Our durable, small backpack that had served for a decade got stolen in Spain. It was made in Finland and available only there. We tried a bunch of other small rucksacks that all broke in 2-4 months and as they were made of polyester fabric, they could not be fixed. Finally in Borneo we received visitors from Finland who brought us a new backpack from Finland, the same Savotta 123 that got stolen in Spain. However, meanwhile the manufacturer, Savotta, had updated their model that was originally introduced in 1950s. Those updates proved to be less than desirable at least for our needs.
This is how the backpack is being promoted:
“The Savotta Pack 123 is the traditional model produced by Savotta since the 1950s. In all its simplicity it is a very durable piece of equipment.”
This is what happened in real life, and how the backpack ended up in the trash bin in less than two years of use:
| Where | What happened | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borneo, Malaysia | We got the backpack | Sep 2011 | A gift from HS |
| Hua Hin, Thailand | Right shoulder strap snapped | Dec 2011 | 50 Baht = 1,24 € |
| Penang, Malaysia | Rivets of the pocket strap dropped | Feb 2012 | 14 RM = 3,5 € |
| Zagora, Morocco | Closing mechanism broke | Dec 2012 | 10 Dirham = 0,92 € |
| Masatepe, Nicaragua | Left shoulder strap snapped | Apl 2013 | 20 Cordobas = 0,65 € |
| Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica | Top lid fabric ripped | Jul 2013 | Not fixable |
We did not get discouraged and continued our search for a truly durable backpack. We approached Osprey, Fjällräven, Deuter, Haglöfs, Halti, and Rei only to learn that none of them was interested in making durable, heavy-duty backpacks not designed to break. All the backpacks are OK if you go for a short two-week hike once a year. That way your backpack will perhaps last ten years and you are happy. But if you use it all the time, it will break just in a few months´ time because it is not made to last: fancy straps get ripped off in aeroplanes, fabrics wear out, plastic buckles and rivets break, zippers jam, stitches open, shoulder straps snap, hip belts become loose.
Have you found a heavy-duty backpack that is not designed to break? Do you know any manufacturer who is more interested in making durable and ecological products than maximizing short-term profits with fragile products? We would love to hear your experiences and recommendations.
See also: Recycling Tricks To Consume More