Last week, during lunchtime, I went to SportsDirect in Brussels to see if I could find those dry sacks that were mentioned in an other heads-up thread here on the forum. Couldn't find the dry sacks, but my attention was drawn towards the backpacks. They had some Alpine Lowe backpacks in DPM (Sarachen &Sting) and OD (Strike). I preferred an OD backpack, but as the Strike didn't have a adjustable back, I didn't buy any of them. Although they were very good priced at €112 for the Sarachen (to big for me), €80 for the Sting (to bad it's in DPM) and €69 for the Strike (no adjustable back system).
Don't know why, but today I had the feeling I needed to go back to the SportsDirect to have a look at the backpacks. Certainly I don't know why, as I was pretty sure they wouldn't have a Strike in OD. I listened to my inner self, and went straight to the backpack corner. All backpacks were still there, only the Sting was now priced at €60 as a "must go" item... Very tempting... So I called my wife and explained the whole story, and that I don't like DPM, but that it's a good pack and that I will probably regret myself tomorrow for not having bought the pack.
I have a wonderful wife, and I know she will always support me when I have to take difficult decisions. By the time she convinced me to buy the pack anyway (I'll only use it to hike in the woods) I stood in front of the checkout with the Sting!
€60 for a brand new Sting. I'm a happy chap now
BTW: I've seen lot's of 1st and 2nd grade ex-army Lowe Alpine Sting's with faded colours, both on the front and the back. Anybody any idea why this happens? Is it the cordura that deteriorates? Are they cleaned with bleach? It can't be because of the sun as both sides are faded...