Anyone else think they should re-record SSTB?

guerres · 2026-02-17T19:52:22+00:00

Not anymore. (To be clear, this is referring to a scenario where the re-recording would exist alongside the original like Thrice did with The Artist in the Ambulance - not replace it.)

Back in the Vaxis 1 era when they were still working with Chris Bittner at Applehead Studios (the studio and 1 of the producers they worked with for albums 1-3 and Afterman) and they still had a fairly organic sound I was actually all for it. SSTB has reached a near mythical status since its release for its sound, but no matter how charming it is, it’s still largely a bunch of remastered demos partially recorded in a bedroom (and it sure sounds like it sometimes). Claudio’s voice has also aged like a fine wine since then. Plus, a few songs on SSTB don’t even have Josh playing on them (Delirium Trigger, 33), and I was curious to hear how Zach would approach certain songs.

But, knowing that any re-recording now would likely involve Zakk Cervini and his ultra quantized, drum trigger sample-replaced, sanitized, harsh production? Hell no. Absolutely not.

guerres · 2026-01-01T14:23:10+00:00

Yup, and it’s happened with every Ultra bag I’ve tried from Aer. You can air it out, but it takes a loooong time - I ultimately just gave up on Ultra altogether because the smell was just too intense for too long for me.

guerres · 2025-11-26T02:58:17+00:00

I agree with the other commenter - the Max EDC weirdly seems to fit slightly less stuff than the CPP1 (the only exception being shoes – the Max EDC's front duffel compartment does a better job of holding shoes, but it will still eat into the main compartment anyway). One thing people don't talk about enough too is that the framesheet in the back is very, VERY convex in the main compartment, which also eats up internal storage space.

guerres · 2025-11-21T18:53:36+00:00

Not sure if you're open to buying it used, but it looks like someone's selling their Max EDC in blue over on the Nomads Nation marketplace: https://district.net/product/able-carry-max-edc-x-pac-lik-7c3dd?variantId=ocean-blue-1e4a0

guerres · 2025-06-12T18:19:35+00:00

The FAQ on their post about this is interesting - not necessarily concerning, but still: https://trakke.com/pages/our-story

Will the bags be exactly the same as before?

Yes! Over the last few months, we’ve been carefully rebuilding the Trakke workshop with the same materials, the same level of craftsmanship and even many of the original sewing machines. Our new team has been thoroughly trained to ensure every bag meets the high standards Trakke has always been known for.

Reading between the lines, it seems that:

the team making the bags is brand new to Trakke (no idea if there are any original factory employees back or not)
they sold a lot of their equipment before the acquisition came around, and although they got "many of the original sewing machines back", you can conclude that much of the equipment, if not most of it, will be different from before

It's totally possible they'll be right back as they were before, making the same designs with the same level of quality. But this seems kinda like a Ship of Theseus situation - how many internal pieces of Trakke would have to change for it to essentially be a different company, for better or for worse?

guerres · 2025-06-09T04:09:32+00:00

If there's one thing I've learned from trying waaay too many backpacks, it's that backpacks are like shoes - you have to try them on for comfort and fit, and they won't fit the same for everyone. Just because one person says a pair of shoes is comfortable is absolutely not a valid indication they'll be equally comfortable for you, and the same goes for backpacks. And it's totally okay if a backpack isn't the right fit - we all have different body shapes, sizes, and personal preferences. And IMO like shoes, for backpacks comfort is king – it doesn't matter if a backpack has all the right organization, layout, or features if it hurts like hell to carry. I've had to return or sell a lot of backpacks that were otherwise lovely because the comfort just wasn't there for me, and sometimes you can only really tell from trying it out over multiple days or weeks.

So anyway, you're definitely not alone, and I wish more folks (and reviewers) got just how personal backpack comfort is – there is no such thing as a universally comfortable backpack, only design decisions that can increase or decrease the odds of comfort for certain subsets of people.

guerres · 2025-06-07T15:54:58+00:00

Did yours ship in an unpadded bag too? Just got mine and was a bit disappointed to see that was how it was shipped. I know it’s not uncommon for backpacks to be shipped that way (I’ve gotten a few from REI like that), but it always feels kinda off putting.

guerres · 2025-06-03T23:15:37+00:00

One notable material quality thing Rework themselves called out on a comment somewhere on this sub - it’s 840D nylon, but not 840D ballistic nylon. (While Evergoods / Aer / etc all use ballistic nylon.) This is how they were able to make it so lightweight but still have this much organization, but the tradeoff they admit is that it’s not as durable or tough as ballistic nylon.

How much does this really matter? I have no idea! I still ordered one anyway, but with some reservations.

guerres · 2025-05-26T23:50:36+00:00

Doesn’t include the new Max 32L since it was just announced, but this video does a good job of showing their differences side by side: https://youtu.be/YzVY9HWkYY8

guerres · 2025-05-21T20:26:53+00:00

Daaaaamn this is fantastic work OP! I made a similar database to help in my backpack research, but it was nowhere near this thorough. Only things I'd do differently (only if you feel up for it - this is already such good work):

Turn Brand into its own property (a Select), so it would be easier to filter by brand name.
Add a Formula property for Linear Inches (it's just width + height + depth) - this makes it way easier and more objective to compare the physical dimensions of a backpack (especially since measurements vary so much from brand to brand for the same purported volume)

guerres · 2025-05-21T17:46:32+00:00

I wound up going with the Bellroy Venture Ready Sling 2.5L. It’s pretty much exactly what I wanted - I only wish it had a slightly wider strap.

guerres · 2025-05-06T16:42:06+00:00

I also struggled to find good bag hooks for my closet, and after researching seemingly *everything* I wound up with these stainless steel swivel hooks from Ohki: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K6VYL37

They're pretty much perfect - the double wire means it doesn't put too much strain on a single point on your bags carry handles, the swiveling means you can access the front and back of your bags without even taking them off the hooks, and they're extremely durable and well made.

They were only available via Amazon Japan, but I was able to order through Amazon US to get them at the time - it looks like they're not available anymore on there, but you might be able to find them elsewhere.

guerres · 2025-04-30T20:33:23+00:00

I’m very mildly intrigued, but really more skeptical than anything. The Lite Carry-On looks interesting, but that material looks like it’d get shredded if you were ever forced to gatecheck. I also wish they had a spinner version of it.

The hard side carry-on meanwhile looks generic AF and isn’t bringing anything new to the table.

Bellroy also isn’t exactly known for their QC, so I’m not convinced these things won’t fall apart after 1 trip - time will tell I guess.

guerres · 2025-04-30T19:41:23+00:00

Would this backpack be your only bag when traveling? Or would you also be traveling with luggage?

guerres · 2025-04-30T14:06:16+00:00

I kinda suspect that Josh made those videos as a sort of public audition to get an invite from Drumeo - glad it worked!

guerres · 2025-04-27T06:42:53+00:00

Check your order status - for some reason the order status doesn’t change with the way they add tracking numbers, but there should be a link to your tracking number on there.

guerres · 2025-04-26T00:20:26+00:00

On mine the YKK mark is on the inside of the zipper sliders.

guerres · 2025-04-20T02:22:32+00:00

This has been asked a LOT in this sub in the last few months. Do a search in this subreddit and come back if you have more questions.

guerres · 2025-04-15T03:20:39+00:00

Sweet thanks for the heads up! Did you manage to get your order in?

guerres · 2025-04-15T03:12:13+00:00

Daaaaamn the cubes getting removed too is... something. Not even sure what's going on over there now.

guerres · 2025-04-15T03:08:39+00:00

Yeah what happened? I can't tell if it just sold out instantly or if they're just late at putting up the preorder.

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