag naturally rests on your shoulder and stays close to your back all the way instead of pulling you back on shoulders and pressing against your lower back only.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSGpH_7...

> And also why don't you buy a second hand one?

Ultimately I may, but they've been out of production for years and hard to source around here, so I tried a number of other backpacks first.

Re: I, Backpack

#39

Post by wingerlang »

lloeki wrote: post #38
wingerlang wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The overall design was great but one of the key element is the shoulder straps that were tied at the front of the bag, not back-side. This was what made it theft-proof and extremely comfortable as it would push it towards your back, and more so with added weight, because physics. Could you elaborate on this? I don't see anything special from photos. And also why don't you buy a second hand one?

> Could you elaborate on this? I don't see anything special from photos. Here: - https://balotot.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Crumpler-Shee... - http://unhunter13.free.fr/forum/crumpler/sac_ouvert.jpg - http://forum.tt-hardware.com/fichiers/uploads/upload_6_3/fer... - https://s3.bukalapak.com/img/8108548365/w-1000/IMG2019011313... Notice how the zipper is behind the shoulder straps. When worn, the bag can only be o…

Got it, I have never seen that before and it is certainly interesting.

Re: I, Backpack

#40

Post by kortina »

abjKT26nO8 wrote: post #26

> It was funded, however, by companies like Philip Morris, Anheuser-Busch, PepsiCo, and Coca-Cola, and it’s goal was to “confuse the public narrative regarding waste, and distract from the corporations and manufacturers creating the litter and waste” (wikipedia). I looked for this part on the linked wikipage and didn't find it. I looked at the edit history and it turns out that this wikipage is subject to a PR fight…

Wow, good find! I'll add this set of links to the post. Quote was def there when I was first writing the post.
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