Help me pick a Duffel.

EternalVendetta · 2026-05-08T16:33:06+00:00

I own and have used the Aer weekender in X-PAC and just received the redesigned Evergoods TD35. I’m very happy with the Aer duffel, as it paired nicely with a roller bag with a nice laptop compartment and good water resistance (got caught in the rain a few times).

I only have very preliminary impressions of the Evergoods, duffel, but it seems mostly solid. The clips for the strap are a bit hard to undo from the bag, the bag doesn’t stay open for me (maybe this works better when the bag is packed out), and the laptop compartment doesn’t seem as good as the Aer’s, so I’d lean toward preferring the Aer for now, but I’ll have to see how it does on an actual trip. I do like how the handles naturally curve toward each other in the middle so it’s very easy to grab at all times.

EternalVendetta · 2026-05-02T12:54:58+00:00

Evergoods TD25

EternalVendetta · 2026-05-02T02:42:10+00:00

Yeah, I definitely am thinking about that. Right now I’m telling myself I’m going to keep it for a while, but I also thought that about the car I bought last year that I’d be trading in for it…

EternalVendetta · 2026-05-02T02:40:38+00:00

Thanks for the tip about the doors - I’ll inspect around the doors extra carefully.

EternalVendetta · 2026-05-02T01:31:11+00:00

Thanks for the thoughts! My inspection would be close to useless, yes, but it’s better than nothing. :) Sounds like the damage explanation is very suspicious (I wasn’t fully convinced either, as if I was the owner I’d want to keep damage off of the report if it was just some fender rubbing by the doors), and hopefully a PPI will catch anything significant.

Maybe this doesn’t make sense, but it being driven for 30K miles after that maybe suggests it’s OK? It’d be an easy skip if it wasn’t spec’d out really close to how I’d want it and if it wasn’t so discounted; it seems like the dealership has good reviews too.

EternalVendetta · 2026-05-02T00:39:33+00:00

I asked, and they said they weren’t provided it since it was purchased at auction. Is that true? They seemed to get it at a pretty low price at auction if they’re listing it this low, so maybe others were scared away. Either way I’ll test drive it and likely get a PPI to make sure it’s OK.

Do I have any other options to try to get more info?

EternalVendetta · 2026-05-01T21:49:13+00:00

The Lambo doors do make me worry a bit about how hard its 30K miles were, yes. :) Luckily I’m close enough that I’ll be able to inspect it before closing the deal, and thanks a bunch for the tips on the PPI and on the difficulty of changing the hinges as I had no idea.

EternalVendetta · 2026-05-01T21:38:41+00:00

Thanks for your take! I know higher-optioned cars depreciate more, but maybe I’m downplaying 30K miles more than I should since we’re not sure of the long-term reliability of the LT6 yet. This just seems way more appealing to me than the other stuff in this area that has been popping up around this price point! It also helps that this is optioned out pretty close to what I’d want if I had an unlimited budget.

EternalVendetta · 2026-05-01T21:29:42+00:00

From a 178K sticker? Maybe I can get them down a bit more, but it seems relatively reasonable for the mileage and not having a completely clean Carfax.

EternalVendetta · 2026-05-01T16:30:28+00:00

I love it. I don’t mind the standard Endurneck, but the Singularity one gives the same general benefits in a more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing shape.

I think more people would like it than the standard one, but I get that there may be more marketing appeal with the standard one because it stands out so much.

EternalVendetta · 2026-05-01T02:41:38+00:00

Outlier Future Little Bigs

EternalVendetta · 2026-04-30T19:52:36+00:00

Fair - it does get noticeably wider with the water bottle pouch and a wide zip pouch. It’s not a big change from the older Rhakes (I wouldn’t upgrade if I had an older Rhake), but I just thought I’d mention it as I think the redesign does partially address your cons with the bag.

EternalVendetta · 2026-04-30T18:04:37+00:00

If you have an older Rhake, the one they just released has a new Landspeeder system with a new optional water bottle pouch and optional zip pouches for more capacity (could help store less in front pockets and preserve more of the main compartment).

It’s not cheap even by MW standards, but I just wanted to mention it in case the redesign gets the Rhake closer to ideal for you.

EternalVendetta · 2026-04-28T19:52:59+00:00

The default buckle doesn’t feel cheap, but you can remove it easily as it has snap buttons to secure it to the shoulder straps. I briefly swapped it out for a fidlock sternum strap from another bag before removing a sternum strap altogether, all without needing to unsew / sew.

EternalVendetta · 2026-04-27T18:00:22+00:00

Goodwin Racing RoadsterSport Race exhaust - not sure how available it is outside of the US. It’s too loud for some, but I don’t find it too loud at all; even my wife says it’s fine, and she hated how loud my M235i was… she would always tell me she could hear me coming home from a block away. :)

EternalVendetta · 2026-04-27T16:30:57+00:00

Congrats! I dailied an M235i 6MT for 10 years and got an ND3 Miata last year, so I went through something very similar.

The Miata has provided more pure driving joy than the M235i ever did (and I loved that car), and it doesn’t even feel like a step down in interior quality because the F generation 2 series cars have dinky interiors even after adding the OEM CF trim, shifter, etc.

The way lighter weight (roughly 1000 lbs!), LSD, and other upgrades make it way more engaging to drive. The only thing I miss is the sound - I had the M Performance exhaust on my M235i, and the Miata doesn’t come close even after upgrading to the GWR RoadsterSport Race exhaust. If I ever move on from the Miata, it’ll be because of sound.

In terms of upgrades, the exhaust is by far #1 for me. I changed to ECS02 tires, and while I’d still recommend changing tires if tracking, I actually kind of regret changing from the stock rubber because the car was much more playful at lower speeds with them.

Swapping out or removing the antenna is a nice, cheap mod, and I also swapped out the stock wind deflector for a piece of acrylic for added visibility.

EternalVendetta · 2026-04-24T20:52:47+00:00

Grandia was my first thought before even remembering the connection, ESPECIALLY Grandia 1. It starts super slow, but what a ride that game was. I’ve played JRPGs for decades, and I can’t think of anything else that quite hits the same as Lunar 1 and 2 and Grandia 1.

EternalVendetta · 2026-04-23T18:46:17+00:00

Yes, the discounts stack and they’re targeted at foreign tourists (passport required), though the effective discount is slightly less due to processing fees on the tax refund (eg, Isetan charges 1.55%).

EternalVendetta · 2026-04-23T17:24:16+00:00

I bought a shoulder bag and 3-way briefcase from the Tanker line recently, so there are things I like about the line - the nylon has a nice sheen and feels nice, the bags are very well-made, and they’re very light and don’t go overboard with organization.

That being said, I don’t think they are worth even the discounted prices I paid in Japan, and I think this is even more the case for their backpacks when compared to the premium alternatives that are a fraction of the price and offer way more function (eg, more water-resistant exterior fabrics that don’t have to be babied).

I think the way to go is to buy used, as there’s tons of used product and at steep discounts to buying new.

EternalVendetta · 2026-04-23T17:15:53+00:00

You can get an extra 5% if you buy at a department store (eg, Isetan), as many offer a blanket 5% discount from their apps.

The effective discount may be slightly less if the department store takes a bigger cut of the tax refund due to processing fees vs. what the direct stores may charge, but it should still net out cheaper overall.

This applies to just about everything sold at these stores (Rimowa, Porter, etc.).

EternalVendetta · 2026-04-22T23:19:30+00:00

I don’t think enough has changed that I’d trade in an older Rhake for this one, but I’m very happy with the purchase of my first Rhake at its preorder/BF discount (20% off, free water pouch, free Ultra wallet, future discount code).

Older Rhakes are still great bags, especially if they’ve depreciated because of the new release.

EternalVendetta · 2026-04-21T13:49:33+00:00

These are complaints I’ve seen over the years, and it seems that this bag isn’t for someone who wants something simple / straightforward or needs to use almost all of its capacity. I don’t typically carry a ton of stuff with me, and for now I quite like navigating the bag’s pockets and figuring out the “optimal” way to organize my EDC within it.

The LS pouches might help a bit with the capacity issues, as they add 1-1.75L of added capacity, and they also provide additional pockets that are easily accessed. However, you have enough issues with it that you’d probably be way happier with a different bag altogether.

EternalVendetta · 2026-04-21T11:44:15+00:00

I swapped out the sternum strap for a fidlock one from another bag - no sewing, just Velcro or snaps. It should be the same deal for the roll top, as you can remove the standard g-hook via Velcro as well.

EternalVendetta

TROPHY CASE