[dimmke]

Man I'm kind of a bag snob but even pricier brands that differentiate on quality and worker wages are not $400.

I got a Tom Bihn Synapse backpack for around $200 in 2017 that I've traveled to many countries with and has been through I think way more than a kid going to elementary school. It's still going strong today.

It was made in a US factory with workers being paid good wages. $400 is a luxury/captive audience/conspicuous consumption price point.

[buu700]

Sounds similar to my Frost River Geologist Pack, which is around the same price point and handcrafted in Minnesota. I've gotten a lot of mileage out of it while often lugging 35+ lbs of stuff, and it seems pretty much indestructible.

$450 for an equivalent bag could be explained by things like cost of living differences, but the randoseru described in the article are smaller and made from less expensive materials. The design is arguably a little more complicated, but the price still seems high for what you're getting.