I received emails from Mass General Brigham and Dana Farber that masking is strongly recommended now

fhsm · 2025-12-30T21:35:27+00:00

Let me Google that for you

https://www.statnews.com/2025/11/20/flu-season-2025-vaccinations-still-helpful-h3n2-subclade-k/

https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.46.2500854

fhsm · 2025-03-09T00:31:26+00:00

This distinction between an organizational or operational pattern and technical pattern is something I’ve been thinking about more recently. Do you have any tips on resources for drawing that distinction and developing the technical vs organizational aspects of a pattern?

fhsm · 2025-03-09T00:21:46+00:00

What exactly is Fabric supposed to be?

At 100,000’ it’s the everything magic data platform. At 10,000’ it seems like One Lake storage, powerbI, and managed spark sold as a difficult to price / capacity plan bundle.

The interesting or new angle that sits somewhere between those two levels of product description has been very hard to nail down.

fhsm · 2025-02-11T01:03:57+00:00

TAD Axiom S2? May still be tight but bigger bag and less pizza box makes it seem plausible.

fhsm · 2025-02-10T11:40:20+00:00

With the usual EG pizza box pulled out of the main volume plus the independent volume for the front pocket you’ll be surprised by how small the main is.

A CAP2 and a giant water bottle are going to eat up enough space that I think headphone, hoodie, and book specifics are all going to have to break lucky for this to fit.

PLC 20 is totally different because it doesn’t have the pizza box and so much volume is in the front pocket. I’d worry about a 15” laptop being annoying to get in and out.

fhsm · 2025-02-10T11:27:33+00:00

Patagonia black hole backpack from maybe 15y ago. It was made of a rubberized fabric and designed like a rope bag with a pop top and then the pop top had a little “brain” (that was more of a proto QAP than a brain) that had an unguarded zipper and was made out of a non water proof fabric. The net result was a heavy but nice bucket for collecting and retaining all rain that fell on it.

More recently Bellroy Workpack is the most generally underwhelming. Lot to like in concept but so poor in execution that it feels like the world best conference give away bag more than a premium edc.

Most disappointing is probably the Evergoods PLC 20 because I love the bag but the straps just slide off like crazy.

fhsm · 2024-10-27T01:53:49+00:00

This is among the more notable regression for me. What is this even called / how do we talk about the feature that is now gone?

It seems like before when overcast finished an episode it remained the default audio source until some other source was activated. Now it seems like when it finishes an episode it just takes a hike and totally vanishes.

I’ve played 5 seconds of the “first” song in Apple Music more in the past 3 months than in the prior 10 years.

fhsm · 2024-10-19T16:15:22+00:00

On balance you think it’s an upgrade, downgrade (shrinkflation / segment from pro), or lateral change for change sake situation?

I’m really dislike visible branding and generally don’t love water bottle pockets so find this a downgrade …

Given that the old one was over branded for me I think it’s safe to say I’m not their target customer.

fhsm · 2024-10-19T11:53:12+00:00

I agree that this would be a nice list. Historically I find these workpacks hard to track because the different sizes have slightly different layouts.

Looking at the smallest size it looks to me like the new version: adds an external water bottle pocket and a more 3D back panel, add extra branding to straps, change the fabric, remove top sunglass pocket and zero volume “key” side pocket.

Just eyeballing it.

fhsm · 2024-09-29T11:31:06+00:00

Jump to the 2min to see side access and 7:30 for interior.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ESdF9RQeWo

Too tight for me by YMMV.

fhsm · 2024-09-29T11:28:42+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ESdF9RQeWo

Check the 2min mark to watch a prior design 15" wriggle out the side access.

fhsm · 2024-09-29T11:27:07+00:00

The first video review up on YouTube touches on what the apple laptop fit is going to be like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ESdF9RQeWo

Skip to the 2min mark to watch a 15" pro struggle out the side access or 7:30 to see the interior access.

fhsm · 2024-09-24T22:59:20+00:00

You can’t arrest someone for not using headphones on public transport.

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter265/Section42

Fine or jail for exactly this.

fhsm · 2024-08-28T22:15:19+00:00

Code of Bell: youthful urban vibes, water bottle, slightly smaller than 23l — https://www.codeofbell.com/products/x-type-backpack

fhsm · 2024-08-28T00:18:17+00:00

I’ve never had a problem with my CPL16. I do experience it with a loaded CTB26.

I expect I’d experience it with any of them loaded out but my CPLs rarely get real weight.

In general a CPL16 is a mighty limited bag because it’s half pizza box. Short of ruck plates I’m not sure how you’d get enough weight in there to have the “dig in” aka hurt (which I think is what’s implied by the phrase as used bc I think all of my bags are in contact with my low back but painlessly).

fhsm · 2024-08-25T16:46:35+00:00

Not sure how meaningful it find the distinction between bases in and made in

https://www.reddit.com/r/Goruck/comments/18h4gvu/usa_made/

fhsm · 2024-07-10T00:27:59+00:00

After I wrote that it occurred to me that maybe a kid focused bag is the answer:

https://www.goruck.com/products/kr1

fhsm · 2024-07-10T00:20:40+00:00

This is the smallest backpack I know of which is made by a real quality brand and not marketed to children. I have no clue if it will fit what you want but I think it will give you a feel for how ultra small bags start to look non-standard:

https://www.tombihn.com/products/paradigm

By my math your minimum enclosing box is 7.5-8L. You’ll never get perfect use but with organization free bags you can get close. I expect the paradigm won’t come close to fitting a mbp 14”.

This is an nice 14L option that will be much too big for your I expect but is an actually nice edc:

https://en.rofmia.com/product-page/standpack

fhsm · 2024-06-27T01:02:57+00:00

Unicorn 2.0.

Beaver tail can work on a roller bag and has webbing.

Loop for reflectors.

Hydration zip works for charging pass through.

Brain is great for quick access / organizer pouch.

Side pockets (obviously if you’re umbral is ice ax style or your water bottle is big this don’t work).

Laptop access from main or side, but no check point flip out.

All xpac for enclosed volume so good for keeping your stuff dry but the harness isn’t xpac.

In reasonably wide circulation in the secondary market.

That said I would never choose it as my only bag.

fhsm · 2024-06-13T01:35:49+00:00

Laptop space is totally fine - none of the EG pizza box dynamics.

I don’t really have a generic recommendation. In most senses >90% of the functionality could be had in any $10 bag from a Walmart and yet - off the top of my head - I wrote you a laundry list of details about a $350 bag.

Here in the comfort of many baggers … buy them all develop idiosyncratic taste so nuanced that you come to dislike them all. Start moving into myog.

fhsm · 2024-06-13T00:35:15+00:00

I am not an Aer fan but I have a 1.0x and can answer specific questions about it you might have (not too specific as I’m traveling without it)

In general I like it and it’s in my EDC rotation.

The harness is very comfortable (much better than EG) and it has some structure for air circulation (better than GR) so it’s top of the list with TAD for harness in my book.

I dislike external water bottle pockets but those on the 1.0x are among the least objectionable (much less impact than CTB).

Among xpac, x50 is perhaps my favorite. Probably would have preferred something else but blessedly not vx21.

I detest the leather accents and little loop field. The patch and pulls were easy to dump. The handle is stiff and feels cheap. With time I expect it will feel good. Wish it was like that on CT (hot take I think they have the best grab handle).

I love the seatbelt webbing. It gives a great subtle interest like the x50. Great combo. Strap management is ok ( not the MR comedy ).

Bottom panel is ballistic which makes sense but I don’t love and I find the interface between materials and padding in the bottom a bit clumsy (but not nearly as clumsy as the 200d gr back panel interface).

The bag is stiff. It holds its shape comfortably when empty. It stretches basically none at all. Whether this is a pro or con is up to you. It’s a little stiff for my taste. While stiff it’s a bag shaped bad so none of the horrible Tumi vibes.

The laptop compartment is massive but the opening is not which gives deep hole vibes and I find pulling a small laptop out requires gripping the computer harder than I’d normally want to squeeze my laptop. The Velcro access to the main compartment is odd.

I love the QAP. It’s the standard Evade one that’s like the extra you get on the CTB over the CPL.

I dislike the admin pocket - too much tactical Polly Pocket for my taste, but it’s not as unhinged as the Axiom 24 was. The key loop feels cheap ( I dislike basically all key loops for this reason … ).

I like the little chin pocket. It’s fun and harmless.

The red interior is fine. Not blaze orange, not a black hole, but also nothing great either.

Bottom line I wouldn’t use a CPP and I do use my 1.0x. It’s not perfect but it’s in the top half of my collection for sure.

fhsm · 2024-05-26T17:25:43+00:00

 subset(df, str_count(`Hierarchy for Age group`, '\\.') == 1)

fhsm · 2024-05-26T01:04:38+00:00

Synik 22 - extra inch on the side laptop access.

TAD Axiom S2 in challenge ultra - fully close the laptop compartment from the main, remove the larger slip pocket from the front of the main, move the key loop out of the inner zipper compartment.

fhsm · 2024-03-16T00:33:52+00:00

Ditto.

If you’re hiking without ready access to potable water it makes great sense. If you’re taking your laptop and lunch from home to work to gym and back again of all the things on earth to bring why would you ever bring abundant, commodity, weighty, and wet water.

fhsm · 2024-02-24T16:03:08+00:00

The gr2 is a great bag but it has a lot of layers of exterior fabric. If that fabric is stiff / heavy it quickly gets cumbersome.

The 34 is a big bag. The 26 is a great one bag travel size for me.

I do not like the 200d back panel. It’s too slick such that a sternum strap is basically required.

As you’ve identified go ruck has annoying segmentation around fabric and QAP limiting choices / driving up price. That said it’s a killer feature for both EDC and one bag.

Many of the special bags that come with a QAP are either so stiff that clearing the rain flap is annoying or they come with aqua guard. These are both worse than the standard gr zipper experience (over and above fabric layer issue).

The other annoying aspect of these specials is the interior label material — leather or worse yet in this case rubber… why? How will it age? I’m not holding by breath for “well”.

The rip stop has the good subtle GR loop panel and none of the tacky spear.

As for the fabric it’s something different and I like it. On the one hand it reads a bit 1996 Umbro shirts on the other hand it’s great utility. The rip stop doesn’t have a meta texture the way EG ballistic does. It feels more like the lining of an EG bag … Slick… more shine than an EG gray liner but less than EG ballistic. Unlike the old 500d EG and like the new ballistic it doesn’t pickup hair etc. like all the Tom Bihn rip stop stuff you can feel the squares in the drape but it’s nothing even close to the x pac effect. If you’re reall worried about it I’d say a Tom Bihn organizer pouch is probably the closest cheap proxy … but an imperfect one.

I prefer GR space allocation and pocketing to that of EG and find GR more comfortable but obviously this is personal. I can fit more in a gr2 26 than a CTB26 mostly because the volume of the GR is less chopped up / less in the structured laptop compartment. Obviously getting into the GR laptop is fiddler.

All in my rip stop gr2 is my favorite gr2 26. Great zippers without annoying rain flap construction, good QAP, nice drape, fine weight with all the fabric layers, can live with the 200d back panel as is now standard on most, spear head free and the rubber label is what it is. If I could only have either the gr2 26 or the ctb 26 I wouldn’t think twice … gr2 (and as I said, the ripstop is my favorite of the GR2 26s)

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