hi,

any think tank users here facing this problem? think tank bags/product with the clear
plastic pocket. aged more than 5 years.

these think tank i bought around 2010, not used very often except for the pouch "every other stuff" , i have "speed demon" and cf card holder "pixel pocket rocket" which i never used at all, it comes free. These are kept in a cupboard away from sunlight.

The plastic are turning sticky/oily, yellowing, and started to crack on its own.
Disintegrating it is.

The small bits are sticking all over gears etc.

Can't use the bag now, until i figure out a way to cut out all the plastic parts.

Not exactly the same, but my old lowepro which I used had some similar problems with stickiness/flaking/disintegrating when hardly used after years.
Quite normal for these type of materials.

This is a normal wear and tear in Think Tank or any other camera bags that uses the same material. Sadly cant do much about it except to accept that fact to the brittle condition

thanks for the inputs.

well, i will call it premature disintegration / poor design / material chosen, instead of normal wear and tear... since it hardly used at all ,

these think tank , lowepro are not cheap to begin with.

i have another cap ayam back pack which uses thinner clear plastic as pockets as well, and i used it more, until now there is no problem with it....

these fancy material in expensive branded products is really a disappointment ....

I migrated to Peak Design bags. They have a lifetime warranty and their materials are more robust, though are relatively quite pricey.

Normal. All products with rubber, plastic or painted on lookalike leather thing will disintegrate if put in enclosed space without moisture absorber.

yes i understand, but this is too soon, this is premium product, even my cap ayam bag the plastic is not turning like this with frequent use.

as i understand, expensive product use better material which last longer,

also they can avoid using this plastic altogether, use nylon fabric instead, it will last a long time.

This post has been edited by basilisk: Jan 10 2017, 04:13 PM

Oh how so wrong you are. Expensive doesn't necessary mean good. Yes, some expensive bags use leather or fabric instead of plastic which can last long, but there are those that use cheap materials and still jack up the price regardless.......cause of brand reason.

Also just because the material is supposedly long lasting, you r not suppose to put it in storage without airing or using it once a while. I have an expensive trekking shoes that have been in storage for a long while, the rubber sole already loose even when i only use it twice.

"you r not suppose to put it in storage without airing or using it once a while"

the plastic material is going to start disintegrating when a certain time has reached.
the better the material, the longer it will last, the more it is used and exposed
the faster it will disintegrate as shown in my pictures above.

think tank realised this, and in their reply to me, they have changed the plastic
to a different type some time ago, and have used less plastic in their product.

I got some plastic made in china still ok to me after half a decade. Only those i kept in enclosed area without airing tend to disintegrate faster in few mnths. Besides dont trust the manufacturers reply too much as they tend to say stuff to end conversation fast

sorry to bring up the thread...
do you able to get replacement for that??
how about the raincoat that come with it ?

my set having same issue with yours and they said that this is wear and wear which i disagree.. wear and tear should be wear till see holes or what..
not disintegrate like that..

they said that 1st time they have this issue (local distributor) which i doubt so..

hi, no prob, thanks for posting, i think other think tank users are facing this issue as well, if they are still using it.

how old is your bag? which model?

I contacted think tank directly, since this is not manufactured defect, there is nothing they can do about it.

These clear plastics are used in their V1/ 1st generation products, not long after i bought, ~2011?

they came out with V2, which doesnt use these clear plastics or use better plastic already.

So it is definitely the material problem.

This is what i have done, cut it out. I want to continue using the bag, no choice.

Another problem is the coated layer of the fabric, to make it water proof, it will become sticky. Another poor choice of material.

Rain cover got problem too?













This post has been edited by basilisk: Feb 13 2017, 11:38 PM

i have modular set v1 which 5-6 pouches.. all having same issue like yours... even the rain coat coating peel off like dead skin... i wonder why they put coating on the rain coat where umbrella doesnt have it ..
even the poket rocket also same issue.. it happen slower than modular set.. maybe it always inside the bag??
i brought it 2010 i think.... not more than 30 times i bring it out for shoot...
kinda not worth the price as i paying more than 1k for the full set with belt and such..

few years ago i brought airport commuter..
no plastic on this, all fabric but finger cross for the rain coat....
wondering what lifetime warranty they give if this kind of issue doesnt cover ....

this is how it looks... rain cover inside coating peeling off like dead skin...



i have good quality motorbike raincoat, the fabric is also coated, but after 10 years, no problem,

no cracking or peeling off, this think tank earlier batch definitely is material problem,

either they choose cheap material or duped by their supplier..



This post has been edited by basilisk: Oct 13 2017, 08:02 PM

haha.. peel like dead skin...
well they dont admit that is their qc issue... said that is wear and tear ....
in fact .. i never use any of the rain coat before... wear and tear??

i wonder is it our weather?