I’m quite particular when it comes to travel backpacks.

There has to be just the right number of pockets, they need to be placed just right — a spot for all of my travel items.

I’ve only had two daypacks that I’ve used long-term. The first I retired in 2015 after I slid down the side of an active volcano in Nicaragua and the jagged rocks shredded it to pieces.

Since then, I’ve been using the same one on nearly all of my travels. However, 9 years and 20 countries later, the zippers have finally failed me. We’ve experienced some shit together. It’s been with me during some of the most incredible and trying moments of my life.

And I’m ok with it. As much as it was perfect at the time, my travel style has changed, and so has backpack technology.

While this piece of fabric and stitching holds some sentimental value, it’s still just a thing, and no thing lasts forever.