Honestly, that kind of skill is just a lost art now.

Hidden hinges are the worst. I had a box where the internal brass hinge tore through the thin wood veneer. What should have been a glue job turned into a full rebuild of the lid structure. The alignment is so easy to mess up.

Ugh, that's the worst. I learned the hard way too. I've had really good luck with Eagle Creek cubes, the basic ones. The fabric feels thin but the zippers are solid, and I've stuffed them full for years with no rips.

Yeah, it's like the fake energy star sticker thing everywhere now.

That line about "places we think are timeless" really hits home. It's like @vera292 said, the change is so clear once you start looking. I see it with the trees in my own neighborhood, how many more are sick or just gone after a big storm compared to a few years ago. It makes the whole idea of a "normal" season feel totally made up now.