Hi all. Been seeing posts asking about Aer slings from china sites like taobao, aliexpress and such. I wonder if they’re the real thing too. So I ordered some to compare with my day sling 3 I bought directly from Aer Well turns out these chinese aer are fake. Quite good fake tho. But aside from YKK zipper, fidlock buckle which is real, all other materials are different. Check the images for more details. Fake one on the left, real one on the right. I bought 2 fakes. A day sling 2 xpac, and a day sling 3 xpac. I wanna see if there’re any differences between their fakes. But nah no difference, same material through 2 whole bags. So fake confirmed. Cheers!

Links/Names/Colour way below. If you have any questions about any, please let me know :)

Timbuk2 classic messenger bags

1. Size small - Bookish - https://timbuk2uk.co.uk/collections/messengers/products/1108-classic-messenger-bag-europe?variant=41590957605047

2. Size S - Eco black - https://timbuk2uk.co.uk/collections/messengers/products/1108-classic-messenger-bag-europe?variant=40601009750199

3. Size XS - lightbeam - https://timbuk2uk.co.uk/collections/messengers/products/1108-classic-messenger-bag-europe?variant=40601010372791

4. Size XS - Moonsoon - https://timbuk2uk.co.uk/collections/messengers/products/1108-classic-messenger-bag-europe?variant=40601010438327

Slings/crossbody/fanny pack/bum bags/Man purse whatever floats your boat etc

1. Bellroy Lite sling 7L - Chalk - https://bellroy.com/products/lite-sling?color=chalk&material=diamond_ripstop

2. Alpaka Go Sling Mini - Dark green - …

Huckberry X GoRuck GR1 Slick 26L

Bellroy Transit Workpack 20L

Bellroy Venture Sling 6L

Patagonia Black Hole Backpack 32L

Not Pictured: Away Carry-On, Patagonia Black Hole Duffle 60L

This will be the first Black Friday since I started really getting into bags, so for those of you who have been around a little longer:

What are some companies that usually have good Black Friday offerings? Should I expect to see big sales from Aer, Goruck, and others? Any lesser known brands that might have good offerings?

EDIT: Does anyone know if Chrome does black friday?

EDIT 2: Apparently yes

Don’t get me wrong, all-black-packing is cool. But sometimes one needs something brighter. I don’t have any tech pouch that’s not black tho…

The Ikea packing cubes (5€ each set of 3) are affordable and nice enough, if you don’t overpack them, as they aren’t really made for compression. But they are so light that you can half fill if you just want to separate items.

The backpack, kelty Hypen Tote (15€ on Amazon a couple years ago) doubles as a tote, with longer handles that is practical when it’s not full. Full like this, it just takes a gentle smooshing to fit the Ryanair luggage sizer. It also expands and will fit a puffer jacket on the orange section when it’s not rolled up. Also, the bottom/footprint is the same size as the packing cubes

The targus tech pouch thing (10€ on sale), is not a fancy tech pouch but it has no critical elastic loops or fabrics that degrade with time, and I’m guessing it will last a lifetime.

The …

I’ve been researching the best minimalist clothing brands, as in, versatile clothes that perform well, last a long time, and allow for an easy capsule wardrobe. Ultimately I came up with this list of brands that consistently deliver reliable pieces.

The list of brands below is partly a list of brands I like, have tried, and recommend, but includes other brands that keep coming up in discussion between Buy it for Lifers, one baggers, and just minimalists in general - just attempting to share options some may not have heard of. BIFL and durability, versatility of wear, performance (odor resisting, a little stretch, quick drying), and consistency in product across the brand are the main criteria.

Here’s the list. If you have critiques on brands, notes on fit or other quirks, other brand recs or have specific pieces from them that you swear by, def share them.

​

Good Minimalist Clothing Brands

• Western Rise
• Outlier
• Eddie Bauer
• Mission Workshop
• Unbound Merino …

The Trip

• Fly from LAX->FCO->CTA,
• 5 nights in Catania
• Train to Palermo, 2 nights in Palermo
• Train to Rome, 10 nights in Rome
• Fly FCO->ZRH->LAX

The Stuff

• The Bag
  • Patagonia Black Hole Pack, 32L
• Clothes
  • 5 pairs Bombas boxer briefs
  • 5 pairs Darn Tough Standard Crew Lightweight Socks
  • 5 Uniqlo U Short Sleeve Tees
  • 2 pairs Alex Mill Standard Pleated Pants
  • 1 Todd Snyder Cotton-Linen Pub Jacket
  • 1 Outlier Acottontwill Boxford
  • 1 pair Bombas Merino Compression Socks
  • 1 pair Teva Terra Canyons
  • 1 Beltology belt
  • 1 pair Sunski sunglasses
  • 1 pair prescription glasses
• Gear
  • Eagle Creek Compression Packing Cube M
  • Eagle Creek Compression Packing Cube S
  • USB-C charging cable
  • Apple Watch charging cable
  • Anker USB-C Wall Charger
  • 2 USA-Euro plug adapters
  • Clutch power bank
  • Kindle
  • iPhone
  • Apple Watch
  • Airpods
  • Pen
  • OM-1 35mm Camera
  • 50mm 1.4
  • 28mm 2.8
  • 5 rolls Tri-X 400
  • Fjallraven High Coast Hip Pack
  • Yoshida Porter Sacoche
  • Kinto Water Bottle
  • Fjallraven Passport Wallet
• Personal Care
  • Topo Designs …