Mardingtop 75 L Tactical back Pack Field Test and Why Most BackPacks These Days are Not Built to Last.

 Mardingtop 75 L Tactical back Pack (REAL) Field Test by Mrs BushCampingTools

....and Why Most BackPacks These Days are Not Built to Last.

Quite frankly, I had never heard of this pack manufacturer before last week. It is of course a Chinese luggage manufacturer who according to their literature specialises in tactical styled packs. This model is about to actually "take part" on a real "mission" and so in one months time we shall see if it "handled the pace" or not. 

The specs sound and look ok: When I mean by "look", that means I've actually seen the pack with my own two eyes, not on internet pictures.

All major seams/stitching are covered/protected, YKK zippers and buckles are used throughout and bar tack stitching is used for stress points. The fabric is 600D polyester according to their literature. 

I've always been a big fan of Cordura but we all know, very few packs these days feature heavy denier Cordura due to the price from Koch of the raw materials. In fact IMHO many pack manufactures want their products to fail within probably less than 5 years. It's not "like the old days" where manufacturer's like Macpac (before they went woke) made almost indestructible packs from a type of canvas material, super abrasion resistant and waterproof without a polymer coating. 

Heck, I got over 25 years from my Macpac Ascent and it had travelled the world been to > 5000m, trekked,  hiked and camped all over the place and repaired once after 20 years for FREE by them! 

Those days are over! Like just look at the WOOSY Deuter Guide models available now! They would be lucky to last one season of serious use. My old Deuter Guide 35 is still hanging in there and NO damage to the pack fabric! This is of course NOT a great way to make gear because if a customer only buys a product once every 20 years then you'll soon go broke as a manufacturer if that's all you're relying upon for sales. Nope 5 years tops then it must fall apart. It's pointless to think otherwise in our disposable world (I'm not saying this is right but i am saying this is how it is).

So in short many pack manufacturers today do not use Cordura as a routine pack fabric. (eg my Deuter Guide 35 Plus -using proprietary fabrics).

QUESTION:

Anyway how did this "no name brand" approx $140-00 USD backpack get chosen?

No I'm not being racist as I'm I've got Chinese genes floating around my body.

ANSWER:

In a hurry that's how due to the urgency of this notice because other brands could not be acquired at a moments notice, that's why and not wanting to spend a fortune as the pack may get destroyed?

Quoted from Mardingtop: (note it does not say anything  about other types of end use.)

"making it perfect for hiking, trekking, camping, and climbing adventures."

Now to be fair: with care, modern computerised industrial sewing machines and quality fabrics, along with skilled labour, and good design, there is NO REASON why a quality pack can not be made.......... BY ANYONE.

So stick around for the results after about a month??? Who knows???

BCT

PS I will only be reporting on this "test".So check back for pictures en route.

Ok it survived several airport baggage handlers and machines

No straps broken. Laden with 21Kg at present.

After 2 international airports

So far it has survived one bus trip and 2 international airports, that means being thrown into and out of plane holds multiple times by the "baggage testers" from hell! AKA the baggage handlers.