My cheapo Wal-Mart backpack (that I use as a purse) gave up the ghost. I was wondering why I kept losing change when I'd throw it down on the front seat or floorboard. Then I spied a pen slipping out of a hole in the bottom. Ah man!
So today I grabbed my needle and thread. After emptying out the backpack, I examined it closely. No go. There are too many places in the bottom of the backpack and along the sides that are tearing. Plastic is shredding. Even if I sewed an additional bottom inside, using a clean dishrag, the sides and front don't have much life left.
Cheapo bag.
So, it's gotta get trashed. I'll salvage what I can (the straps, etc.) but basically, it's garbage. Nine months of good solid use, then disintegration.
So I checked out the strap that broke on a purse I used last week. It broke because I kept putting 3-6 rolls of nickles in there to carry home from the bank. Nice purse. Leather. Supposedly good solid stitching. Yeah, right. Guess it couldn't survive under that weight. But I figured I can repair the strap, and did so. It doesn't look beautiful, but I really don't care. It's functional. Maybe I gave it another year of life. See? Sewing is a handy skill everyone should have!
Meanwhile, I need a backpack.
PLEASE don't buy cheapo backpacks that are in the purse section. Especially not for your bug-out bag. Look in the sporting goods section. Those are made to last. Can you imagine a hiker going 10 miles into the woods, and a hole develops in the bottom, with the matches and food sliding out along the trail? Yeah, right. The manufacturer would get sooooo sued!
2 comments:
If you have the time, you can pick up a decent backpack at a garage sale, or at goodwill/savers/arc - I got a L.L Bean day pack for a few bucks that takes all kinds of abuse.
You need to be patient, though - you won't find them every week and you need to hit a lot of places.
check out the dumpsters also.. good source of freebies. I prefer to live off the excesses.
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