Buying a backpack in Seoul?

The outdoor gear shops near the Gangnam Express Bus Terminal are worth a look for something different. There's a big branch of Kolon Sport and a smaller one called The North Face that often has last season's stock marked down 30 to 40 percent. I've seen their Borealis daypacks there for around 80,000 won when they're 130,000 at the Myeongdong store.

The real find is the K2 outlet in the basement of the Gangnam Terminal shopping center. They carry travel backpacks with proper hip belts and rain covers that you rarely see outside of Korea, usually in the 50,000 to 70,000 range. The quality is on par with Osprey for half the price. Just check the zipper pulls are smooth before you buy, that's the only weak point on the cheaper models.

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Yeah, Seoul is decent for backpacks. The underground shopping arcade at Myeongdong station has a bunch of smaller shops that carry random Korean brands like Toptan or Nolboo, usually around 30,000 won for a decent 30L and you can try them on right there.

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ngl the underground shopping at express bus terminal is the move for budget finds but if u want something that actually lasts check out the artbox or butera stores in hongdae. they carry jansport and herschel for like 40-60k won and the colors are more fun than the standard black north face stuff

the lotte mart in seoul station has a small section too with random brands like pro-specs on clearance sometimes. i grabbed a decent 35L there for 25k last year

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the whispering thing is real but its not about the sauce lol. that guy runs a 2am handoff with the chicken supplier, they drop off fresh birds from a farm near Chuncheon three times a week instead of using the frozen stuff most hongdae spots rely on. thats why the texture hits different, not the sauce itself. if u go back ask for the neck & wing combo off menu, its cheaper & honestly the best cut they do

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the thing nobody mentions is that Dogdogdog's sauce gets its body from cheong, the Korean rice syrup, not sugar. thats why it coats the wing so thick and stays glossy instead of going sticky. i asked a guy who worked there and he said they also add a splash of maesil (plum) extract at the end off the heat. that fruity tang under the garlic is what you're tasting. go on a weekday before 6, weekends the wait hits 40 min easy.

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honestly the "secret sauce" thing is prob just marketing. every fried chicken place in Seoul has a version of that story. the real difference at Dogdogdog is they double fry in rice bran oil and toss the wings in the sauce twice, once right out of the fryer and again after a 30 sec rest. thats where the crunch comes from, not some mystery ingredient. if u wanna taste the actual base, order the banban half plain half spicy and dip the plain one in the spicy sauce yourself.

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