Pop! That was the sound. After eight years, countless countries, and being stuffed beyond any reasonable limit, my backpack finally gave up. Just a little. It happened, of all places, on a backpacking trip to Mont Blanc.
And my first thought wasn’t “Ah, no mames,” but “Man, it took you long enough.”
It got me thinking. I rarely say thanks to the objects I use on my trips. I always just think, “It’s an object, I can buy it back.” But that’s not true, is it? Some things are more than just things.
So today, I’m giving a shout-out to the unsung heroes of every single adventure: my trusty carry-on backpack and my ever-loyal black jacket…
- National and international robotics competitions? Count them in.
- Carrying all the gear for my triathlons? Si.
- Stopped at several borders and customs for hours? Check.
- Comfy pillow? Oui.
They were bought on July 1 2017. And here they are.
These two are the real MVPs of travel.
- The incredible Angstrom 28 (known as Main One)
- And Male Windwall Black Jacket (known as Main Two).
The backpack has survived more airports than my sanity, been stuffed beyond legal limits, water, land and air-crossed more than 30 countries and still somehow fits in the overhead and underneath of a seat (after a little strategic squishing).
It took it 8 years to finally get ripped. Yes, for the first time. Exactly on this backpacking trip to Mont Blanc. I overfilled it and pop!
And how does the inside look like? It has bravely endured shampoo explosions, toothpaste leaks, many pens destroyed and the dreaded “is this under 100ml?” interrogation… yet it soldiers on like a champ. It holds my many 15 random carabiners and, of course, waterproof cover (another hidden savior).
For the powerful jacket. Not even Ethiopia, rural Mexico, the Colombian Andes, the Canadian winter or the Saudi desert could damage it over the years, this includes the countless washing machines all over sketchy hostels. Only the overexposure to the sun changed its color.
A funny aspect of these two North Face object is that my brother took them to Belize and Guatemala before me, meaning that it’s been traveling far more than me.
Here are my social media:
- Instagram: @castacu0
- TikTok: @castacu0
- X: @castacu0
- Behance: @castacu0
Show me your champs, let’s see those well-traveled “must” kits.
P.S. Out of the 14 years we’ve been using the brand. Most of the vests, jackets, hats, gloves and gear we’ve had throughout the years (like honestly 90% of them) have been lost (buses) or stolen (lol) but none of them out of service!
