My $40 thrift store backpack from 2016 survived a week in Iceland, but a zipper blew out on day 5

William Singh · 2026-09-25T02:40:05.160213+00:00

Last week I took a used backpack I got at a Goodwill in Portland for $40 back in 2016 on a trip to Iceland. It held up fine for four days of rain and wind, then the main zipper started splitting on day 5 near Vik. I had to use a safety pin and a shoelace to keep it shut for the rest of the trip. The fabric and straps are still perfect, but that zipper failure got me thinking about what actually lasts on bags. I want something I can keep for 10 plus years without worrying about the closure. What packs have you all used where the zipper outlasted everything else, and is it worth paying for a repair or should I just retire this one?

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My $40 thrift store backpack from 2016 survived a week in Iceland, but a zipper blew out on day 5 | Buy It For Keeps - Rigidtalk