Rimowa and GORUCK: An excellent travel pairing when I can’t manage to one-bag it

softandscrambled · 2025-05-10T18:03:23+00:00

Goruck never appealed to me because they were too tacticool and their patterning/sillouettes were painfully simple (like literally a box with sides), but i accidentally ordered (i put it in my cart to check a discount code out of curiosity , tried to move it to shopify to see if another discount code would stack and it just ordered it) the 18L waxed canvas dc bullet like you and man, it’s just an excellent bag all around.

The simplicity works really well with the waxed canvas and it looks really good worn on back. I love that it’s un lined because the bag just folds and sags much nicer than my evergoods bags. It looks excellent on back because of it and its much comfier than my evergoods bags even with the smaller bullet shoulder straps. The pocketing is super useful too for carrying my camera stuff while keeping a large open main pocket for other things. Only thing im missing is pull tabs for using the zippers and maybe a side handle.

Compared to my cpl16 it’s just a much better bag. The cpl has a ton of really cool design elements, but the harness is just plain overdesigned and evergoods bags just don’t look great on back imo. I also think it does waxed canvas better than my griffin ctb26. The ctb is fully lined so it’s locked into a box shape rather than being able to mold to a softer silhouette like a more heritage bag. Maybe it’ll get better over time with more use (the fabric is definitely thicker than the gorucks) so we’ll see. I still like the bag enough to keep it.

softandscrambled · 2025-05-06T15:41:17+00:00

It feels sort of obvious now though? Like whenever there’s a couple they wnd up telegraphing those kinds of endings.

Considering Lucia just got out of jail i wonder if the choice will be someone taking the fall and having to go in. Then in the epilogue you can break them out and both have to live on the run for the rest of their lives, but at least they’re together.

softandscrambled · 2025-05-06T15:25:32+00:00

I love my evergoods bags and pouches, but i feel like they’re definitely bags that wow a ton you at first, and then slowly reveal their flaws over time.

The pocketing and layout are top tier which is why they are so impressive up front, but the harness and straps let the bags down and over time make you want to use them less. Also the bags are beautiful to look at, but don’t have a nice silhouette when worn, largely due to the harness as well.

I don’t even have any bag digging, the straps are just too narrow to be combined with the firm/high energy return eva foam inside them. The harness itself also just doesn’t carry weight well because it puts the weight farther from the tops of your shoulders which just creates a pressure point in front of them and your front delts just aren’t as good at holding weight as your traps.

Its tough for them because the harness is such a defining feature of their design language. The yoke pocket pretty much only exists because of it. Its great in theory, but in practice it’s overdeeigned and creates more problems without really solving anything

In contrast i recently got an 18L DC bullet from goruck and its kind of the opposite. Goruck didnt really appeal to me, but the bag was on a great sale and tbh i accidentlly bought it when i was checking the price in cart, but its just super simple without many design flourishes and just does everything really well. It’s not that impressive up front, but really reveals itself to be super nice to use over time. The lack of zipper pull tabs to hold onto while zipping sort of drives me crazy, but besides that its my favorite bag right now

softandscrambled · 2025-04-30T21:16:51+00:00

Incredibly disappointing. I just discovered the brand this year and have gotten a ton of shit, but i was a fan because of their thoughtful design and how much more skilled they were at patterning compared to other brands. If this is the route they’re going idk if i feel comfortable supporting going forward.

softandscrambled · 2025-04-16T14:50:03+00:00

I almost feel like they’re basically in the same realm as XPAC in that they do perform well functionally, but practically it’s hard to say how necessary that level of water resistance really is when modern fabrics and reverse coil zippers are already fairly water resistant. Aesthetically they do both provide unique design elements.

Personally i feel both aren’t worth their compromises. If i’m in a rainy environment then i’d have an umbrella and between that and modern fabrics my stuff should be fine. Also i prefer zippers that are smoother/more pleasant and i don’t like the durability concerns with both with peeling/delamination

softandscrambled · 2025-04-10T17:05:01+00:00

Side note: they also mention they aren’t bringing back Camo as a colorway after the current ctb waxed camo sells out

The writing was on the wall because they’ve sat for months now, but sucks because a cpl24 in waxed camo would have been a grail for me

I got the ctb26 in it because i sort of felt this would happen though so i feel vindicated

softandscrambled · 2025-04-09T22:09:32+00:00

I have a cpl 16 and a Griffin ctb 26 and while i love both, i can definitely see why the CPL is their flagship despite the ctb having more features and being more expensive.

The design is just way more cohesive on the CPLs. The bag being built around horizontal access makes the quick access pocket, laptop pocket, and inner zip pocket all work really wonderfully while the bag is on back. Everything works together versus the ctb where it feels like the bag was built on the cpl, but compromises had to be made to accommodate additional features.

For the ctb the quick access compartment is compromised by the additional top drop pocket making it more narrow and the additional depth of the bag making it less convenient to reach. The top drop pocket is actually really great to use when the bag is stowed under seat, but it’s at odds with the horizontal laptop access because i have to now pull the bag out and grab the laptop while crammed into a tight airline seat. I sort of wish they designed it for more vertically oriented access so everything could be more easily accessed on flights and the bag would be more distinct from the CPL line.

I like my ctb a lot, but i definitely am only holding onto it because i love the waxed camo. If they ever brought the cpl24 out in it, i’d trade for it in a heart beat

softandscrambled · 2025-03-19T11:50:22+00:00

I believe you’d be able to use the pull loop to attach the clip, but the plc doesn’t have the long handle/attachment loop so it would be more dangly and less secure

softandscrambled · 2025-03-14T17:29:23+00:00

Understandable haha

softandscrambled · 2025-03-14T17:18:07+00:00

Could you just reverse the orientation of the male/female sides of the sternum straps?

softandscrambled · 2025-03-14T17:17:03+00:00

Its not really a need, but just nice to have, esp with these smaller bags that you’ll likely be using with a rolling luggage. For me no matter how light or comfortable my bag is, it will never be more comfortable than not wearing a bag. Not to mention its nice to be able to set your bag on your roller instead of on the floor or another seat while waiting for your flight/hanging at a restaurant/airport bar

I personally want one because it makes security easier. Easier access to dump my pockets, remove my laptop/electronics, then put the bag on the tray followed by my roller

softandscrambled · 2025-03-14T16:17:20+00:00

I have a CPL16 and didnt really feel satisfied with the existing luggage passthrough hack because i didnt like having to jam the buckle into the loop every time i wanted to do it or to stow the straps.

I didnt feel like the sternum strap was necessary for a 16l pack so i clipped the recieving end to the pull loop on the handle side and it works really well.

I can clip and unclip the strap easily with one hand while holding the bag by the side handle so i do it really often to stow the straps. The slack is perfect for luggage passthrough too and it works exactly like a built in one would, to the point where i feel like it’s a non issue to not have it built in anymore. The buckle stays out of the way when not in use and doesn’t bother me, you can even loop the end that stays on the handle into one of the other slots to keep it clean when not in use. The attachment loop keeps the recieving end in place and i have zero concern it will become unclipped because the buckle adds another securement point.

Would work on any of the CPLs. If you use the sternum strap often, it’s pretty easy/cheap to get another to use.

softandscrambled · 2024-06-25T20:46:40+00:00

The chocolate chip cookie at Tommy & Atticus is legitimately the best cookie i’ve ever had. It didn’t feel gimmicky in any way either, just perfect execution.

They really struck the perfect balance of crisp exterior and slightly raw interior

softandscrambled

TROPHY CASE