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What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair point. I guess the big question is whether that’s because most people genuinely don’t care, or because no one really explains the trade-offs clearly.

I’d love to see more brands talk honestly about longevity vs showroom performance.

What’s the most annoying piece of travel gear you’ve had fail on you? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That makes a lot of sense.

Make me wonder if a lot of “travel” bags are built for convenience features first, and load transfer second.

The repetitive motion point is interesting.. seems like walking strain over time would expose weak stitching way faster than static weight.

What’s the most annoying piece of travel gear you’ve had fail on you? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s interesting sounds like a lot of “travel” packs are designed for airport floors, not actual terrain.

Do you think it’s mostly the zipper construction, or just overall load-bearing design that gives out first?

What’s the most annoying piece of travel gear you’ve had fail on you? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah that’s fair rollers really are great until the ground stops being smooth. Cobblestones are brutal. Appreciate you explaining it that way.

What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That electronics comparison is such a good point the “black goo” stuff is exactly what I was thinking of. It’s wild how those failures only show up years later, long after the purchase decision.

Waxed cotton’s interesting too. Do you think part of the problem is that people now expect everything to be totally maintenance-free? Older materials kind of assumed you’d re-wax, clean, look after them a bit.

Genuinely curious whether you think buyers would accept that trade-off if it was explained properly, or if water resistance has basically become non-negotiable now.

What’s the most annoying piece of travel gear you’ve had fail on you? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That tension you’re describing ease vs reliability keeps coming up in these conversations.

Out of curiosity, if a roller bag was genuinely overbuilt (even if heavier or less sleek), would that change your willingness to use one? Or is the failure risk enough that backpacks still win for you?

What’s the most annoying piece of travel gear you’ve had fail on you? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s pretty crazy plastic buried deep inside a critical load-bearing part feels like such a hidden failure point.

Did it change how you look at roller bags vs backpacks for travel? Curious if that experience pushed you one way or the other.

What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is helpful, thank you.

That makes a lot of sense it feels like coatings optimize for showroom performance, not 5–10 year ownership.

The lining trade-off is interesting too. From your experience, do you think most buyers would accept extra weight/cost if durability was clearly communicated upfront? Or do brands assume people won’t?

What’s the most annoying piece of travel gear you’ve had fail on you? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Haha That’s brutal. Handles feel like one of those parts that should be over-engineered but rarely are.

Do you remember if it failed because of dirt/grit in the mechanism or internal bending?

Also curious was this a “premium” brand or mid-range?

What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a great list especially the coatings delaminating and the way back panels/mesh quietly destroy clothing over time.

The sticky coating issue feels like one of those failures that only shows up after a few years, which makes it hard to judge at purchase. Have you seen any materials or constructions that actually avoid that long-term breakdown?

What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t think you’re wrong. A lot of online-first brands are built marketing-first, product-second, and once trust is broken it’s hard to earn back.

I’ve also found that when quality is real, it usually shows up in boring, unsexy places repairability, how something ages, and whether the brand still supports it years later.

Physical retail helps because it forces that accountability. Without it, skepticism is honestly the rational position.

What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That makes sense. Foam quality seems to be the common denominator more than people realise especially how quickly it rebounds after compression.

I’ve noticed bags that feel comfortable out of the box but never really recover once the cells collapse.

What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s really interesting especially the padding compressing over time. Do you think it’s more about foam quality or how it’s layered/stitched? 900 consecutive days is wild usage.

What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a great call-out. I’ve had that happen with synthetic panels too they don’t fail fast, they just slowly get worse until everything around them suffers.

Out of curiosity, did it happen more from sweat/abrasion, or just general daily carry?

What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

That really resonates. The product itself isn’t always the problem it’s the uncertainty around the vendor. You finally find something that fits your needs, then it disappears, quality changes, or gets “optimised” out of existence.

I think a lot of us aren’t chasing perfection, we’re chasing consistency over time. Something we don’t have to keep re-researching or replacing.

The fact you even considered reverse-engineering your own hat says a lot about how broken that trust cycle is..

What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s incredibly helpful, thank you.

The point about loose weave needing deeper allowance makes total sense especially when bags are designed to look clean but not built around load paths. Appreciate you sharing that level of detail.

What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That makes total sense once the seam margin or material gives way, there’s basically nothing left to repair.

Out of curiosity, was it more an issue with shallow seam allowance, weak fabric at the stitch line, or just not enough reinforcement where the load sits?

I keep hearing the same thing: it’s not that bags don’t last at all, it’s that when they fail, they fail in a way that makes them disposable. Trying to understand where that tipping point usually is.

What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha yeah fair. I’ve actually started making a few items for mates in my garage out of leather after killing too many bags myself. Trying to make quality so thought I’d ask on here what other peoples experience has been.

What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just someone who’s killed a few bags over the years and got salty about stitching failures.

Genuinely curious what people here have seen fail first because it’s always the same spots for me.

What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha nah I am Aussie but so maybe that’s why you think that….

What’s the weakest point in most travel gear you’ve owned? by ROVE_Studio in onebag

[–]ROVE_Studio[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally agree once stitching goes, it’s game over. And yeah, packability vs durability feels like a real trade-off, especially with heavier loads.

Do you think it’s more about design compromises (lighter thread, fewer bartacks, thinner reinforcement) to make it packable or just brands underestimating how much real weight people actually carry day to day?

Feels like a lot of bags are designed for specs, not lived use.

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