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coursejunkie t1_j0iby88 wrote

Haha.

I have one backpack (a Jansport) that is literally over 25 years old and is still in daily use.

Jansport has a lifetime guarentee

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YoSaffBridge11 t1_j0iddoa wrote

I was going to suggest Jansport! 👍🏼

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coursejunkie t1_j0ijz7v wrote

Every time I find one when thrifting I pick it up, I just picked up one at a thrift store. I know they will last forever and Jansport will fix them anyway!

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TheRealHowardPotts OP t1_j0icbyd wrote

I hope this one will last 25 years and beyond I love this backpack and I have so many memory's attached to it

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Anianna t1_j0in8c5 wrote

I've had an Eastpack since the late 80s when I was in junior high. I'm not sure if Eastpack was rolled into Jansport or if they are just owned by the same parent company, but I had a second Eastpack from the 80s that frayed in the early aughts and I was sent a Jansport as a replacement.

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ssl-3 t1_j0jnay9 wrote

Apologies for hijacking your thread to ask this, but:

Does anyone have experience with Targus warranty service?

I've got a Targus backpack that I bought from Dell in 2004-ish to carry the first laptop I bought. I still like it just fine and it is holding up quite well aside from one problem. For almost 20 years, I've continued to use it for my present-day laptop and as a carry-on when flying.

The problem is that, lately, the most important zipper (the one nearest the shoulder straps that bears the most weight) has been separating.

It's supposed to have a lifetime warranty, but their website suggests that I need proof of purchase for warranty service -- and that's surely long-gone.

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Eskaminagaga t1_j0jyafu wrote

I purchased a Targus backpack back in around 2005 and had it start to fall apart after daily use around 2015 or so. I looked into their warranty and discovered that they no longer make the type of backpack I initially purchased, instead making a similar one out of much lower quality materials. After that, I just decided to get an Osprey backpack which hasn't failed me yet.

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ssl-3 t1_j0k0eg3 wrote

Which Osprey bag did you end up with, if I may ask? I'm not opposed to buying a new one, and I already assumed that my Targus Matrix backpack is very long-gone in their product line and that a direct replacement is just not possible.

It's just that.... my present bag is failing, and I need to make a move soon.

I'm not yet familiar with the Osprey brand (and most of the BIFL backpacks here are just backpacks, not backpacks that are intended to protect a computer).

Can you fill me in on what you have, and what parts you like and dislike?

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Eskaminagaga t1_j0k1po4 wrote

So, the main reason my Targus bag fell apart was because I always overstuffed it, so I wanted a larger backpack. I think I went a bit overboard with the size of my Ospery, but ended up getting the Osprey Porter 65 with double the carrying capacity of my old Targus bag, but it has a place to put my laptop in it that keeps it safe enough and enough space for a weeks worth of travel clothing with room to spare, great for business trips.

But, I don't use it as an everyday backpack anymore due to the bulkiness of it. If I were to get an everyday Osprey bag with emphasis on Laptop care, maybe the Transporter Laptop Pack would be good, but I haven't tried it. Instead, I had another cheapo off brand bag which only lasted a few years, but after that failed, I went for a Langley Alpha Globetrotter XC. It is actually a camera backpack, but the pouches are just the right size for everything I need to use it for, has a separate laptop/tablet section, and it seems very well put together. I haven't owned it very long, so I don't know how it will hold up over time, but I have been satisfied with it so far.

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coursejunkie t1_j0jr81r wrote

I've never heard of the brand, so don't have any experience.

That's one of the reasons to go for Jansports. They don't ask.

Hope you end up getting it worked out!

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Soggy_Difficulty_361 t1_j0ka97k wrote

Still have mine, mint condition and bought at the same time as you, they're very durable.

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ssl-3 t1_j0kd6hc wrote

They are generally very good bags, I think.

But the most-important zipper on mine is regularly failing to zip, and/or to stay zipped.

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Criscocruise t1_j0joolh wrote

Early ‘90s North Face here. Same. 30 years and near identical shape as when new. But sadly this result could certainly not be expected from a more recent article from the brand.

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Borgalicious t1_j0l2nej wrote

Got one when I was 13 and never thought I’d be filling it with diapers at 33

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b1gd4ta t1_j0jtbhp wrote

I literally opened this thread to say that's not a Jansport.

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coursejunkie t1_j0jw589 wrote

I literally know that.

They said they had one going for 15 years, I have a backpack going for 25 which was a Jansport.

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b1gd4ta t1_j0jxemy wrote

Sorry I must not have been clear. I was making fun of OP for claiming that some unrecognizable brand outside of a region compares with Toyota in any way like a Jansport.

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mississippimaker t1_j0i96tt wrote

The German Patagonia. No surprise their shit would last forever. Wish they had more stores in the states.

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nautilus2000 t1_j0ihql2 wrote

They sell it online now in the US directly from the company. But I agree, wish you could buy it at REI or their own stores.

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Niirek t1_j0j34jy wrote

Except for you only see Wolfgang and Helga wearing it and the stuff is hideous

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imdibene t1_j0ivha0 wrote

Deuter is another German brand that also makes good backpacks

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unusedusername3 t1_j0jwqf7 wrote

We used their kid carrier backpack at least weekly for years. Then some friends did the same with their kid. I think it's on its third owner now.

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MedicByNight t1_j0jaxsd wrote

No one will see this, but I bought a hazard 4 sling pack 12 years ago and it's still brand new after daily hard use.

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thatlegendsguy t1_j0k9d6y wrote

I've seen you! Now go drink some water. Have a good Christmas !

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kris533d t1_j0ieizj wrote

I love Jack Wolfskin. Best backpack ever from that brand. You can only boy this brand in western Jutland in Denmark, but it is so god damn cheap!

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ParlourK t1_j0jc7ej wrote

Every year we attend Banff outdoor film festival and when they’re a sponsor and mention brand name my mates say “Jack Foreskin” iv never known anyone in AU to own their kit. … or sold in brick n mortar stores ha.

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phonein t1_j0iypiy wrote

I have a 5.11 Rush (one of the older ones) that has been literally all over the world with with me, from Tasmania to the Himalayas and a few more unique adventures.

Exposed to masssive heat changes, salt water and sun constantly, burned on a bikes exhaust. Exposed to hot ashes (bushfires). Hunting regularly. exposed to diesel fuel, dirst, heat, sun and salt at the sime time for weeks.

It won't die. 1 zip has become a little funky on the front pocket. and there is a small melted patch from the hot exhaust. This is with over a decade of hard use.

I think bags are one of those things where if you buy a reputable brand it will last forever.

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badisbad t1_j0jipe5 wrote

5.11 bags rock. I'm a carpenter and bring mine to work everyday, full of tools. I've used it throughout school, camping trips etc..

Never skipped a beat. Just had to replace some zipper pulleys which the company sent me a big bag of free of charge.

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GrantNexus t1_j0jmxei wrote

Yeah but they kill wolves.

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TomTurkey_WiiU t1_j0jwsbz wrote

If tourists are wearing North Face they’re from North America, if Jack Wolfskin, Europe!

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SoItWasYouAllAlong t1_j0icxok wrote

They don't sound like very nice people. Not even by the very low bar we've come to apply to big faceless corporations:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Wolfskin#Litigation

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TheRealHowardPotts OP t1_j0idf5u wrote

.... I don't really mind if they protect their company logo every big company does this .

But tbh i'm not here to discuss their policy I just want to say they make good backpacks and that's it lol .

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newspeer t1_j0iubb9 wrote

I don’t like Jack Wolfskin, but this was over a decade ago.

And I would protect what I rightfully own, too.

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SoItWasYouAllAlong t1_j0j05oa wrote

>this was over a decade ago

Apparently a decade was not enough time for them to admit they were at fault. They did however find the time to attack multiple parties. Never successfully sued anyone that I know of. Just used the advantage of their deeper pockets to threaten smaller businesses and hoped that it works.

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WhiteWingedDove- t1_j0j0u3g wrote

It's really not a big deal. I don't even believe in copyright laws at all, but if a company trying to stop others from using a logo is the worst you can find, that's really weak tea bro.

Can't you dig deeper and find they used slave labor or busted a unionization drive or something?

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SoItWasYouAllAlong t1_j0j6hpd wrote

I agree that it's not a major wrongdoing. But it demonstrates that they were and remain assholes.

Actually what they faced strongest public backlash for, was the fact that, IIUC, they outright went and filed suit against a bunch of mom-and-pop businesses. No cease and desist notices, directly sued individual craftsmen. "We're a megacorporation and have a large legal team on retainer, so it doesn't cost us anything to sue you" What kind of sociopath does that? I mean, it was a corporation's action, but an actual living person made those decisions...

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WhiteWingedDove- t1_j0jci5n wrote

Yeah I mean it's par for the course for businesses. I don't think a single moral business establishment has ever existed, and if it did, it was quickly run out of business by another that was willing to be more cut throat.

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SoItWasYouAllAlong t1_j0o2ph5 wrote

>I don't think a single moral business establishment has ever existed, and if it did, it was quickly run out of business by another that was willing to be more cut throat.

I believe that to be correct, but the conclusion you're drawing from it, to be incorrect. There's also a human factor on the corporate side. In many cases, someone says "Let's call those damn fools and explain to them that they can't just imitate registered trademarks and there are laws against that.' Even in a naturally inhumane corporation, there are still a lot of humane employees, simply because the corporation wants good team players.

The human factor would not be present in the big decisions where the bottom line is at stake. But small daily interactions are a different matter.

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WhiteWingedDove- t1_j0o55or wrote

Maybe there is something to what you're saying from a psychological standpoint but microeconomics teaches us that firms are in business to make a profit and that is the overriding principle that guides every decision from the smallest, seemingly insignificant decision to major ones. In reality, every decision is a decision where the "bottom line is at stake."

​

So, ultimately, according the microecon, the decision was made to pursue copyright claims against mom and pops because the firm thought it would boost profits. Probably because they thought they could get some kind of monetary settlement, or more likely (in my opinion), because they thought any press it would bring would be good for sales.

​

And that thought doesn't necessarily have to be true for us to say the profit motive is behind it. Tons of business decisions are made because stakeholders *thought* they would boost profits, but actually ended up losing money.

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SoItWasYouAllAlong t1_j0pj260 wrote

That would be an attempt of using the map to reason against the realities of the terrain.

I'm not an economist, but here's my attempt at describing it in my own words: Microeconomics has an extremely simplified model, which works reasonably well for the purposes it is designed for: Individuals' market behavior, parameterized by few key quantities of the market environment. The dynamics of the collective market environment (simplified to a few key quantities), as a result of individuals' market behavior. But that's all. It says nothing about e.g. whether, when times are good, the owner of a small private business will size bonuses based on the bare minimum which maximizes expected future return, or be generous for emotional reasons.

> In reality, every decision is a decision where the "bottom line is at stake."

That goes directly against my personal experience of businesses' (of various sizes) day-to-day operations. Also, microeconomics assumes "rational actors", not omniscient or internally efficient. It doesn't model the internal dynamics of a business, just its behavior on its external "market" interface, based on available information. E.g, in the same circumstances, on the inside some try to formalize a perfect methodology and avoid disruptions. Others try to build agility and foster disruptive patterns. That aspect of a business is outside the scope of microeconomics.

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newspeer t1_j0j0h0j wrote

So, they gave them a choice between loosing a lot of money in court and not loosing a lot of money?

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SoItWasYouAllAlong t1_j0j4wr0 wrote

My point is, I'm disputing the "protect what (...) rightfully own" part in your previous statement. We don't know that their property extends as far as their claims did.

Those aren't empty words. Do look up my other comment here (with the two links), and compare their logo against Bearwear's logo. AFAICT, they're trying to prevent the use of stylized images of any mammalian footprint.

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LurkingShadows2021 t1_j0ifgoj wrote

If this brand ships to the USA, I am curious to know what items this brand is known for. I have never heard of it before.

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TheRealHowardPotts OP t1_j0ifrv1 wrote

They do outdoor clothing and camping stuff they are kinda similar to Patagonia but a little cheaper

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Goondor t1_j0ki3tl wrote

They do! I bought some pants from them a few years back (on Amazon I think) for a trip to Iceland and they worked very nicely! I have a jacket I still wear to this day too, great quality and good prices!

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KofOaks t1_j0izij8 wrote

If you're from Quebec, try destroying one of these mf

I'm in my 40s and I bought mine in the early years of highschool.

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TheRockinkitty t1_j0jrj9g wrote

I have the JW messenger bag. My sister gave it to me for Christmas in….1995?ish. I used it for years and years and it is still in great shape. I don’t use it now, because I switched to a smaller purse, but I won’t let it go.

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Ready_Mycologist8612 t1_j0juosd wrote

This maker deserves the spotlight, good for you supporting an artisan

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CEME_SMART t1_j0ka5gd wrote

Congratulation! Wow, you really got the backpack of high quality. And you do used it for such a long time from the picture and it seems it can be put into many objects with the large space.

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MJBrune t1_j0kayme wrote

I have a targus laptop backpack that's around 15 years old now. Holds a 18.4 inch laptop with tons of other pockets. As far as I know it's a lifetime warranty as well.

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keszocaj t1_j0kgbhn wrote

I've got the same - Jack Wolfskin Berkeley backpack - for 17 years. Apart from a few small abrations at the bottom and faded colour it still works. That thing has the best zippers I've ever seen - you can hold really heavy backpack just by the zipper.

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Givemeurhats t1_j0kk8co wrote

Thing looks rough bro, I got a 20 year old ES backpack that still looks brand new

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thunderfbolt t1_j0kmsn4 wrote

I had a similar one! Used it from early middle school, through many outdoor camps, till my post university mountain hiking days till it finally fell apart.

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deli365 t1_j0kn2h2 wrote

I have this brand in a fanny pack! It is the toughest little bag, I use it constantly. I got it years ago for free with a coupon from Zappos. I was just thinking the other day, is this an actual name brand? And here I see this post.

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og_toe t1_j0l470g wrote

i’m not far behind, vans backpack 7 years going strong <3

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Diotima245 t1_j0l6uro wrote

I used a Oakley backpack throughout college thing was a tank.

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mtepete t1_j0mbxkt wrote

I was in Germany and my backpack i was using for the last 10 years gave out so i went into a store and bought this brand backpack, not knowing anything about the brand itself… its been 15 years of travel and still looks great!

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Das-Tronz t1_j0n8eoc wrote

I love Jack Wolfskin. I found them by chance while in Stuttgart, Germany over 10 years ago. Learned I was woefully unprepared for the winter. Still have some of the articles to this day. Sadly my jacket....well it's a little snug these days now. But I'm sure it would still be going strong.

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Pliskkenn_D t1_j0io1di wrote

Can you still buy it? I had an Eastpak finally give up on me after nearly 20 years because my idiot mate wouldn't listen to "Stop fucking with the zip and let me do it"

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Jamman_85 t1_j0ixkbv wrote

I have a JW that I got 10 years ago in Germany, used it daily and took it on trips for work and everything else. Still looks brand new. Great brand, wish I could find them here in the US.

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avipars t1_j0qmg0f wrote

i need a new bag, are their new products holding up well too?

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Due-Risk1400 t1_j0ib8l5 wrote

Thats my name!

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TheRealHowardPotts OP t1_j0ibp8g wrote

Berkeley ?

I swear if your name is Jack Wolfskin you are the coolest motherfucker on god's earth.

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magnum-0pus-0ne t1_j0j20de wrote

Jack Wolfskin makes high quality durable products - can confirm!

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Tyzed t1_j0k31yd wrote

looks like you haven’t washed it in 15 years either

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Dylat3d t1_j0j8paf wrote

🤮🤮🤮 wash it

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TheRealHowardPotts OP t1_j0j8z19 wrote

Its fucking 15 years old you muppet of course it doesn't look new , has been washed a week ago .

It's normal wear and tear that happens after 15 years of use

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