Image Copyright CyberCom, Inc.

I was going to just send a pic of this backpack to my friend Jon – an Oahu native, now living in Thailand – but then I thought – this deserves a whole post.

I bought this DAKINE backpack for about $140 USD at a small business on the right side of the street looking up the hill in Paia, Maui back in 2002.

Since then I’ve used this thing HEAVILY and abused it quite a bit. I’ll bet I’ve washed it 20 times in 10 years. I’ve sweat on this thing at least once per week, and sometimes 5-7 days a week. My usual fitness each day came by towing two notebook computers, Nikon camera and lenses, and some other stuff – in this bag, up a 1,237 step mountain climb in Thailand for over 3 years.

On Maui I would pack it full of water and head up some of the long hikes there. Back on Oahu – same thing, fill it full of water and climb for 3-6 hours.

To say this thing has been bathed in my sweat over and over, hundreds of times, is no exaggeration. How it survived – is anyone’s guess.

DAKINE bags are tough man – at least this one is! It’s great to know that a Hawaii business cares enough to make such an amazing bag. Sure I paid for it – but, you know – this is what I want. I want to pay absurd amounts for something – and have it deliver.

It was the first time I spent any obscene amount of money for a small backpack… and, if this one ever wears out – I’ll be doing it again. One hundred forty bucks over 10 years works out to $14 bucks a year, a buck something a month. Not bad value!

Cheers to DAKINE. Thanks for making this killer bag – I love it.