Someone asked me the other day what criteria I use to curate Kickstarter for this site. I initially struggled to answer because I am discerning when it comes to highlighting projects here and project creators contact me all the time hoping for a little free publicity. Aesthetically, the design of a product has to catch my eye. Then, it has to be an improvement over something already out there or be truly innovative. For me, the Generation Gym Bags Kickstarter Project by King Kong Apparel potentially falls into the first category. What specifically caught my eye was their Rucksack 25L.
The bag is a virtual clone of the GoRuck Shadow Ruck SD25. You be the judge. Here’s the King Kong Apparel Rucksack 25L…
And here is the GoRuck SD25…
The similarities don’t end there. Both bags are 25L in capacity. Both are made from 1000D Cordura (although King Kong Apparel doesn’t specify its genuine Cordura brand nylon so I have to verify that). Both have YKK zippers and genuine 550 paracord pulls. The shoulder straps are similar. And, based on the Kickstarter campaign videos and the name of the campaign, both are marketed primarily to the fitness set.
Based on this video, it looks like the King Kong ruck has similar organization. The price points are close. The Kickstarter price on the King Kong Rucksack 25L is $115 ($20 more than the GoRuck bag).
What do you get for that extra scratch? It’s hard to say without having one in hand. If it’s more structured than the Shadow Ruck then it could be a poor man’s GR1. Perhaps. That’s assuming the quality is not sub-par. Of course, in the past, GoRuck has struggled to maintain its own quality standard so there’s no guarantees either way. King Kong apparel is offering the bag in some interesting colors. If you’re bored with the GoRuck colorways then that might be a plus. I also think the new bag is a bit more stylish but beauty is in the eye of beholder. Yes, we’re back to my discerning eye again. 
I plan to reach out to King Kong Apparel to see if they’d be willing to send over an early production model for quick turnaround review. If they can’t, then the King Kong Apparel Ruck 25L would be a real leap of faith given there’s a proven alternative with a high resale value. One that Kickstarter supporters are accustomed to taking but risky none the less.
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