This one is also a long-time companion.

15+ years, still active

The PORTER TANKER RUCKSACK.

I don't remember exactly when I bought it.

But it has been in our house for at least 15 years.

If it were a person, it'd be in middle school.

The TANKER series itself was born in 1983. With soft fabric modeled on the MA-1 and a vivid orange lining, it has long been the series that represents PORTER.

In other words, TANKER had been working in the world long before this rucksack came to our house. As a series, it's a grand veteran. And since this one specimen of ours has been active for 15+ years, there is truth in the advertising when it comes to durability.

Used for that long and still active.

The durability of the Tanker series is formidable.

The appeal is, above all, lightness

The rucksack's best appeal is, again, its lightness.

It's just easy to carry around.

Some bags assert their weight before you even put anything in; this one doesn't. When heading out a bit on a day off, when I want both hands free, when I have a decent amount of stuff but don't need serious gear.

In such moments, it's just right.

The logo is still alive

I've basically used it for private purposes.

So compared with the Tanker briefcase I've worked hard for years, it gets a bit less use.

The briefcase's fabric logo long ago rubbed off and went somewhere.

This one's logo, however, is still on.

It's trying quite hard.

I can even sense a will:

“I'm still here.”

Even the fading is now a finished form

The orange parts visible here and there do show some fading.

But that didn't start yesterday or today.

It's been fading for years.

It's closer to a finished form than to deterioration.

At this point, I suspect it won't change much more. It may even have crossed a certain point of aging and entered a realm of permanence.

Soft, yet tough

The Tanker's characteristically soft fabric conforms to the body easily and feels good to carry.

But being soft has a weakness.

Put in something heavy or angular and it loses its shape easily.

Put in a square item and it turns square; put in a round one and it somehow turns round.

The bag has no strong convictions.

It's the type that lives according to its contents.

Even so, the fabric itself is surprisingly tough.

Its shape may collapse, but it doesn't break easily.

Soft-looking, but strong at the core.

A personality I'd like to emulate a little.

Although I've used it for 15+ years, it isn't a work bag, so I haven't used it every day.

Maybe thanks to that, the zipper, belts and pockets haven't broken so far.

No repair history.

Being in the house this long with nothing broken is quite something.

At this age, you'd expect some sort of malfunction by now.

Even so, to this day it has quietly performed its duty as a rucksack without any fuss.

Summary

Light. Tough. Easy to use casually.

No new-product tension.

I don't mind handling it a bit roughly, and yet its function hasn't declined at all.

A tool used for a long time isn't easy to use because it's clean. It's easy to use because you don't have to be careful with it.

The orange parts have faded a little. The logo is hanging in there. The shape changes freely with the contents. Even so, nothing is broken.

The PORTER TANKER RUCKSACK.

This one, too, is a legend bag that has stayed in our house for 15+ years.

No plans to retire, for now.

It probably intends to keep working for a long time too.

Tanker is great, right?

KAZUKIN Rating

  • 🪶 Lightness — ★★★★★
  • 📅 Durability over 15+ years — ★★★★★
  • 🏷️ Survival rate of the logo — ★★★★☆ (still hanging in there)
  • 🎨 Perfection of the fading — ★★★★☆
  • 📦 Tendency to lose shape — ★★☆☆☆ (trade-off with softness)

This article is a personal opinion and record of use. KAZUKIN LAB has no relationship with Yoshida & Co., Ltd. (PORTER). I'm just a PORTER fan. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

The illustration is an image based on KAZUKIN's experience. It may differ from real stores and products. It is not an official manufacturer image.