I'm in the market for a good backpack. They're a lot more expensive than I would have thought.
38 thoughts on “December 7, 2021: Baggage”
Worth every penny, though. Mrs Runner and I travel all over with ours (supplemented with a checked bag when necessary).
i've got some travel bags that have gone tens of thousands of miles with me. jane tried to throw away my tank of a timbuk2 bag recently, but i fished it out
I've had my REI Vagabond since 2004. I'd be interested to try to total up the amount of miles it has travelled
England 2x, Scotland, Wales, Ireland 4x*, NI 4-6x, Austria 2x, Czech Republic 2x*, Canada, Mexico, Spain 3x, Morocco, Portugal.
We had a great trip that included the london to holyhead train then ferry to Dublin. Long day, but beautiful ride.
Very happy with my UofM bookstore backpack (with Nike logo) and MINNESOTA spelled out nicely in Gopher colors
I'm able to cinch the shoulder straps with the chest strip which holds the straps together to fit over my suitcase handle.
Backpack is a pretty generic term. What are you looking for? I've used an Osprey 22 liter pack for years for travel and day hiking.
more everyday use. work and crap, but also day trippin.
You see those branded OGIO backpacks all over the place. They do a solid job. I tend to overstuff the front section, and once lost a bag to a piece of fruit left in the depths of the bag too long, but bought another at the company silent auction.
Philosofette bought a Jansport back in like 1999, that's still working for her.
Duluth pack make a variety of very good, simple backpacks. I’ve used one every day as my lunch hauler, bike lock carrier, and everything transport from the office to home for the last five years. It’s likely that I could hand this down to a niece or nephew some day.
I never used a back pack in high school. I maybe used one for one semester at college. Otherwise the only back pack I have ever used is the one we bought when we had our kids and needed to lug around the emergency infant kit (diapers, wipes, formula, bottles, etc). When travelling I despise having to carry anything on to the plane. My wife usually brings a small bag for her purse and other needs, but I baggage check anything I am bringing. When we fly Delta, we get one free baggage check for each of us, so that covers anything we bring. Basically, I bring my phone onto the plane and that's about it. When it comes to hiking, I never hike long enough distances to require anything but a few bottles of water, which fit in my shorts pockets.
Ooh, I'm Bizzaro Zoomie - I hate checking luggage. On my business trips I get three days of business casual, one of casual, laptop, phone wireless charger, book, toiletries, and a couple protein bars all in my carry-on. SWA easy-on easy-off
I used to be, but I hate lugging/rolling luggage around the airport, particularly when changing flights (which is ALWAYS the case with SWA for us), unless it's a business trip to southern california. Check it and forget it until the other end.
Making boarding faster for everyone that way.
also this.
I think the only time I do check a bag is if I'm connecting. In general, I want to get off the plane and get to wherever I'm going quickly. The convenience of not lugging a smaller suitcase around the terminal is overshadowed by being able to get off the plane and immediately walk to the airport exit.
(Random aside, I haaaate when the rental car facility is offsite. See: wanting to get and go.)
Yes.
We didn't check anything on our trip to Spain, but mostly for cost.
I would have loved to have checked some of it, but not for $75/bag
Going on cruises and sometimes using "bargain" airlines has taught me how to pack baggage to minimize the fees on luggage. I also bought some very cheap, very lightweight luggage from WalMart. It's not great at all, but every ounce wasted on luggage is an ounce of stuff that doesn't get in the suitcase. My wife doesn't travel light, so I'm figuring how to minimize my stuff and keep the total number of bags to a minimum.
We are currently the same temperature here in C.R. as back home*
I can see the argument for most SI units, but the old Fahrenheit temperature scale is a good one because of what 0 and 100 means.
That affinity seems mostly cultural. Tying to the freezing and boiling points of water seems much more "natural" for a scale.
I mean, I guess the freezing point of brine is kind of natural. But body temperature at 90 (later 96, finally 98.6)??
I'm not sure cultural is right here. As a human experience Fahrenheit makes a lot of sense, even though it isn't whatever natural means. It isn't "science" but the temps we can live are pretty constrained.
My feeling is it's entirely inertia (insert "there is no human nature" philosophy here). We have many generations with pervasive Fahrenheit while the rest of the world is building up that same pervasive Celsius inertia. Further, our experienced temperatures should include baking, putting the numbers we need to deal with approximately 0-400° Fahrenheit and -20-250° Celsius. Ultimately, I'm more indifferent about temperature scale because we don't really do math on those units compared to lengths or weights.
Sure put that way I can get the cultural aspect. In my estimation we put our bounds on the systems we live in. I dunno I haven't really thought on this much.
that's what I meant by cultural. It's just what we are used to. 0 means "cold" and 100 means "hot," unless its bath water, in which case it's "tepid." Kind of like 5 feet is "short" and 6 feet is "tall". Or 7 Stone is a tiny person and 14 Stone is a large person....
NO HUMAN NATURE?!?!
Someone hold me back!
I could live with Celsius -- makes plenty sense to me. "It's below 0C" stands alone, whereas in F we feel obligated to say "It's freezing out"
btw, average human temperature is trending down; I don't think 98.6F is truly average anymore.
95 constantly
Since COVID I take my BP, Pulse Oximeter, and temperature and log them in my spreadsheet (of course).
97.3F every morning.
Ex-Twins news: Cubs sign Stephen Gonsalves to a minor league deal.
I have a Jansport purchased at the UofMN Morris bookstore circa 1999 that’s still in use. Niblet ‘borrowed’ it for first grade this year when his water bottle leaked in his own pack. He kept using mine for nearly a month, despite it being longer than his torso by a good 8”.
For everyday use … well, back when I was actually going into the office, I use an older generation/version of this one. It’s great.
Really though, we need CH to weigh in. I recall him being a bit of a gear/bag connoisseur.
I totally missed this conversation, and I’m bummed about that. My general approach to purchases that get used frequently and require dependability is something like “buy once, cry once,” but really about spending on the things you care about and finding a manufacturer that uses ethical production methods.
I’m a crossbody bag guy for daily use. I used a Tom Bihn Co-Pilot for work (and as a personal item for travel) until the pandemic began, at which point I retired it due to some excessive wear in the corners where the slightly-too-big laptop & tablets I carried in it had rubbed away the waterproof coating. I absolutely love the middle water bottle pocket, which was handy for other items like sunglasses, too. Tom Bihn is based in Seattle, produces the bags in Seattle, and I really like what I know about the company (with the limitations of an outside observer).
If I were a backpack guy looking for something for work & travel, I would have considered both theTom Bihn Synapse 25L or Synik 22L (other sizes are available). For travel, I’m contemplating buying an Aeronaut (30L or 45L, not sure which) to replace my decade-plus old duffel bag purchased at Target when I was on a much smaller budget. I’m a carry-on baggage guy, but I firmly believe roller bags should be banned from overhead bins. Too often roller bags (especially the hard-sided variety) require passengers to play Tetris while boarding as others wait behind them, where soft-sided bags would more readily compress to fit the space. I think some people are less likely to overpack if they have to schlep the bag themselves.
As for my work bag replacement, I debated upsizing to the Pilot when I returned to partially on-campus work. Because I commute via public transit, I don’t like to carry a bigger bag than I have to, and the Pilot was just a bit too big according to the bag specs spreadsheet I put together. Ultimately, I went with a Waterfield Designs Sutter Tech Sling as my new bag, reasoning that I’d be working fewer days on-campus and didn’t need to carry as much. I streamlined what I bring with me a little bit to meet the lower capacity. Waterfield seems to share certain characteristics with Tom Bihn that I admire, including production at small scale, using great materials, by people rooted in a local community in the US.
I'm a huge fan of peak design. I've been rocking my V1 of their 20L Ash Everyday Backpack since they came out. Goes with me everywhere. Hiking, meetings, office, camping, overseas etc. New they are pretty expensive new (but worth it in my mind for durability and their business ethics) but they also have a pre-owned section https://market.peakdesign.com/collections/all/products/everyday-backpack-v1 that they still guarantee for life.
This is the video for the V2 but it is not very different from mine.
Worth every penny, though. Mrs Runner and I travel all over with ours (supplemented with a checked bag when necessary).
i've got some travel bags that have gone tens of thousands of miles with me. jane tried to throw away my tank of a timbuk2 bag recently, but i fished it out
I've had my REI Vagabond since 2004. I'd be interested to try to total up the amount of miles it has travelled
This is awesome.
This should cover 2004-2009
We had a great trip that included the london to holyhead train then ferry to Dublin. Long day, but beautiful ride.
Very happy with my UofM bookstore backpack (with Nike logo) and MINNESOTA spelled out nicely in
Gopher colors
I'm able to cinch the shoulder straps with the chest strip which holds the straps together to fit over my suitcase handle.
Backpack is a pretty generic term. What are you looking for? I've used an Osprey 22 liter pack for years for travel and day hiking.
more everyday use. work and crap, but also day trippin.
You see those branded OGIO backpacks all over the place. They do a solid job. I tend to overstuff the front section, and once lost a bag to a piece of fruit left in the depths of the bag too long, but bought another at the company silent auction.
Philosofette bought a Jansport back in like 1999, that's still working for her.
Duluth pack make a variety of very good, simple backpacks. I’ve used one every day as my lunch hauler, bike lock carrier, and everything transport from the office to home for the last five years. It’s likely that I could hand this down to a niece or nephew some day.
I never used a back pack in high school. I maybe used one for one semester at college. Otherwise the only back pack I have ever used is the one we bought when we had our kids and needed to lug around the emergency infant kit (diapers, wipes, formula, bottles, etc). When travelling I despise having to carry anything on to the plane. My wife usually brings a small bag for her purse and other needs, but I baggage check anything I am bringing. When we fly Delta, we get one free baggage check for each of us, so that covers anything we bring. Basically, I bring my phone onto the plane and that's about it. When it comes to hiking, I never hike long enough distances to require anything but a few bottles of water, which fit in my shorts pockets.
Ooh, I'm Bizzaro Zoomie - I hate checking luggage. On my business trips I get three days of business casual, one of casual, laptop, phone wireless charger, book, toiletries, and a couple protein bars all in my carry-on. SWA easy-on easy-off
I used to be, but I hate lugging/rolling luggage around the airport, particularly when changing flights (which is ALWAYS the case with SWA for us), unless it's a business trip to southern california. Check it and forget it until the other end.
Making boarding faster for everyone that way.
also this.
I think the only time I do check a bag is if I'm connecting. In general, I want to get off the plane and get to wherever I'm going quickly. The convenience of not lugging a smaller suitcase around the terminal is overshadowed by being able to get off the plane and immediately walk to the airport exit.
(Random aside, I haaaate when the rental car facility is offsite. See: wanting to get and go.)
Yes.
We didn't check anything on our trip to Spain, but mostly for cost.
I would have loved to have checked some of it, but not for $75/bag
Going on cruises and sometimes using "bargain" airlines has taught me how to pack baggage to minimize the fees on luggage. I also bought some very cheap, very lightweight luggage from WalMart. It's not great at all, but every ounce wasted on luggage is an ounce of stuff that doesn't get in the suitcase. My wife doesn't travel light, so I'm figuring how to minimize my stuff and keep the total number of bags to a minimum.
We are currently the same temperature here in C.R. as back home*
*C though instead of F
I can see the argument for most SI units, but the old Fahrenheit temperature scale is a good one because of what 0 and 100 means.
That affinity seems mostly cultural. Tying to the freezing and boiling points of water seems much more "natural" for a scale.
I mean, I guess the freezing point of brine is kind of natural. But body temperature at 90 (later 96, finally 98.6)??
I'm not sure cultural is right here. As a human experience Fahrenheit makes a lot of sense, even though it isn't whatever natural means. It isn't "science" but the temps we can live are pretty constrained.
My feeling is it's entirely inertia (insert "there is no human nature" philosophy here). We have many generations with pervasive Fahrenheit while the rest of the world is building up that same pervasive Celsius inertia. Further, our experienced temperatures should include baking, putting the numbers we need to deal with approximately 0-400° Fahrenheit and -20-250° Celsius. Ultimately, I'm more indifferent about temperature scale because we don't really do math on those units compared to lengths or weights.
Sure put that way I can get the cultural aspect. In my estimation we put our bounds on the systems we live in. I dunno I haven't really thought on this much.
that's what I meant by cultural. It's just what we are used to. 0 means "cold" and 100 means "hot," unless its bath water, in which case it's "tepid." Kind of like 5 feet is "short" and 6 feet is "tall". Or 7 Stone is a tiny person and 14 Stone is a large person....
NO HUMAN NATURE?!?!
Someone hold me back!
I could live with Celsius -- makes plenty sense to me. "It's below 0C" stands alone, whereas in F we feel obligated to say "It's freezing out"
btw, average human temperature is trending down; I don't think 98.6F is truly average anymore.
95 constantly
Since COVID I take my BP, Pulse Oximeter, and temperature and log them in my spreadsheet (of course).
97.3F every morning.
Ex-Twins news: Cubs sign Stephen Gonsalves to a minor league deal.
I have a Jansport purchased at the UofMN Morris bookstore circa 1999 that’s still in use. Niblet ‘borrowed’ it for first grade this year when his water bottle leaked in his own pack. He kept using mine for nearly a month, despite it being longer than his torso by a good 8”.
For everyday use … well, back when I was actually going into the office, I use an older generation/version of this one. It’s great.
Really though, we need CH to weigh in. I recall him being a bit of a gear/bag connoisseur.
I totally missed this conversation, and I’m bummed about that. My general approach to purchases that get used frequently and require dependability is something like “buy once, cry once,” but really about spending on the things you care about and finding a manufacturer that uses ethical production methods.
I’m a crossbody bag guy for daily use. I used a Tom Bihn Co-Pilot for work (and as a personal item for travel) until the pandemic began, at which point I retired it due to some excessive wear in the corners where the slightly-too-big laptop & tablets I carried in it had rubbed away the waterproof coating. I absolutely love the middle water bottle pocket, which was handy for other items like sunglasses, too. Tom Bihn is based in Seattle, produces the bags in Seattle, and I really like what I know about the company (with the limitations of an outside observer).
If I were a backpack guy looking for something for work & travel, I would have considered both theTom Bihn Synapse 25L or Synik 22L (other sizes are available). For travel, I’m contemplating buying an Aeronaut (30L or 45L, not sure which) to replace my decade-plus old duffel bag purchased at Target when I was on a much smaller budget. I’m a carry-on baggage guy, but I firmly believe roller bags should be banned from overhead bins. Too often roller bags (especially the hard-sided variety) require passengers to play Tetris while boarding as others wait behind them, where soft-sided bags would more readily compress to fit the space. I think some people are less likely to overpack if they have to schlep the bag themselves.
As for my work bag replacement, I debated upsizing to the Pilot when I returned to partially on-campus work. Because I commute via public transit, I don’t like to carry a bigger bag than I have to, and the Pilot was just a bit too big according to the bag specs spreadsheet I put together. Ultimately, I went with a Waterfield Designs Sutter Tech Sling as my new bag, reasoning that I’d be working fewer days on-campus and didn’t need to carry as much. I streamlined what I bring with me a little bit to meet the lower capacity. Waterfield seems to share certain characteristics with Tom Bihn that I admire, including production at small scale, using great materials, by people rooted in a local community in the US.
I'm a huge fan of peak design. I've been rocking my V1 of their 20L Ash Everyday Backpack since they came out. Goes with me everywhere. Hiking, meetings, office, camping, overseas etc. New they are pretty expensive new (but worth it in my mind for durability and their business ethics) but they also have a pre-owned section https://market.peakdesign.com/collections/all/products/everyday-backpack-v1 that they still guarantee for life.
This is the video for the V2 but it is not very different from mine.
Good article on Kandisky exhibit at the Guggenheim in NYC.
If you're in the neighborhood I'd be happy to take you there - 2 hour drive from H'istan.
But Pompidou in Paris has an entire room full of Kandisky's - awesome.