The Brown Buffalo is one of those US based bag manufactures that doesn’t make enough product to meet demand. By doing so, they can charge a premium for their incredibly well made bags. Of course, it also creates a crazy secondary market.

Regardless, their bags and packs are amongst some of the best in the world… And this is a true rarity – their tote is in stock at the moment of this post.

Check it out.

I’ve said this before, but in my estimation GORUCK makes some of the best packs in the world. And while they aren’t always available due to stock issues, they seem to have a better handle on demand than other makers with similar (if not equal) quality. Meaning… usually if you want a GORUCK, you can get a GORUCK.

That all being said they had a presale on GR2 packs a few months back. The backpack world was stoked because these would be US made packs using the lighter 500D rather than the typical and more robust 1000D. They were all spoken for very quickly.

Due to COVID related production delays, customers had to wait longer than usual. Eventually, shipping notifications started going out… and before long, people started getting their packs. One problem – they were 1000D rather than 500D.

Someone screwed up. People got mad… and apparently, Facebook groups were lit afire with complaints.

Now, I don’t use Facebook. In fact, I judge people harshly that do… Including a naive friend of mine that persist in using the privacy and social destroying platform. But, he came in handy here as he was able to send me Jason McCarthy’s (GORUCK founder) response to all of this:

GR2. Look, we fucked up and I’m sorry. There’s no way to make it perfect again. We built it in the USA. The people on our team doing the QC (Quality Control) were not part of the Purchase Order process, or the labeling so to say so they couldn’t “catch” the mistake. They QC the integrity of the ruck. We heard about it from someone who received theirs, and we sent the note out to do the right thing. The rucks are solid, but/and they’re 1000D (this used to be the only gold standard).

In 11 years, this it the first time this kind of mixup has happened, and it happened on a RESERVE (/preorder) no less, which means you paid for it a long time ago, and we don’t know when there will be another opportunity to get them built, again. This is just the reality. If I hear supply chain problem one more time, I might puke in my own mouth. It’s real, too. The puke I mean. So look, it’s a messy situation and there was no real perfect fix. But at least you heard about it from us, directly.

If you’re really dissatisfied, just send us a note to team@goruck.com and we’ll do our best, but we can’t go back in time and we can’t make replacement guarantees because we simply don’t know when that would be possible. The reason our customer service is the gold standard is because we’ve earned that, day in and day out, for over a decade.

Life is a messy place with messy solutions. We’re human, even at the end of an email address, and our team has max latitude to make it right. We work for you and that is NEVER lost on me. Thanks for the support, and again, I’m sorry.

Jason McCarthy

Pretty unique response from a CEO, no? My advice for those at GORUCK? Put your head down. Keep doing what you are doing by making the best readily available bags in the world, and get the hell off of Facebook.

In today’s world of planned obsolesce combined with customer expectations, it’s difficult if not impossible to turn a buck by sewing textiles. You gotta love it to do it. And, in my estimation, it’s difficult to love something that isn’t being appreciated.

I, for one, appreciate US based manufacturing and quality and I’m willing to put my money where my mouth is… If you feel the same, head on over to GORUCK and get your first bag. You will be glad ya did.

You know all those annoying dangly straps on your backpack? Don’t deal with that shit… Seriously…

This is the answer.

Details.

Ask anyone in the industry what the best tech pouch is and 99% of them will say it’s the Peak Design Tech Pouch. I can’t really argue against that either… It’s made beautifully and is just a really smart design. That said, I don’t often carry enough tech with me to warrant such a large pouch and hate to give away empty space in my bag.

So… What are my options? While the GORUCK Wire Dopp isn’t nearly as sophisticated in design or fabrication, it’s absolutely perfect for me. I use two and sometimes 2.5 wire dopps to organize things like my cables, chargers, batteries, hard drives, and other gear. The best thing about them is that they sort of form to whatever it is that is inside them – giving you space back in your bag.

Plus, GORUCK…

Details here.

Filson just released an old bag in a new color way. It’s the traditional briefcase in a sort of Wes Anderson style camouflage and I totally dig it. These are the types of bags you buy once… and then use it off and on for the rest of your life. In fact, I still own and use a Filson bag that my dad bought in the 1970s…

Details.

I promised an update on my Pioneer purchase a few months back and here I am… I’ve been using the Matter bifold for 6-months now and have come to the conclusion that it’s the best wallet I’ve ever used. A few reasons:

1. The 10XD material is very light, very thin, and feels as though it wouldn’t last longer than a couple of days in your pocket. In reality, my wallet still looks as good as it did the day I got it. This shit wears well.
2. The size and organization is perfect. I’m a front pocket guy, so my wallets have to be small. This one is and has just enough organization to ensure it stays that way.
3. Along those same lines, the design is perfect. There isn’t a single slot that is hard to get too and all of Pioneer’s design decisions work well together.

The only real question left is long-term durability. I’ll keep ya updated.

Details.

I was sent this sling bag about 6 months ago, but wanted to use it before doing a brief review. Essentially, the 6L Everyday Sling is a small cross shoulder or “ass pack” bag designed primarily for photographers. It’s built beautifully and comes in a few different colors. I got black.

The Pros:

1. Like I said, it’s built incredibly well… Something I’m starting to expect from Peak Design after recently getting one of their straps.
2. It carries more than it’s size would suggest. In mine, I carry a Leica Sl2-S with 35mm Summicron V4 attached, a Leica M7 body only, a 21mm SEM, a 90mm Summicron, and various accessories such as batteries, filters, etc…
3. It’s minimal. There aren’t many pockets or flapping straps to distract you. In fact, it’s basically just a pouch with a very configurable strap.
4. Due to this strap and they way it pivots off the bag, you can wear this bag as a sling, an over the shoulder bag, or even a fanny pack.
5. And no matter which way you chose to carry this bag, your camera and lenses are remarkably accessible.

The Cons:

1. After using this bag for a period of time, I can really only thing of one con. The Everyday Sling doesn’t look like a camera bag in the way that maybe a Domke would (which is a good thing), but I’m still not hip on the aesthetic. I think that maybe it’s a bit too modern in appearance for me?
2. Oh wait… one more con. The front quick stash pocket? It’s too tight to be useful for anything accept maybe a lens cleaning cloth.

End of the day… If you are looking to carry small and light, the Peak Design Everyday Sling in 6-liters is hard to beat. It’s also offered in 3 and 10 liters.

Details here.