Being accustomed to the layout of Chrome Industries' Kremlin, Berlin and Warsaw bags, it took some time to learn how to switch to the Mission Industries "Vandal". But, the capacity of the available Chrome bags wasn't large enough to carry the large and heavy workloads that I encounter on a daily basis. I needed a large capacity bag that I could wear as a back pack and has sufficient water resistance to protect the legal documents that I often carry. The Vandal seemed to be the answer.
For about four months, everything seemed to be going well. The Vandal carried what I needed it to carry and it didn't strain my back, like the over-the-shoulder messenger bags had done.
Then, I began to notice the zipper giving-out on the main compartment. This was a bad sign, since the main compartment zipper protected the documents and allowed me the 65L capacity. The outer zipper, which provided the main water-resistance, could still seal the bag but would only allowed a 29L capacity, because of how the backpack was designed. The loss of the 36L space would severely affect how much cargo I could carry.
Closer examination of the zipper showed that the zipper's teeth were being bent or were falling out. Even worse, the stitching that held the zipper to the fabric of the bag was coming loose.
I couldn't allow this to continue. I had to send the bag back to Mission Workshop for repair or replacement. After sending them a repair request and pictures of the damaged zipper, they decided to send me another bag, while letting me keep the first bag as a spare.
I still have my PAC Design Ultimate OS, which I use for everything from grocery shopping to carrying my laundry. It has a large capacity to rival the Vandal, but it's not as comfortable to wear when carrying large loads. So, I placed the first Vandal into storage and hoped to find some use for it later. Given its handicap of only having a 29L capacity, it didn't seem that I would be using it for very much.
After the second bag arrived, I began using it for work. It carried the same size loads as the first bag had, though I was a bit gentler with it. But, that didn't help. In about four months - roughly the same span of time that I had used its predecessor - it also began to have the same problems with its zipper.
This was a very confusing situation for me. Other messengers in Honolulu have owned and used Vandals for a long time. In one case, it been his bag-of-choice for years. In fairness, I don't think any of them consistently carry loads as large and heavy as I do on a daily basis. It appeared that my daily workload actually exceeded the Vandal's strength and endurance.
Contacting Mission Workshop again didn't seem to be a viable solution. If they sent me another replacement bag, then I'd have two half-usable bags in my apartment, instead of just one. If I sent the bags in for repair, they'd likely only fix one bag - they would likely have simply replaced the broken zipper with one just like it, which would likely have also broken in 3 or 4 months - and not the other, since I had only paid for one bag and the second bag would have been either sent back to me without repairs or simply discarded.
I needed another option. I didn't want a bag that would basically "expire" in a few months.
Local tailor shops couldn't replace a backpack zipper and upholstery shops wouldn't likely be able to help. So, like many people in my situation, I turned to the Internet to solve my problem.
That's how I found out about Rugged Thread, a company located in Bend, OR that repairs broken zippers in all manner of items: tents, jackets, sleeping bags, backpacks, etc. If it has a zipper that needs replacement, Rugged Thread is where you can send it.
After sending Kim pictures of the broken zippers on my Vandals, I sent both to her shop. She actually had to physically examine the bags to provide me with a specific price quote and I mailed her a check after she called me on the phone to inform me of the type of work needed on the Vandals, though I could have made payment over the phone. Shipping is extra and they only get the final shipping costs when they pack the items for return, so I had to pay for the shipping before they would be sent back to me. Rugged Thread uses US Mail Parcel Post, so took a couple of weeks to get them back.
According to Rugged Thread, the Vandals main compartment each had a #8 zipper, which she replaced with a #10. I had no idea that zippers were categorized this way, but you live and learn. The #10s are more durable and could even outlast the backpacks themselves.
With the return of both of my Vandal backpacks, I am now back in the swing of things at work. The #10 zippers seem to be far stronger than the #8s they replaced, so they should last far longer this time around. The added benefit of having two Vandals, instead of just one, I can always put one in the laundry and give it time to dry while I use the other one.
As for my faithful PAC Design, it's back to its old job of carrying my groceries.
Duane Browning
Venmo: @Duane-Browning-1
CashApp: $DuaneBrowning
