Originally Published December 8, 2024
I bought this bag in 1998 or thereabouts. Or maybe Millie gave it to me as a present. I've been using it nonstop ever since as a commuter bag, a duffle bag on every vacation and camping trip, and as a business bag at multiple trade shows, where I stuffed it full of heavy toy catalogs and samples. In short, I've been abusing it terribly for 25 years and it still functions like new.
Jandd Mountaineering still makes these, it's their Gabriel Messenger Bag, which retails for just $130. I'm pretty sure they're still making them in California.
Besides utter durability, this bag has some great features that set it apart. First, it has a waist belt which distributes weight to your hips instead of shoulders. So, for example, when I picked up a new laptop today across town in St. Louis Park, I hardly noticed I was carrying it the whole ride home.
I also like its water repellent Condura fabric, which has always kept my stuff dry but doesn't shed the reflective tape I attached a few years ago. More modern weatherproof fabrics seems to just sluff tape off.
Finally, I like its gusseted zipper, which pretty much doubles the size of the bag and makes it twice as versatile.
I recently added to my Jandd collection with a a yellow frame pack from Mr. Michaels Recycles Bicycles-- perfect for my winter fixie. It holds a lock, pump, and tube with room to spare. I imagine it'll last just as long.
Perhaps one could fault Jandd's somewhat 90s styling or their charmingly retrograde website, which has zero hipster points. But there's plenty of bike accessories out there with flashy marketing. If you want a bag that works great and lasts forever, get a Jandd. Or, better yet, ask someone else to buy one for you as a present.
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