Xbox Series S/X controller 🎮 Gulikit TMR Joystick Replacement (For Xbox)

The GuliKit Elves 2 and GameSir Tegenaria Lite were my 2 favorite controllers released last year. In a sea of incredibly awesome controllers rich with features, these 2 stood out for their no bs awesomeness. They are cheap, incredibly well made performance monsters. The dpad on the Elves 2 is the best I’ve ever used in my 30+ years of gaming. The Tegenaria Lite performs like a beast while maintaining optimal comfort at just 20 US dollars. I also still highly prefer membrane buttons and these both deliver that joy. 90 percent of all my gaming on Switch/Switch 2 is done with these and they even get used on certain PC games.

Everything purchased with my own money, and I no affiliation whatsoever with either company. Just another dude who loves a good controller.

I’ve been experimenting with custom controller designs and tried pushing things a bit further with this one.

Modeled it in Blender and turned it into a functional print, keeping the shape recognizable but still usable.

It’s definitely not a standard controller design, but that was kind of the goal.

Curious what controller people think about this kind of approach.

Trying to upgrade this nova lite battery because it drain so fast in rumble intensive game, not doing any measurement and now it doesn’t fit 😆

[Not brand affiliate] I switched to the Vader 2 Pro from the Elite 2 few years ago. Since then I’ve gotten so used to the 2 extra face buttons, I can’t even think about using another controller. I’m sure Logitech G502 owners can relate lol.

anyone else on the same boat?

2Pro->4Pro->5Pro

If you are thinking about purchasing the Vader 5S or own one. Please note, that you CANNOT turn off the Auto Calibration thats on the gamepad, neither via shortcuts nor via software. This means that if you are playing a game, where you hold the stick in a certain position for a few seconds, the Auto Calibration will reset your stick to center, even if you are still holding the stick in that position. You have to let go off the stick, which then will cause the stick to be completely offcenter in the opposite direction and wait a few seconds for auto calibration to do its thing again to recenter the stick. So if you are playing a racing game or flying game, where you are making a steady turn with a vehicle, your stick will suddenly recenter. Or if you are playing a shooter where you are tracking an enemy for a while with a steady stick input, your stick will reset on its own and then be offcenter. Imo this is a massive dealbreaker as things like this can happen pretty easily in regular …

Made a few updates to a roll top tote design I’ve been working on for a while now. Added an exterior zip stash pocket, carry on handle leash, and sewn in lid stiffeners for easier roll-ability. Has been my favorite go-to daily tote, camp stuff hauler, and as of this year baby gear bag 👶. Love this 1000D Cordura rust color, not too loud but definitely has presence.

Measurements: 12.5” x 7.5” x 14-19” - 21-29L

I love this hobby. Really. I will measure a laptop sleeve and still pack everything into pouches because I hate loose stuff. Lately though, I feel oddly burned out. Bag talk has turned into constant marketing cosplay and it is getting old.

Every new release brings hype, vague adjectives, and perfectly staged photos that tell me nothing about real use. How does it behave when you are rushing through a station, shoving it under a seat, or wearing it over a coat? Half the reviews read like, I got this early, I get to keep it, but trust me, totally unbiased. I am not calling anyone out, I am just tired of reading it.

What I actually want is boring practical information. Does the zipper snag when the bag is full? Do the straps slide off a blazer? Does the laptop compartment eat into the main cavity? Does it stand up or face-plant? Will it pill your sweaters? Can you reach the quick pocket one-handed while holding coffee?

I am also over the constant chase for the newest fabric and a …

Been testing and iterating this packable bag for the past 4 weeks.

I’m not a big fan of packable bags, since they often feel like dead weight in packable mode and are uncomfortable in backpack mode.

The first version of this bag converted into a small crossbody and a 7L backpack, but the backpack mode didn’t sit comfortably, like most packable bags.

One sub member was interested in this bag, but given his larger frame, the backpack mode didn’t sit right. Hence I redesigned the transition into a sling instead, which turned out to be a much better decision.

This version finally checks all the boxes, and I’ve actually been using it daily alongside my other bag.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

I’m 1.75m / 5’9”, and I wanted to buy a sling and a backpack from a very well-known brand because they looked really good in the ads.

Luckily, they have a store in my city, so I went to try them on first.

Long story short, the backpack made me look like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, and the sling looked like a full-on purse on me.

Please stop using slenderman’s family as models (or at least mention the height of the models in your advertisements).

End of rant.

Note 1: I even joked with the store staff about how different the bags looked compared to the ads, and they agreed. They were around my height, maybe around 1.80m max, and said they also have no idea why the brand uses such huge models. According to them, this is actually a pretty common complaint from people who come into the store to try the products. Actually, the complaint was so normal that they had already tried to calculate the height of the models themselves and ended up with the 1.90m mark.

Note …

I’d love to hear from people who actually travel a lot, not just the latest YouTube sponsor of the week.

Most posts I see are about the newest or most expensive bags, slings, or “must-have” accessories, but I’m specifically curious about the other stuff you actually use and love.

What are your top five most liked and most used items that are NOT a bag, sling, or packing cube?

Any price point is fine — cheap or expensive, brand new or something you’ve had for years. I’m just hoping to discover some genuinely useful, maybe even weird, ideas from real travelers because I’m pretty burned out on sponsored content and SEO’d “travel essentials” lists.

If you can, please share:

• The item

• Why you like it

• How often you actually use it when you travel

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

EDIT — Community Summary (292 comments, 97K views)

Thank you all for the incredible responses. This thread blew up way beyond what I expected, so I went through every comment and organized the …

I’ve been feeling the same way lately. I love a good tech-bag, but I’m tired of everything looking like a dark, square clamshell box. We need more “fun” in bag design, but here’s the catch: making a fun bag that actually functions is incredibly hard.

A client asked me for a baseball-themed bag, mimicking a glove holding a ball, with a place for patches, like on real baseball gloves.

After dozens of sketches and prototypes focused on the baseball and the leather glove, I finally succeeded.

It fits a large phone and daily essentials perfectly and i added a dedicated internal sleeve for documents/papers so they don’t get lost in the curve.

It has a front “patch zone” for team logos or morale patches, because what’s a fun bag if you can’t make it yours?

It’s definitely not a black nylon square, but is it “too much” or exactly what we’re missing? I’d love to hear from the folks who are also tired of the “tactical …

Long time lurker, first time posting. After years of watching from the sidelines, I finally decided to do a one bag (+Sling) trip. Here is what I packed, why, and how did it go and what I would change.

Context: Without doxxing myself, I’m a Sales and Marketing manager in the hotel industry. I’m based out of Orlando, FL and on this occasion I’m traveling to San Antonio, TX. I travel minimum every 6 weeks to a different part of the country and sometimes internationally. For my work trips, like this one, I fly in Monday, have multiple client meetings Tuesday through Thursday, and fly back home Friday. My go to has always been a carry on luggage, backpack, and sling. Over the past year I’ve focus on cutting back stuff I don’t use during my trips, and finally decided to try my one bag + sling set up. And spoiler alert, I LOVE IT. Let me breakdown the bags and what I brought.

Backpack: Tomtoc Navigator T66 Liteway 28L. I had ordered the 40L original version of the bag but returned it …

Heading out for spring break, and I can get my clothes and my baby’s clothes nicely organized in the same pack! Can’t overpack them, but it’s amazing how well Rensare fits in the 26+6. I have two sets, and we slowly transfer the dirty clothes to the other set throughout the trip. The water resistant bags have been nice for the inevitable baby messes, and it makes laundry much easier when we get home.

There’s still plenty of room for our toiletries, the white noise machine, and my chargers in the other half of the bag, even unexpanded.

I did a KL - Brunei trip a few weeks back and can confirm that bags are still being weighed routinely at KL International Airport. On the day of my departure only rollers were weighed and backpacks were ignored. I have seen reports of this before so this wasn’t a big surprise.

In Brunei I was, however, surprised: luggage was weighed twice. While online check-in was possible on the AirAsia app, at the airport I was told that my digital boarding pass was invalid and I needed to obtain a paper boarding pass and have it stamped. When checking in at the counter, the backpack was weighed. Personal item was ignored. Interestingly enough, when entering the waiting area near the gate luggage was weighed again, although I am not sure how strictly the limitation was being followed at that point. Personal items were again ignored. I did not see anyone getting pulled aside despite some bags going over the limit.

Just wanted to share in case there is someone else out there travelling with …

This is my first time ever travelling abroad with only a personal item so I’m quite exited.

1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of black trousers, 1 joggers

2 long sleeve tops, 1 sleeveless, 1 short sleeve

5 pairs of socks

5 underwear

2 bras/bralettes

1 jumper

1 bag of toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, lip salve, hand cream, wipes, deodorant, 2ml perfume sample)

The above list also includes my airport outfit.

I am not too worried about the cold as I was just there in December/January and I ended up just carrying my coat around without using it as I spent most time indoors.

Some pictures of my first experience bringing one bag instead of the standard backpack + checked-in suitcase for my work-week travels. It went very well I think, will definitely continue like this!

Things I packed into the bag:

• Water bottle I later decided not to bring it.
• 5 pair of socks and underwear
• 3 t-shirts, 1 long-sleeve t-shirt
• 1 slightly thicker long-sleeve shirt
• Training gear for Submission Wrestling Shorts, rashguard, spats, knee pads, and mouth guard.
• 1 pair of pants
• Mobile phone charger
• A Framework 13 laptop + charger
• Laptop–headphone cable I also brought the Sony WH-1000X M3 noise canceling headphones that I wore during the trip.
• Remarkable 2
• A bag for dirty clothes
• Toothbrush & toothpaste
• Power bank
• Vitamins & medicine
• Nail clippers, tape, Whoop body holder
• Earbuds & sleep mask
• A book—the first two books in the Murderbot Diaries series.

What I wore:

• Pants with large pockets with zippers.
• A Houdini hoodie.
• A thin jacket.
• A cap and gloves.

Recently got back from ~2 weeks in Colombia, thought I would break down my successes/opportunities and do some miscellaneous onebag/ultralight item reviewing.

Locations:

Bogota, Medellin, Guatape, Cartagena, and Santa Marta.

Activities:

Hiking, Biking, Swimming.

Bags:

Patagonia Micro MLC 22L (weighed about 10 lbs packed)

I really like this bag. It’s not perfect, the laptop slot/organizer insert is kind of useless and I don’t really care about it being able to become a cross-body, so the strap system is unnecessary. However, dimension-wise it is a few cm off of being a personal item on just about every airline, it is comfortable, and it packs a lot. I use the empty space where a laptop would go to store a shoe bag, packable tote, and other misc things that can flatten down. I think I would enjoy an Osprey 26+6 but I’m a slut for some Patagucci and already have this bag so I’ll likely never try out the Osprey.

Osprey Ultralight Stuff Bag 18L

Brought it …

As someone who took many tries to get EG bags to fit comfortably, I’m here to help educate that many of us have been wearing the bags incorrectly. You need it *high and tight* and the thin part of the straps goes *around* and *under* your armpit. See how high it is in the pic? This is especially critical if you’re carrying weight.

Now you can fairly criticize them for designing a harness that needs to be worn in a specific way, but once you get it locked in, it’s great.

Hope this doesn’t come off as condescending, but I’m just excited that I finally got the bag to work for me. Yes, there are more comfortable bags out there, but the layout and look of EG is just so so sweet.

Just wanted to show how I attach my leatherman sheath to the loops using a sea-to-summit spork. It’s secure and minimal, but isn’t the easiest to undo if you’re pulling the spork out frequently.

Definitely didn’t start out as an Evergoods fan boy, but I guess I have turned into one.

CPL 16 is the main edc. Hard to beat. Close to perfection.

TD35 is the gym/weekend travel bag. I really love this thing.

CAS2 as a sling - least used of all of these.

I don’t do a ton of airline travel, so when I need more space I just take all 3 bags.

Does a CTB fit in a different spot in your arsenal?

On the new Huckberry video they showed off the upcoming 4L packing cube. Pretty cool.

Been on the fence for this backpack for a long time. I have other backpacks Aer CP2, CPP2, AO9 and a few other premium brands.

I really want to try an Evergoods bag and the idea of a crossover backpack suits my lifestyle. I’m semi retired and now have more time for my hobbies.

What’s held me back is Evergoods backpacks don’t seem to be comfortable for everyone when it comes to the harness and back panel.

Since I’m purchasing from outside the US - high shipping costs, taxes, duties, tariffs I want be fairly sure it’s going to work for me.

My daily carry is a mixed bag:

iPad or MacBook Air

File folder

Medium size coiled notebook

Tech pouch

and/or

Dog training hiking gear

and/or

Boating gear

Many days I’ll do a combo of all three.

Like to hear from other MPL 22 owners how you use it and how it’s working out for you.

Thanks

Nothing went right with my commute this morning, and to cut a long story short, I shoved my coffee cup into my bag while running to change trains. Didn’t notice the lid wasn’t clipped on properly, and now the inside of my bag is soaked in coffee stains (black, no sugar/milk).

What’s the best way to get these stains (they’ll have dried out by the time I can get around to cleaning them) out and have that interior gray looking like new?