
I, Backpack - feltsense
https://kortina.nyc/essays/i-backpack/
======
abjKT26nO8
_> 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
and the account DoBeautifulThings keeps removing parts that may be too
critical and adding things that put it in a positive light. The source for the
quote was this recording: [https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/757539617/the-
litter-myth](https://www.npr.org/2019/09/04/757539617/the-litter-myth)

Here is an edit from them that removes this part (2019-10-03):
[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keep_America_Beau...](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keep_America_Beautiful&diff=919471408&oldid=919457645)

A revert of the change (2019-10-03):
[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keep_America_Beau...](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keep_America_Beautiful&diff=919473497&oldid=919471765)

The change is back in (2019-10-04):
[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keep_America_Beau...](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keep_America_Beautiful&diff=919612502&oldid=919473497)

Another change that reverts some lobbying edits (2019-09-12):
[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keep_America_Beau...](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keep_America_Beautiful&diff=915371004&oldid=914154035)

If you want to see the wikipage version which contained the quote, here it is:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keep_America_Beau...](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keep_America_Beautiful&oldid=919473497)

Lobbying on Wikipedia is real.

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

~~~
kortina
These wikipedia edits kind of underscore the point in a sad/funny way.

Updated the post with some of this research y'all did:
[https://s3.amazonaws.com/4rk/screen-
shot-2020-03-22-10.25.27...](https://s3.amazonaws.com/4rk/screen-
shot-2020-03-22-10.25.27-8v86b44a.png) . Thanks again for sharing the edit
history you found!

------
PaulDavisThe1st
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 reasons I bought the Arcteryx at the time was that they were
still manufactured in north American (BC). This is no longer the case, and
from my inspection of their current products, while they are still superb in
comparison to the competition, they don't really do well in comparison to the
late 90's versions.

~~~
benfrancom
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](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](https://vertx.com/gamut-2-0-backpack)

------
lancefisher
Another alternative is to buy quality in the first place. I spent around $100
on a Patagonia backpack, and it’s been in everyday use for over 6 years and is
still fine. If it does fail, Patagonia has an excellent repair program.

~~~
dwg
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 pays to be learn some
of the telltale signs of higher quality products such as the stitching and
materials used.

~~~
cpach
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 …

~~~
progre
Predictably, the price stayed the same though

~~~
cpach
Indeed…

------
RayMan1
I scrolled all the way down to see the goddamned fixed backpack, but the image
is not there...

~~~
paleotrope
The backpack isn't important it's about changing human behavior.

~~~
parsimo2010
I'm with GP, some closure about the opening would have been nice.

~~~
kortina
y'all are right it's not the point, but here is the hn exclusive closure:
[https://s3.amazonaws.com/4rk/screen-
shot-2020-03-21-20.12.13...](https://s3.amazonaws.com/4rk/screen-
shot-2020-03-21-20.12.13-ealipg7q.png)

------
almog
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 disintegrate into nothingness.

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

------
mauvehaus
I know it's not the point of the story, but if you need gear repaired, try
Rainy Pass Repair. They fixed a beloved but irreplaceable (discontinued,
manufacturer went bankrupt) pack for me. Similarly, I sent a pair of boots to
Dave Page, Cobbler for resoling and am thrilled by the repair.

Not affiliated with either, but I am a happy customer.

------
GuiA
_> The manufacturer of my backpack, for example, offers a sort of warranty, to
communicate to me the alignment of their values with my own (for a durable
product).

If you’re thinking about sustainability policy, one idea might be to require
warranties like this one for all material objects. This would force companies
to internalize the cost of goods that wear out quickly and incentivize them to
create more durable products._

It may sound radical, but I’m convinced that’s the general direction we need.
If you sell a non consumable/perishable object, you should be required at the
very least to accept the good back from the customer at no cost to them, and
recycle/reuse/dispose of it properly. Requiring 5-10 year warranties or more
is also something we should consider. I’m not sure what the exact answer would
look like, but those directions seem like the right way to get ourselves out
of the huge landfill/electronic waste hills we’ve buried ourselves under.

~~~
kwhitefoot
In Norway Stormberg has a deposit scheme (panteordning). If you have one of
their jackets you can return it to them and get NOK 50 in return just like
returning a bottle or can to the supermarket.

See [https://www.stormberg.com/no/om-
stormberg/baerekraft/panteor...](https://www.stormberg.com/no/om-
stormberg/baerekraft/panteordning/)

or via Google Translate for those who can't read Norwegian
[https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=no&tl=en&u=https%3...](https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=no&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stormberg.com%2Fno%2Fom-
stormberg%2Fbaerekraft%2Fpanteordning%2F)

------
jdefelice
San Francisco has a a few backpack makers, some of which off a lifetime
warranty, Mission Workshops for example.

As an hobbyists backpack maker, who has made backpacks with padding on vintage
domestic sewing machines it could have been repaired with the know how.

------
williamDafoe
I tried this once, and failed. By the time a major seam of a well-made
backpack fails, they are all, about to fail. My backpack was 5Y old and was in
the "wearout" phase of life, where everything fails at once. Replacing an
important zipper completely (seams had failed, not zipper itself) only gave my
pack another 6 months of life. Yes, a shoe repair shop is the right place to
go, but $90/yr is an expensive backpack indeed!

I currently have a Yellow Columbia half-track and the quality is unreal, I've
used it every day for 6Y, with laptop+clothes+gear, no damage yet!

------
nrp
Patagonia did try harnessing advertising to push a cultural shift in
consumption: [https://www.patagonia.com/stories/dont-buy-this-jacket-
black...](https://www.patagonia.com/stories/dont-buy-this-jacket-black-friday-
and-the-new-york-times/story-18615.html)

It helped establish Patagonia's brand, but doesn't seem to have done anything
to the broader clothing industry.

------
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.

~~~
wingerlang
> 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?

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

Here:

\- [https://balotot.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Crumpler-
Shee...](https://balotot.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Crumpler-Sheep-Scarer-
Backpack1.jpg)

\-
[http://unhunter13.free.fr/forum/crumpler/sac_ouvert.jpg](http://unhunter13.free.fr/forum/crumpler/sac_ouvert.jpg)

\- [http://forum.tt-
hardware.com/fichiers/uploads/upload_6_3/fer...](http://forum.tt-
hardware.com/fichiers/uploads/upload_6_3/fermeture.1110729553.jpg)

\-
[https://s3.bukalapak.com/img/8108548365/w-1000/IMG2019011313...](https://s3.bukalapak.com/img/8108548365/w-1000/IMG20190113130048_scaled.jpg)

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...](https://encrypted-
tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSGpH_77RbNF9-gahRyCzSw9Aa46XvALFc-1O4VP4SqEwgsNDQrsA&s)

> 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.

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

------
dwg
It's an unfortunate situation that we find ourselves in. Perhaps not
surprising, however, since it's driven by economics.

For those who care, however, it's not too hard to learn to fix things
ourselves with a little practice. Especially for non-tech products.

------
swampthinker
I've had a Peak Design backpack for about a year now. Best money I've spent on
a backpack yet.

------
Jemm
Light grey text on a white background. Come on. Give us a break from this
horrible tech fashion.

------
lazylizard
Um.. Maybe take a look at warranties from columbia jansport eastpak tumi
chrome industries??

------
trevyn
It's actually not economics. What if I set up on a sidewalk in SF (you pick
which one) with a heavy-duty sewing machine and offer to fix people's
backpacks for a dollar or two? That question should get you closer to what is
actually going on.

~~~
pjc50
A) you get moved off the sidewalk

B) you make much less than minimum wage?

~~~
kwhitefoot
Perhaps this is a good argument for UBI. Someone with such a skill could then
offer it without having to worry that they would starve.

