Review on Sandpiper California Bugout Backpack 26X15 5X10 5 Inch Outdoor Recreation by Dipp Samrock

I will update the review as the company offering this bag may not be aware of the situation with these bags. I will update the return process and information. It's a shame eBags doesn't have enough money to pay for shipping when the real culprit is the manufacturer. Has anything changed in the company since 2007? I bought a Bugout on my second tour of Iraq and the bag was solid until the 100lb weights I was carrying started stretching and the material under the center zipper snapped. He endured abuse I can't even describe and kept smiling. I've just had a Bugout Long Range delivered and there is definitely a big quality difference between the two bags side by side. Not only was the price much higher, but the bag wasn't what I was hoping for. The old bag had a waterproof rubber coating on the inner surfaces of the material. The new bag is waterproof except at the seams where it flows directly into the bag. The material is very thin compared to the old bag. The zippers are simply crocheted from lightweight material, and my old bag had paracord zippers attached. None of them have ever broken. The hip belt on my old bag is very durable, comfortable and handles very heavy loads well. The hip belt on the new bag is practically useless. It will not fit under a 40" waist and cannot be tucked in and tucked away without being laced and removed. The shoulder straps are sewn with simple double stitching, the hydration tube opening is large enough for a pencil, this is definitely not a military style hydration tube with a bite valve cap. The spring-loaded straps are simply stitched (and like a Marine who packs tight, they don't last long). There are no seams on one side of the Velcro that closes the opening of the tube for the hydration bladder. Components mismatch/mismatch. Now I have a bag that leaks in the rain, soaking things that can't get wet. I have a bag that will definitely not be able to carry the loads I carried in my last Pipergear bag. Did anything change when you switched from Pipergear to California Sandpiper? What happened? I don't know when the quality dropped so much, hopefully not too long ago as I have recommended your bags to about 50 marines and friends but I wouldn't have done it had I known the bags were so cheap. Do you have any bags from 2007 in stock anywhere? I would like to trade this for one of those.