Welcome to the blog, Colorado Preppers. Prepping doesn't mean we think the apocolypse is coming or the earth will blow up. It simply means that we are preparing for any eventuality that may strike here in Colorado (USA) ... from swine/bird flu to blizzards to global financial collapse to loss of income and more. // Come learn with us about things like water purifying and collecting, inventory checks and more. However, we are NOT political and not affiliated with any specific religion or group. // FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO WWW.SURVIVAL-COOKING.BLOGSPOT.COM OR TO FIND OUT ABOUT MY BOOKS ON THESE AND OTHER TOPICS, GO TO WWW.VIKKI-LAWRENCE-WILLIAMS.BLOGSPOT.COM

Need a good sturdy backpack

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:

Anonymous said...

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.

Trashdigger said...

check out the dumpsters also.. good source of freebies. I prefer to live off the excesses.