managua/granada backpack store

Go to the Masaya Market, outside of Granada, on the way to and from Managua, it has everything including the kitchen sink. Hire a kid outside to take you to what you need, just make sure you realize much of it can be Chinese knock off, so inspect it tags and seams and zippers, and bargain away. Costa Rica has plenty of places in San Jose to buy the real deal, if you are headed that way....

Hi seanooooo - sorry to hear about losing your backpack. Have a look around the Metrocentro mall in Managua, and ask for other places if you don't find what you're looking for. Honestly don't remember seeing packs that big, but then again - I wasn't looking.

You're wasting time and money looking for anything in a local market, unless you're needing a quick fix and really desperate.

Hope everything works out ~

Unless I am mistaken, the Massaya market is one of the largest market in Central America, have you been there? Its nuts...Google Image it...

http://www.footprinttravelguides.com/latin-america/nicaragua/towards-granada/masaya/

Yes, you are mistaken. Masaya's mercados are big, in a mall-like tourist-trap kind of way with all the crafts and trinket crap, but they can hardly compare with larger markets in the cities - except that things sold for everyday use, like what might be a quick-fix substitute for a travel backpack, are going to be cheap knock-off imports of poor quality.

That's why the OP should probably consider looking at the malls or for places in Managua that sell "the real deal" legit merchandise - just like suggested for San José. However, timing is everything and this other 3-day old thread suggests the OP has already moved on from CR. Too bad you couldn't help with some place you've been 40+ times vs. info for some place visited 10 years ago.

If you really want nuts, you should go to Managua and check-out Mercado Oriental which is the biggest market in CA. Some info says the highest crime rate for the entire country comes just from here, but I've never found it to be that bad...though I have gotten completely lost more than a few times. Casey has a really good aerial shot of the massive sprawl. My new rental apartment is a 5-minute walk away on one of those arching streets in the upper-left corner.

I never had any problem at Mercado oriental

Thanks for that info tandemop12. I haven't been to the Mercado San Fran de Alto yet but have always wanted to check it out. From what I've read in both English and Spanish, this is by far the largest market in Guatemala but all the info always bills Oriental as the largest for Central America. You've been to both; what do you think?

And yes on those bus lots always scattered around muddy, messy market areas!