In the short time I had to use it, The Shasta Weather Defense pack by Outdoor Products was impressive and left me thinking it’s a pretty cool bag. In short, highlights are that it’s incredibly affordable and brings a lot of function to your carry arsenal.

At 30 litres (1,212 cu in) the bag is a great addition to any wet weather adventure or water sports. I picture its best use to be canoe trips with portages or rafting or mostly any activity where your gear WILL get wet, possibly submerged. (Keen to know more about Water Resistant vs Waterproof? Click here)

The bag is simple, as it should be, and that is what keeps the price low. It offers a large, roll top sealed, main compartment that you can feel confident will protect the most moisture sensitive gear. Made with 420 Denier thermoplastic polyurethane coated fabric, a staple of the bag industry, the bag isn’t light but it’s a quality pack that’s reliable and durable.

The bag opens up from the top with ample fabric for four or more rolls. This extra space can be filled up with gear if needed or if the bag doesn’t need to be waterproof you can just leave it unrolled. Aside from the main compartment, a large vertical waterproof zipper runs up the front of the pack for your more frequently needed items. This pocket is small but would fit a rain jacket or some trail mix. Although I personally enjoy the roll top because it seems more reliable than zippers, it can become a hassle if you find yourself trying to get into the pack a lot.

The basic yet comfortable shoulder straps can be easily adjusted to fit various shapes and sizes of users. Although you will bottom out at the shoulder straps eventually, the bag does offer some flexibility on size. The top of the bag has one inch webbing and some other material to give it structure and makes putting gear inside much easier. Not sure what the secondary structure material is but it works! I like this feature and am often annoyed by the floppy nature of most roll top style bags but this bag actually stands up and remains open on it’s own.

The moulded back panel is soft yet provides support and protection. It is one large piece of foam that has been shaped to contour the back, removing excess material. It has extra raised pads at the common pressure points and some air vent space. Two large vertical strips of Velcro connect it to the main compartment and allow for its removal or customisation. The back panel also sandwiches the foam hip belt onto the pack, making for a very easy removal if desired.

The bag also has adjustable elastic cord trekking pole loops and a few reflective patches as well as a sternum strap

I took the pack on two hikes outside of Denver this fall, both time hoping for and prepared for rain. Unfortunately, it didn’t rain – not something usually said about hiking. I did get a chance to test out the waterproof fabric and zipper in a small creek and logged a respectfully challenging hike to the tree-line. I found the pack to be comfortable on both hikes and provided plenty of space for my clothing, food, and camera gear.

In conclusion, it is a nice, affordable, secure waterproof bag. I see the best use for the pack being canoe or raft trips. The type of activity that is more about the waterproof abilities of the pack instead of the carrying, but it wasn’t bad at that either.

—

This Drive By was a guest post from by Benjamin Landry. A man from The Northwoods, Ben enjoys canoeing, hiking, and biking. He also likes designing the products that make that stuff fun.

“That is one fancy backpack.”  

I heard this statement, verbatim, at least a dozen or more times while having the Côte&Ciel Isar Rucksack‘s padded straps slung over my shoulders during the week-long city-wide takeover of South by Southwest 2013.  We’ve actually done a serious in-depth Road Test (Part 1 and Part 2) on this incredible pack a few years ago, back in October of 2010.  Being that this review is now slightly dated and that they’ve made some minor updates to the design since then, we were interested to take another fresh and current look at this truly interesting pack from a slightly different angle.  Kind of like Côte&Ciel’s (French for “coast” and “sky”) take on carry…from a slightly different angle.

Myself, being a bit of a car nut who has owned a bunch of old SAABs, Ando’s brilliant description of the C&C brand, “the SAAB of the carry world”, really peaked my curiosity.  I wanted to know more about their brand and this flagship product of theirs.  Without hesitation, I reached out to the friendly folks over at C&C to propose the idea of a brutal and incredibly-demanding week-long SXSW-edition Road Test of the Isar Rucksack.  They agreed and were excited at the idea.  And so was I… even though I knew from previous experience what the tiring and endless week had in store for my mind, body and soul.

Some background…SX takes place across the entire city of Austin.  Because of this, I’d be primarily bicycling on my Surly Crosscheck, walking, driving, and cabbing to venues all over.  I would be spending something like 12-18 hours out there in the fray each day, all week long, without stopping home except for sleeping at the end of the night/morning.  Because of all this, I’d need everything on me at all times.  Stuff like a backup clean shirt, bike tools, bike lights, phone charger, water, sunblock, real badges/passes/credentials, fake badges/passes/credentials, and though unlikely, even gear in case of rain.  Plus, my bag would need to hold everything that is given to me/forced upon me at the events during the week, which is enough to fill a VW van or two.  It would also have to seamlessly blend into some grungy events as well as some “classy VIP” parties that I’d sneak/get into.  I use the quotations loosely, as I don’t take these events very seriously.  Additionally, in previous years temperatures have ranged from 90°F to 30°F in a single week, though usually hovering in the 90′s.  So I’d need options and gear for both extremes.  These factors are a lot to consider.  If a backpack can stand up to a week at SX, it can handle nearly anything.  I was hopeful that the Isar Rucksack could deliver.

Well, it delivered.  It stood up without flinching to the gauntlet of SXSW.  However, my plans changed with a lost (or potentially stolen) camera at the end of the week-long festival.  This quickly eliminated 100% of the product shots I nabbed of the Isar in action; hanging with bands, BSing with minor celebrities, meeting Grumpy Cat herself, in action shots on my back while riding my bicycle, and being in attendance at some unforgettable SX events.  All completely gone.  Wonderful.  I did maintain all of my careful notes on the Isar throughout the festival, so I was still ahead in that respect.  I just wanted to explain this in order to be totally honest with you folks, the photos shown have been taken after the fact to recreate and represent the moments/scenarios/features that my notes refer to.  So you’re not going to see the massive crowds and hoards of SX hipsters in the background as planned.  However, the lighting and focus should be much better in these shots, so maybe this was a blessing in disguise.  There was one photo of the Isar I discovered that made it through unscathed…a blurry iPhone photo (above).  Snapped around 3AM of the final Saturday night of SX, as we were closing down a showcase on the East Side.  Let’s start here, at the end.

The Isar Rucksack had taken a beating that day, but still looked fresh, clean and new thanks to the waxed canvas main pack fabric.  Although I never ended up getting caught in the rain during the whole festival, that particular day the Isar had all sorts of liquids spilled on it, from cold water to warm Lonestar beer; who knows what else. And it all slipped right off without leaving a mark behind.  Not to mention, it kept all that moisture away from my laptop that I had with me.  This is thanks to the canvas fabric used for the pack’s exterior.  Though the C&C website doesn’t actually provide detailed specifics of the material, it is a lightly-waxed, cotton-based canvas with just enough weight (oz/yd) to the fabric to make it durable and long-lasting.  About as thick as a canvas work jacket.  Possibly 16 oz/yd in weight, but that is just my guess.

Speaking of carrying my laptop (13″ MacBook Air), the past 5 SXSW festivals I’ve been to I refrained from bringing a laptop out into the madness with me for many different reasons; theft, water damage, and the fear of impact/drop protection, just to name a few.  I wouldn’t have even considered carrying it with me even once, but the Isar’s thickly padded laptop compartment, located in the inner depths of the bag, gave me the initial confidence to give it a try.  So I did.  After the first day I ever brought a laptop with me to SX I decided to give it another try.  And then another.  Then a couple more tries.  Quickly my days of carrying a laptop into SX went from zero to multiple.  Even with getting tossed around, dropped on the ground, tripped over, bumped into, and so on, the laptop was protected from any form of damage whatsoever in this soft secure bunker.  To get into this rear protective zone, you take off the pack and unzip the dual full-length zippers that follow the perimeter of the backpanel.  It opens up like a clamshell, giving you unhindered access to all your tech goodies.  The process is shown below (click photo to enlarge).

There are five pockets in total back here (one being zippered).  This rear zippered pocket I used for items that I needed somewhat frequently, as I personally found the rear easier to access than the front, YMMV.  A laptop or two, a tablet or two, charging cables, and plenty more could slide easily in the back.  Côte&Ciel eloquently describes their inspiration for the protective aspect of their bag designs, “We take inspiration from nature in a design and production process we call organic construction.  The form and function is conceived as a body, evolving from the interplay of organs, bones, muscles and skin.  And your device sits right at the heart of it, with our compartment construction working as a protective skeleton that’s surrounded by a fabric skin.“

Carrying the rest of my gear was a breeze, thanks to the two separate main compartments.  We covered the rear “gadget zone” compartment above.  On the opposite side, the “front zone” was really nice for tossing in crushable items like extra clothes or a (bulky) Dickies jacket I acquired via a giveaway at some party.  The two compression straps inside efficiently helped to minimize volume as well.  Now this is where the Isar functions almost like a duffel, without looking like a duffel on your back; a wide mouth opening, large volume, zippered access, interior compression straps, then cinching down tightly with the two exterior straps.  Shown above (click photo to enlarge), is the step-by-step process of how the front compartment goes from open to closed.  I wanted to clearly illustrate this transition, as I felt that it hasn’t been accurately shown in other reviews or sources online, baffling me until I had the chance to interact with it hands-on.

Inside the front area, there are also two nicely sized zippered pockets.  Located at the top of the interior, the smaller of the two pockets (shown above) was perfectly sized for my portable cell phone charging kit that I bring out to festivals and events where I’m constantly on the move (made up of two 2000mAh LiPo batteries and various cables for charging…clutch).  Easy to access when necessary, but packed away enough so they’re out of the way when I didn’t need them.  At the right side of the front zone opening, running parallel with the zippered access, is the rectangular and larger of the two zippered pockets (shown below).  This was used for all the extra stuff; keys, bike lights, bike multitool, wristbands, badges, tube patch kit, etc.  Peace of mind to know that all my important stuff was tucked away into one zippered pocket that would be nearly impossible for anyone else to access while wearing the pack on my back, due to the bag’s unusual access to the front compartment.  Additionally, the dual main compartments (separated by a triple layer wall of fabric) allows for an easy method of carrying in sneaking in an extra ounce or two of the firewater that the security guy at the entrance would quickly find (and remove) in a more traditional pack.

Since SXSW 2013 stayed relatively cool, in the 80′s and 90′s (in Celcius: 27 up to 37),  the padded backpanel wasn’t a problem with sweat.  And that is usually a big issue for me, as I perspire a lot when I ride my bicycle in the blazing Texas heat of Spring and Summer.  Though, I imagine if the mercury were to rise over 100, the non-ventilated cotton canvas backpanel could have been uncomfortable.  Keep in mind, this isn’t some adventure pack that uses airmesh (blech!) or a fancy hovering breathable suspension, so know that getting into it.  For me, as long as it remained relatively cool, it was surprisingly not an issue at all.  The padding on the shoulder straps and back was nice, thick, squishy and comfortable, which was a bonus.  Especially since I was wearing this pack on my shoulders for multiple hours daily.

Over-the-left-shoulder visibility.  I’ve talked about it before.  It might seem trivial and nit-picky, but it is a real life thing.  In the US, we ride on the right side of the road.  Coincidentally, this is also the side of the road that we bicycle on.  So when you’re making a left turn and/or just checking for traffic behind you, it is important that you can see over your left shoulder.  I was worried that the Isar’s unique front panel would block my rear/peripheral vision.  It didn’t.  That flap stayed out of the way, located more towards the center of the pack while I was peddling in the prone position down in the drops.  Never had an issue.

The build and quality are what I would expect of a bag that costs at least $100-$150 more than the Isar’s current price tag (€189 / $248).  For what you get, and for what goes into this, I’m baffled by the price.  The custom hardware is fantastic, a detail that you don’t see very often.  Six heavy duty metal zipper pullers with laser etched branding feel great on the fingertips, plus four metal webbing adjust hardware bits (three small, one large) with the same custom laser etching.  The zipper sliders are large enough and easy enough to use while walking and even while biking.  Same goes for the webbing adjust hardware.  No fumbling around over tiny zippers or headaches messing with straps.

And when the Isar was put to the test on the ground, in gravel/dirt/hot pavement and among several thousand moving feet, I never feared a hole, rip or tear.  In fact, even after the SX week of abuse (and the use I’ve given it since then), there doesn’t seem to be any visible wear whatsoever.  I had figured that I would spot at least some scuffs or battle scars, maybe a loose thread.  At least something you’d notice.  But even three months later, it still looks as if it could go up on the shelf as new.

Let’s finally get back to that comment, “That is one fancy backpack.“  Curiosity comes included with the Isar Rucksack.  People will take notice of this quirky aesthetic.  Now, don’t get confused, I use the word “quirky” in the most positive way possible.  As I’ve mentioned my old SAAB passion above, this is the word that would get lovingly tossed around a lot in those circles.  Côte&Ciel explains a bit about their design and aesthetic, “In progressive shapes that embody modernity, simplicity and style,” following with “travel goods that balance modern fabrics with architectural shapes, to make sure bags, rucksacks and sleeves that complement your lifestyle.“  The Isar Rucksack is certainly one of the most unique packs I’ve ever used and seen out there in the softgoods world.  The pattern-making on this must have taken a ton of refinement to get dialed in to this perfect size and silhouette (for reference in the photo below, I am 6’0″ tall and this is the Medium option).

The extremely innovative and unique lines/shapes/access points of the Isar are perfectly balanced with the beautiful muted olive tone and its real-world functionality.  In other words, it doesn’t just have a pretty face, it has some serious thought and brains behind it.  And though there is no way to quantify this theory, I felt like it balanced looking suitable for both the grungier SX events and the “classy VIP” events.  For example, you wouldn’t wear a tuxedo to a punk show where they’re throwing uncooked chicken and you wouldn’t go shirtless with jorts to a major design firm’s interaction design party in the W.  The Isar walked that line confidently and successfully.  It looked good when it needed to and dressed down and casual when it needed to.  All of their products (bags, sleeves, pouches and more) share this aesthetic and mentality, each are worth a careful look.  Myself, I think the aesthetic is great-looking and nothing short of innovative.  “Built for entrepreneurs on the move.“  I couldn’t agree more.  SXSW 2013 approved.

Preface:

As part of the new Carryology overhaul, we’re bolstering the reference aspects of the site. One way we’ll do this is by releasing a series of ‘Buying Tips’ to help cover the basics of what to look for when the buying bug bites.

Once posted, these Buying Tips will then live in our Carry101 section. If you haven’t scoped that yet, you really should. It’s our vault of carry foundation knowledge.

—

And now the bit about Backpacks:

A backpack beats a messenger if you are carrying heavier loads, partaking in dynamic activities, or carrying loads for longer periods. They lose to messengers for access on the go, or when you need to look good in a suit.

No backpack can do everything (although some come close). If you want to get active in it, make sure you can stabilise your load with compression straps and a sternum strap. If you want to haul weight in it, make sure it has a semi-rigid back panel with a great waist belt so you can transfer the load to your hips. If you just want to lug some clothes and food around, pick something that speaks to you emotionally because the function is less important for light loads and basic supplies.

—

3 things to look for:

Start with your most demanding needs:

Decide what matters the most. Does it have to look sharp at the office? Or protect your technology on a rainy ride to work? No one bag does it all, so choose your one or two most demanding needs and start with backpacks targeting those.

Get a format that fits:

A bag shape should generally resemble the contents you carry with it, so briefcases are square like folders, while trekking packs are rounded like clothes. Format also affects access, where top access packs can be placed beside you at work or study and accessed without emptying. Whereas front accessed packs are often best laid out on a bed and packed for travel.

A mix of internal and external pocketing:

External pockets best suit items you need on the run; things like sunglasses, tunes, food and books. This not only helps with convenience, it also limits what prying eyes can see when you are retrieving items. For internal pockets, you really want to be at your destination, or have plenty of time and space, because you’ll need to open the bag up. Internal pockets are best high up on the bag, where they avoid crush zones down the bottom of their section.

—

3 things to avoid:

Poor fabric and construction:

Fabrics that look dusty or crinkly will usually age badly, as it’s typically a sign of poor quality. Loose threads are a sign of poor construction, and often foretell of straps coming loose and seams unstitched. And zips that catch in use typically foretell of other shortcuts taken.

Excessive straps and sections:

You don’t need 38 compression straps and all-over MOLLE webbing; unless you’re climbing K2 or in the armed forces you won’t use them. Likewise, you don’t need 5 separate sections because no single section will then be large enough for a helmet or grocery bag. Just enough straps, and just enough sections. Oh, and if section walls can move in and out a little, that helps.

Ugly backpacks:

A cheap or ugly backpack can destroy your style faster than bad shoes and mullets. Big graphics, conference embroideries, and oversized zip pulls and handles are common mistakes. Just like monk patches, just because you can’t see it when on, doesn’t mean everyone else isn’t staring.

We’ve got lots of fun stuff in this Week In Review, as Head Porter gets feisty with some wild offerings for fall and winter, Bison stamps its mark on phone carry and Winter Session goes minimal with money and card storage. Plus newcomer Oyo Mountain Products pops into the limelight with bursts of color and downright cheerful carry…

-

Head Porter’s Fall/Winter 2013 collection roars onto the scene

Heading into the winter season can make people feel a little dull and dreary. Head Porter have decided to liven things up by setting loose animal-themed carry pieces for their Fall/Winter collection which includes the likes of iPad cases, laptop sleeves, wallets, iPhone cases and pouches. If you’re daring enough, there’s no denying whipping out one of these in the boardroom would be pretty wild; however, if you’re not feeling the fur there are some more subtle offerings with a variety of leather pieces too.

Phone wallet that doesn’t need to call out for attention

Stylish looks that glide effortlessly into any situation? Check. Handmade with leather that will stand up to the rigors of daily use? Check. A simple means of being able to store your phone, cash and cards in one handily accessible carry piece? You bet. Bison’s iPhone 5 wallet fits the bill (and then some) on all of these points, with a choice of colors as well as a cordovan option for maximum sleekness.

Chic and compact carry for cards and cash

Need a compact wallet just for card and cash carry? Winter Session’s Triple Wallet can slip as easily into daily use as it can into your pocket. Handcrafted out of vegetable-tanned waxed Horween leather and Irish waxed linen thread, the Triple Wallet comes in a range of colorways and features, as the name suggests, three sections which can hold cards, folded bills and business cards.

Topo Designs welcomes a new family member

If your first impressions of the Oyo x Trainerspotter Sawatch Pack run along the lines of “Hmm, there’s something familiar about this pack… Hold on, it’s sporting a very Topo Designs-esque vibe to it,” well you’d be right. Oyo Mountain Products are a new label created by the folks behind Topo Designs and their penchant for pops of color has been retained with Oyo. The Sawatch Pack is ideal for going about your daily business, with a streamlined silhouette but enough space for your EDC including a laptop in the interior laptop sleeve.

Amazed by awesome Arc’teryx

Achieving the status of one of Carryology’s all-time favorite backpacks is no mean feat but Arc’teryx’s Khard 30 backpack has sauntered into the spotlight and pretty much stolen the show. Check out our road test to discover why we think this pack is right up there with the best.

Like many people in the Pacific Northwestern United States, I find myself often wondering where the demarcation line lies that divides fall (with her golden leaves) and winter, and where those leaves rot and my allergies pick up. Stiff winds cut through downtown buildings, aiming at the tiny place between your scarf and jacket – chilling you to the bone. The truth is that in the Northwest we live in a perpetual transitional state of fall/winter, until spring comes and the rain isn’t as cold as it used to be. We then transition into the spring/summer state of non-committal weather, then a week or two later, we jump immediately into the summer/fall before repeating the process.

During this time, we all cast off into the forests to witness their transition with a toddy or spiked cocoa in a thermos, an extra layer and a snack tucked in our packs.

The grim-looking trees have shivered off their last leaves, which now obscure the trail. Given the sheer volume of dead plant life on the route, you search in vain for “clues” as to where it went, but the dog keeps the scent. He is looking over his shoulder to see if you are still coming. You wonder as you follow him why you are so trusting in a furry friend who a minute ago was eating a rotten branch off a standing tree. He also just found something dead to roll in, is covered in mud, and wants to lick your face.

Along for the wander is a simple rucksack. The 18 liter (1098 ci) REI Flashback. The Flashback pays homage to the bygone (and golden) era of bag design from the late 1960s through the 1980s. Bags then didn’t do “tricks”, the patterning was simple and design lines were non-existent. Bags from this time were created with simple functionality in mind. Does this bag have a hydration pocket/sleeve/hose routing? Nope, it doesn’t need it. Does it have padded shoulder straps? Nope, it doesn’t need them either.

Truth be told, more than just “heritage bags” need the treatment the Flashback received. If we learn anything as consumers from the vintage bag craze, it is that less often is more. The tricked out ten-zipper pack you have today might be nice, but in 10 years it’ll be in the bin.

Tidbits on this pack I thought were nice include the drawstring toggle. It was larger than normal, reminiscent of early sprung cordlocks. The leather bottom and lash tab were made from REAL leather, heavyweight and durable. The shoulder straps fit perfectly, and could easily have been ruined by adding padding or some other nonsense.

Before I go on a tangent, I’ll wrap it up. The REI “Flashback” truly is just that. A blast from the past designed and created with earnest homage to the packs of yore. A simple bag from and for simple times.

You’ve gotta stay as cool, calm and collected as you can. In and out, preferably without being noticed. You have to pick the right time. The department store is empty, shop assistants are off on a break. A blonde shopper shoots me a strange look as I empty my pack and, slowly, repack all of my gear into the dark blue mouth of the victim. I’m on a mission: a Drive By of the Tumi Virtue Diligence.

Tumi’s heritage
We’ve been fond of Tumi over the years. Tumi’s Alpha collection has been going for ages and its quality is still hard to match. Within the Alpha collection alone there are some 90 different products! In the last few years Tumi has introduced some new collections that are more fashionable and, sometimes, even more affordable.

There’s a thing though: backpacks. Tumi makes backpacks and even a lot of them, but it’s definitely not the kind of bag they’re well known for. That is, until recently. Tumi introduced the Virtue Collection that offers two neat-looking backpacks: the Courage and the Diligence, the latter being a bit smaller, featured in one of our weekly updates and even nominated for the 2nd annual Carry Awards. Could the Virtue Diligence be the perfect work backpack? Here’s a spoiler alert: not for Mr. Zing. But read on!

First impressions
It’s 1.30 pm on a rainy weekday in The Hague. With half an hour to spare in between meetings, I head up to the local department store for a serious drive by of the Diligence. In the middle of a gazillion boring bags, backpacks and suitcases, the Tumi corner stands out. Normally you can get a Tumi work bag in every color you like, as long as it’s black. But here’s the Diligence in dark blue!

I’m impressed with the color of the pack and the luxury materials: cotton blend fabric, a bit of ballistic nylon and leather. Some of the pockets seemed to be smartly placed on the sides of the pack. I like the leather handle and there’s a perk few backpacks have: it can stand up straight. Tumi added some niceties bag fanatics drool over: a separate deluxe laptop sleeve that closes with magnets with room for a laptop and a tablet, a key clip in one of the front pockets, ID tags provided, really good zippers, a nice leather patch with the Tumi logo on the back and front. The Diligence has a main compartment, two front pockets and two side pockets. Within the main compartment and front pocket there are still some more zippered or open pockets and pen loops. Its dimensions are H x W x D: 17.5″ x 12.5″ x 5.25″. Good size. Good details. All that for just a small $295 donation… (regardless of exchange rates, unfortunately it’ll sell for €295 in Europe).

The straps are just right. Not too big, not too small, padded enough.

Hands on
It’s time for a serious try out. I unload my backpack and start filling up the Diligence with everything I need on a normal work day and some more: laptop, notebook, headphones, cables, paperwork, pens, ID, keys, wallet, a small umbrella and then some. There are lots of pockets to choose from and it takes a few attempts to find the right pocket for the right stuff. My laptop goes into the separate sleeve provided and I put it in the bag. I walk around a bit and unpack and repack some more. And unpack and repack some more. And walk around again. Peeks in my direction are starting to get more awkward.

The downsides
And then, it slowly hits me…the bag doesn’t handle well. It’s overdesigned. There, I’ve said it.

Opening and closing the backpack and using its pockets should feel logical. It doesn’t. Taking out the laptop sleeve and putting your laptop into the backpack should be an easy, no need to think about it, task. It isn’t. Taking the pack off your back and opening it should have a natural feel. It doesn’t. Just grabbing something out of the front pockets should be easy. It isn’t.

Here are some examples:
- The separate laptop sleeve looks nice but you can’t get the cover flap to close neatly; it stays kind of messy and plain old Velcro would have done a better job than the magnet closure provided.
- Trying to put your laptop into the bag is actually a tough job because of the angle between the laptop compartment and the main compartment insert. In the bag there’s a cheap-looking nylon sheet behind which the laptop sleeve should be placed, which is only partially compensated by the separate sleeve provided.
- The front pockets have curved zippers which make you have to use both hands to open them. With some bags the zippers are just a bit stiff at first, like in KILLSPENCER’s Special Ops Backpack. But in the Diligence it’s the opposite: the fabric is too thin to support the zippers properly. Furthermore, the zippers are covered with an overhanging (rather long) flap, so you can’t even see what you’re doing. There’s a gazillion pen loops, media pockets, card pockets, but what’s the use if you can’t normally use the main pockets? Eastpak’s Padded Pak’R (and every five dollar copy of it) has one front pocket that is perfect: you can grab everything you need with one hand and eyes closed.
- The pockets on the side are easy to access, but too small to put anything in. They could be useful for keys but why is there a key clip in the front pocket then? A snack would be either too big or get crushed. The side pockets also might get in the way of the stuff in the main compartment.
- When you open the main compartment, there’s nylon that holds the two parts of the bag together. Why? It looks cheap and makes it harder to open the bag. Taking that away would make it more of a Minaal/GORUCK setup where you can zip open the entire bag.

Another thing that keeps gnawing on me is that the bag is not weatherproof. Being weatherproof is not always a necessary thing, it would be a qualifier rather than a disqualifier. I wouldn’t feel comfortable cycling or walking in the rain with a laptop and other electronics inside the Diligence but you could fix this with a separate rain cover (which instantly takes away the classiness by the way).

Ando could probably go on about the mesh back of the bag, but to me it’s a work bag anyway and I don’t get to run around half naked at work. Finally, I’m a bit worried about the ageing of the materials; the stiffness of the leather versus the looseness of the cotton could deform the bag.

I’m unpacking my stuff again and putting it into my own bag. It’s time to leave. The escalator takes me to the ground floor. Perfume smells, shiny jewellery and the hum of restless consumers fill up my senses. I’m out the door and off to another meeting, but the experience keeps lingering in my mind for a long time…

The Tumi Virtue Diligence has a lot going for it in terms of looks, materials and niceties but the pack needs some serious rethinking from the user perspective.

Remember: I’ve only been toying around with the Diligence backpack in the department store for about 30 minutes, fiddling with the pockets, taking out all the stuffing, taking all the stuff out of my own backpack and putting it into the Diligence. Things might be different depending on what you’re carrying and once the bag gets broken in.

Call me cliché but I LOVE being a tourist. I get a kick out of visiting historical buildings, going to museums, and checking out iconic landmarks – especially when they’re in my home city of San Francisco. Don’t get me wrong, I like taking the path less traveled just as much as the next hipster, but I think it’s great to see where you live through the eyes of an outsider. When you’ve lived in a place for a while it’s easy to forget how much history you pass by in your day-to-day. So last weekend I carved out some time from my busy schedule and took a quick day trip to a San Francisco tourist mecca: Union Square.

As with all trips, how you carry your essentials dictates your comfort level. So I was pleased to be wearing JanSport’s Oxidation Backpack for my visit to Union Square.

The Oxidation is smartly trimmed with subtle hints of class. But at 30 liters it’s not short on performance either. Leather details and polished metal hooks give off a sense of prestige while the textured polyester construction gives confidence you can use it hard.

After a quick BART ride I arrived at Union Square. Ah yes, the excitement and chaos of it all! Street performers banging on plastic five-gallon drums. Groups of confused tourists studying their maps, cable cars thundering to a stop. There’s a faint smell of urine and diesel exhaust in the air. Looking toward Stockton Street you see an ocean of taxis and busses racing between the lights and dodging pedestrians. It’s so full of energy. So full of life.

The Oxidation had a perfect complement of storage options for my trip to Union Square. Dual external side compartments to hold water bottles, a high positioned sunglasses pocket, and a healthy sized main compartment to hold an extra jacket or two. If I wanted to bring a laptop or hydration bladder there’s a padded space to handle that. And when it came time for lunch, two integrated foil-lined compartments kept my food cool and fresh – a VERY impressive feature that I would like to see on more bags.

The pack has fairly narrow shoulder straps and minimal padding with no ventilation so it’s best suited for hauling bulky but light items. In spite of the bag’s load limitations, the minimal padding and narrow shoulder straps made the bag easier to take on and off, so I could get what I needed and get back to what I was doing.

The naturally low profile of the bag and compression straps helped keep everything tucked away when navigating through the dense crowds.  It was also valuable during the train ride. Normally when riding BART I’d remove my backpack so I don’t bang into anyone, but the Oxidation was so slim I was able to keep it on without guilt.

In spite of all these benefits, I couldn’t help but feel throughout the day that JanSport left some things on the design table with this bag. One example of this is the rear-facing patch. I’m impressed with the use of stamped leather in lieu of the standard embroidered patch, but the placement leaves something to be desired. It’s as though the designers wanted to try something different with the asymmetrical look, but ended up settling on a semi-awkward placement. Admittedly, I’m not sure where else it should go, but if I were king for a day I would have moved the zippers for the foil-lined pouch further apart so as to not sacrifice styling – you can’t go wrong with more room for food!

The other thing that bothered me about the Oxidation is a sense that it just isn’t the best value for money – it’s good but not great. To make my point let’s look at another bag with similar features for the same $100 price range: the Incase Compact City Backpack. With the exception of two things (volume and the integrated foil-lined pouch), the Incase gives you a lot more bang for your buck. Better materials, more storage, more organization, greater comfort, and killer looks. And because the Oxidation has such minimalist shoulder straps, the greater volume is almost a moot point. Frankly, there’s little arguing Incase offers better value for the money. Don’t get me wrong, the Oxidation is a very clever bag and I LOVE that integrated foil-lined pouch (that little cooler area is a brilliant idea), but I find it hard to justify the $100 sticker price when I can get so much more bag for the money elsewhere.

Regardless of these issues, this bag was right at home at Union Square and I’d imagine it would be right at home on just about any tourism endeavor. It kept me comfortable and let me enjoy the moment. Granted, I found the sticker price a bit difficult to swallow but my gripes melted away as I easily slipped off the bag and grabbed my cold sandwich from the foil-lined pouch.

Highlights:

Large storage capacity. Versatile design allows quick adaptation from city to school to wilderness use. Combination laptop/hydration pack partition. Fantastic integrated foil-lined cooler pouch. Nice leather trim and polished metal clasps.

Lowlights:

Thin shoulder straps. Storage capacity exceeds comfort level of the bag.

Niggles:

Metal clasps could have been designed to be a bit more elegant. Leather brand patch could have been placed in a better location. Sunglass zipper pull kept getting caught on liner – appears to be a design or build flaw.

Best Suited For:

Students, commuters, professionals constantly on the go, tourists – urban and wilderness alike, and anyone who wants something subtly classy but refuses to sacrifice volume. This is a do-it-all bag.

When Topo Designs, a company founded by three outdoor enthusiasts and friends, entered the industry in 2001, everyone took note. The carry world had its fair share of (some would say it was saturated with) companies making high-end, rugged, technical packs. What it was missing, was a company that straddled the line between performance and the actual needs of the weekend warrior. When I received their first bag, the Topo Designs Daypack, I knew we were dealing with a different kind of company. Then, when I read about their design and ethics considerations, I knew that Mark Hansen and his team were speaking my language.

Many months ago, Topo Designs was generous enough to send me a Rover Pack for review. What caught my eye about the bag was the color blocking made possible by the two-halves design of the bag. This was an aesthetically beautiful bag and the features list was extensive to boot. I used the Rover Pack as my every day carry bag for months and over that time I made notes on what I loved about it and the niggles I had with its design.

Design

The Rover Pack is described by Topo Designs as the “Goldilocks of rucksacks.” That is, they wanted a bag that didn’t stray to any one extreme, but instead, something that was “just right.” It features a classic portrait silhouette which mimics the shape of the human torso. This is an important point for comfort. Let’s face it, a messenger bag is versatile but it sits on one shoulder and the shape sits almost perpendicular to your spine. The bag has a cinch closure on top, which means more versatile shape storage options. It has an upper front flap as well as a front pocket, both offering generous storage options. Two pairs of compression straps on the sides keeps the package small and contents from rattling and rolling about. The inside is a simple affair with the large main compartment and a padded laptop sleeve and water bottle side pockets rounds out this every day bag.

Features

• Materials: 1000d Cordura fabric and coated pack cloth
• Heavy duty plastic hardware
• Large YKK zippers with pull cords
• Side pockets for small items or water bottles
• Front and top pockets
• Side compression straps
• Padded shoulder straps
• Top carry handle

Comfort & Usability

I found the Rover Pack to be quite comfortable as long as you kept it within a reasonable carry weight limit. The bag is meant to be a city or daypack, not a hiking or backpacking bag. The 1000d Cordura fabric choice is a natural one for the bag as it offers durability, water repellency, in a lightweight package. However, it is a relatively thin and flexible nylon, which means it is less suited to carrying heavy loads. I never carried more than 10 to 12 pounds so this was not an issue for me.

Even though I am a sucker for organization, I appreciated the large single compartment of the main body. It was awkward when I only had paper documents because they would sort of get “lost” in there, but adding a cheap manila folder or fancy executive organizer solved that problem. Where it shone was when I had to carry packages home from work. I often get my orders shipped to my work place and having the ability over, say a briefcase, to carry different sized boxes, was nice. A few nights I had to take work home, so my 15″ Macbook Pro went in the padded laptop sleeve without a hitch. If you are going to be carrying a laptop of that size, it’s best if it’s naked. It would fit a sleeved laptop if the sleeve were thin enough. I rarely used the side pockets because I do not trust open compartments, though the use of the compression straps would have kept anything water bottle sized, nice and secure.

The compartments that got the most use from me, besides the main one, were the top and front zippered areas. They were such a nice size, measuring about 6 x 10″, able to hold everything from my Moleskine notebook and pens, to sunglass cases. I prefer the front, lower, compartment better since loading it with weight did not at all affect the balance of the bag. The top compartment is part of the front flap of the bag, and depending on the size and weight of the contents, could cause the bag to swing and sway while you walked, or when you put the bag down. Often at times, my bag would droop down and forward, by my feet, at work; looking a little sad.

The shoulder straps are always a focal point for me and the ones on the Rover Pack are spot on. They are very lightly padded, feature a pair of d-rings, and are sternum strap compatible. There is minimal excess material hanging off the straps, which is a huge pet peeve of mine. Rounding things is the top carry handle which is a must-have for me. All the straps are relatively thin and a standard 1″ wide. This might seem too minimal for most bags, but for the purposes of the Rover Pack, it is just right.

Let’s talk size for a minute. The bag weighs about a pound and half which is quite light, without making too many comfort concessions. It is also 16L which I feel is edging on the small side of a day pack. I’d prefer anywhere from 18-25 but so far this has worked fine for me. Any larger and you are either carrying excess volume you don’t need or you are fooled into filling the bag up with things you don’t need on a day-to-day basis. I often fall victim to this as I often carry for “what if” scenarios, rather than “what is”.

Wrapping Things Up

Likes

• Color combinations very pleasing to the eye
• Size and weight is perfect for a day pack
• Padded laptop sleeve
• Large main compartment and smaller but generous front top and bottom compartments
• Large zippers and easy to grab pull tabs
• Material choice – water and abrasion resistant 1000 Cordura
• Carry handle

Dislikes

• Loading too much weight in upper compartment causes imbalance / droopy fallover syndrome
• Cinch type closure and flap combination do not make for a good waterproofness. Do not carry this in extended showers
• There is not much structure in the body of this bag; does not stand up well on its own if empty; may not be an issue for most
• Buckles tough and high quality but opening and closing is a bit too snappy and “tight” for my taste

Ideal For

• Checking out new cities
• Casual day hikes; exploring local trails
• School or workpack if the load is not too great
• Carry-on backpack for air travel

Not Ideal For

• Students who need to carry a lot of weight
• Any extended hikes or backpacking; this pack is not made to handle a lot of weight and does not have any specialized backpacking features
• Workers who need a more “professional” looking bag

The Final Word

Not surprisingly, I think Topo Designs has another hit on their hands. I was a fan of their Daypack, which brought memories of my school days. I feel the Rover Pack is the more sophisticated sibling of the Daypack. You have a different silhouette, shape, and material choice. The color combinations are much more varied and interesting with the Rover Pack. They’ve omitted the leather “pig snout” patches which is a love/hate design thing for many. The pack is also about 6 liters smaller than the Daypack which means it’s lighter and easier to carry. The Rover Pack is well suited as an everyday bag; something you toss on your back and ride to school with or a bag you take to the bluffs on a photoshoot. Like all Topo Designs bags, it is made in a LEED certified  building in Colorado and that’s a wonderful bonus. At $140, it’s an investment but a worthy one, I think. There are many bags in the space that the Rover Pack occupies, and while it doesn’t hit a homerun on every attribute, I think the combination of features and design make it among my favorites.

The post Road Tests :: Topo Designs Rover Pack appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

Intro
This is not a road test. Oh no sir. It would have been a road test for any pouch or wallet. It could have been a road test for a messenger or daypack. It might have been a road test for a trekking pack or for travel luggage. But: we’ve only had it for two months. There’s no way this is a serious road test for the Triple Aught Design FAST Pack EDC. But; instead of letting you guys wait for five years, let’s go! Luckily, we’re not the first guys to review the FAST Pack EDC. You can find others here, here, here, here and here, including a twenty minute long video on Youtube, which even compares different versions of the FAST Pack EDC (which has been running for its fifth season now).

About TAD
A word about Triple Aught Design. TAD is a boutique shop making tactical oriented clothing and equipment. Along with apparel and supercool knives and lights, they’ve designed two backpacks: the Fast Pack EDC and the Fast Pack Litespeed, the latter being a bit smaller (20 liters) and reviewed by none other than our own Taylor Welden! One thing TAD is (unfortunately) well known for, is that their products are sold out really quickly. To obtain one of the knives you even have to enter a drawing to be able to buy it.. no lack of popularity therefore.

Who it suits
The Fast Pack EDC is a 1800cu / 31 liter backpack with a lot of configuration possibilities. When the pack came out of the box it was sent in, our first impression was: “Whoa, that’s a lot of webbing…”.

This pack means business and it shows in all kinds of ways. Apart from durability, high quality materials and that “gosh, I need to not get in the way of that cool dude with the bag right there cause I will seriously get my ass kicked”-look, the FAST Pack EDC is very, very modular. If the size (31 liters) is good enough you can haul almost anything. The pack itself is much like other bags with one main compartment with one inside pouch, two front compartmens and two side pockets, and a separate compartment for a laptop or hydration. But with the added webbing and the transporter tail you can attach climbing stuff, helmets, extra pouches or any gear that will not fit into a normal compartment. The straps are highly configurable and can be detached with a click of the buckles.

So if you’re looking for a high quality (tactical) backpack with lots of configuration possibilities, you’ve found it.

Who it doesn’t suit

There’s a price to be paid for all that configurability: added weight and straps that get in the way. And then there’s the price to be paid ($325) obviously. I found myself not knowing what to do with the transporter tail but not wanting to take it off because more straps could get in the way.

If you need a bag for just one or two use cases or every gram counts, look further, but: you might need some time to find something of the same build quality.

Design
Looks
The webbing obviously gives the FAST Pack EDC it a military/tactical look. Still the overall size and fit of the pack make it below the radar, especially in black. With a “depth” of 7″/17,78 cm, the pack is never bulky, even with the transporter tail.

Construction
Here are some keywords: Cordura 1000, ITW Nexus buckles, YKK zippers, military grade stitching and webbing. The overall feel of the bag is very sturdy. The only thing we came across, is that the bottom might have been a bit more reinforced. Although we’ve seen some reviews, we’d be interested in user stories from who have longer experience with the fast pack series.

Space
At 31 liters, the FAST Pack EDC is definitely not the biggest backpack out there. Within that context, the size is still right for a day trip where you need to carry some gear or a multi day trip packing light. The main compartment is roomy, although not bulky.

Pockets and organising

The pockets on the fast pack EDC are just right. We found ourselves having an item that needed to be stashed and it was drawn magically to the right pocket: front and side pockets for quick access, main compartment and inner pocket for regulars. The only drawback is the lower front pocket, that cannot easily be accessed if the so called „transporter tail” is in use.

The webbing makes for other pouches to be attached easily. The zippers are big and great, they open in a wink. There’s a back section for hydration (which also doubles as a laptop compartment if you want it to.

Then there’s the Transporter Tail, that can hold your not so average item. Heck, there’s even Fast Pack Friday on packconfig.tumblr.com which is dedicated to all kinds of configurations (including TAD’s Fast Pack Litespeed).

While most of the Fast Pack EDC is “proven design”, some aspects are rather unique and innovative. First, there’s the shoulder straps, which can be configured in all sorts of ways and even taken off. TAD provides a lot of velcro straps to secure any loose straps; I haven’t seen it before in other packs, it’s a simple measure but it makes sense. And then there’s the flashlight cave; a pocket on the bottom of one of the side pockets, that makes it possible to easily access a flashlight or other item using a gear retractor.

Comfort
One of our first tests was an hour long hike with some 15 kgs in the pack. I was almost surprised when I wore the pack at first. It fit like a glove! I’m about 6 feet 1 and 80 kilograms and the sizing was just right. The shoulder straps can be varied in lots of ways: the straps at the bottom can be tightened or loosened, the straps on the top can be tightened or loosened, the distance between the pack and the straps can be adjusted and, if necessary, the straps can be detached. Having said that, my girlfriend tried it and for her the waist belt was much too large.

The bag itself is rather heavy at 72oz /2.1 kgs, but when wearing it, the weight is divided evenly, the waist belt does it’s job and the form of the pack makes for the contents to be vertically divided instead of horizontally, which gives it more stability. The top handle is reinforced with Hypalon and is as sturdy as top handles get.

The straps and the back of the bag are padded. The straps at first give the impression of being rather thin, but once you feel them around your shoulders, it becomes clear their form is adjusted to your body and less padding becomes necessary. What might get annoying is that the straps should be connected to straps on the front of the bag. This will improve carry comfort, because the load can be closer to your back, but it means you have to disconnect the buckles every time you need to open the pack. Finally, the padding on the back has good ventilation.

Weatherability
For usability, the zippers are placed for direct access, that is; no flaps to cover them and no waterproof zippers. This has it’s effect on weatherproofness. We put the Fast Pack EDC in the Belgian rain for two hours, stuffed with towels. The towels came out moist, especially at the zipper sections and on the bottom, because of the drainage holes. This happens to almost any bag with direct access to zippers; you just need to address it by using either a rain shield on the outside or drybags on the inside.

Alternatives to consider
There’s a good range of high quality alternatives in the “close to 30 liters tactical backpack”. We have the Arc’teryx Khard 30 which we’ve recently reviewed.

There’s the Mystery Ranch three day assault pack and the well known 5.11 Tactical Rush 24

Goruck has been mentioned on several sites as an alternative, but I wouln’t really call a GR1 an alternative to the fast pack EDC. For one, it’s decidedly smaller (26 liters versus the fast pack EDC’s 32, while the GR2 boasts 40 liters). Then, the added waistband and configurability of the FAST Pack EDC makes it suitable for different uses.

The Good
- build quality
- configurability
- carry comfort

Not so Good
- weight
-

Verdict
TAD made a robust pack with a lot of options. In comparison to other tactical companies, who have lots of backpacks and years of experience, it’s amazing to see TAD has found the sweet spot with just two backpacks.

Although it can be useful in many situations, you might not need all the modularity the FAST Pack EDC has to offer. We’d welcome a „slick” version with a little less webbing, less straps and without the transporter tail.

And finally: yes TAD, you’re allowed to develop bigger bags as well!
Photos used are courtesy of TAD, Loaded Pockets and yours truly

The post Road Tests :: Triple Aught Design FAST Pack EDC (Giveaway) appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

...

The post Road Tests :: T-Level Infinity Roll-top 43L backpack appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

Sewing as a process was even more difficult than I anticipated it to be, and getting the wiring for the solar charger and light piping down was…challenging, to say the least. Getting all the layers of fabric, wiring, and polycarbonate frame to be in harmony took a lot of experimentation. Fabric is material that I don’t feel a lot of industrial designers are comfortable with because it behaves very differently than rigid materials. You truly have to think ten steps in advance, and understand it sags, stretches, and compresses when it wants to. Soldering and CNCing the frame were pretty straightforward in comparison with getting the ‘soft parts’ together. After that project, once I was formally acquainted with the sewing machine, I tailored a few of my own jeans and shirts; it’s really given me an appreciation and respect for soft-goods designers.

What are you most proud of regarding the pack?

I think the internal structure design was sort of my ‘aha!’ moment. The frame is super light, and both strong and flexible in the right places. This means it’s actually comfortable on your back, and has enough play in the structure to conform to you. The frame helps keep weight close and high up on your back, which makes carrying more comfortable.

Looking back at the design project now, would you change anything (choice of materials, design process, etc.)?

At the time I made the pack, I had a million other things going on, between work, graduation, job hunting, school projects etc., so I didn’t have time to play with as many materials, colors, and finishes I wish I could have. Sewing, once you get the hang of it, is a very rewarding process of making. I would definitely have sewn more low-fidelity models.

Any production plans in the pipeline?

You’d be surprised how often I get requests and emails from faraway places regarding this. It’s definitely encouraging; the word Kickstarter is thrown around a lot, but truthfully there are no plans to make this at any sort of mass scale. Anyone who’s made a backpack (or any product) before understands the amount of work, both in design and overhead, that’s needed to bring a product to fruition. I hope some brands start making ‘smart’ backpacks down the road.

Any plans for further carry creations?

Absolutely! I’ve got a few ideas simmering for a backpack and duffel combination made from leather and Martexin Duck fabric, sort of a durable, professional travel pairing for short trips.

Thinking more generally about design, what are your main channels for creative inspiration?

Nike comes to mind. They have some incredible and innovative products, especially in their knit line and soccer cleats. I’m hesitant to say they truly improve performance, but they have a great style and execution. Nendo, in Japan. While simple, their products carry a wit and character to them you rarely see in contemporary product design.

Where is your most creative space and why?

At my desk at home, with a cup of coffee, a stack of printer paper, and a ballpoint pen. I prefer my workspaces clean and distraction-free, and with copious amounts of natural light.

Why did you get into design and what motivates you to keep doing it?

I honestly can’t say I’d be happy doing just about anything else. The product design world is shockingly small, intensely competitive, and very close-knit. What binds a lot of us is our shared love of making things. We obsess over the semantics of curves, lines, and forms, and are comfortable wading through pools of ambiguity to solve problems.

How different would your designs be if you were designing for yourself versus an employer/client?

This is a good question…I have a personal style, all designers do. I’d say mine fits nicely somewhere between sci-fi and minimalist. It’s important that as designers we put aside our own subjective style, and get into the mindset of the people who will end up using our product. I tend to try to push the comfort zone with things I have a hand in designing. Simultaneously, I think history shows people like the idea of the future, but often aren’t ready for it when it arrives.

What’s your daily bag? And why is it the bee’s knees?

On my bike commute into work I usually use my Northface Surge. I’ve had it for quite some time, but it’s really held up beyond my expectations and is quite versatile. It doesn’t have the style of a Côte&Ciel or the durability of a GORUCK but it is affordable and functional.

Can we see a pocket dump?

I’d like to pretend I carry five knives, a handgun, and flashlight but honestly I’m more of a light carrier.

What is the best mistake you ever made (design or otherwise) and why (or put a slightly different way – what mistake did you learn from the most)? Biggest design regret?

A few years back I had the chance to design a bike with a few friends of mine in school. We ended up playing the game too safe, and while I think our product ended up nice-looking and well-executed, it didn’t push the envelope enough. It’s interesting, bikes are so well-designed as functional objects, any time someone tries to change them they’re met with a barrage of vitriolic criticism. I think that fear drove us to make a ‘meh’ design. In retrospect, we should have put on the blinders and gotten out of our comfort zone with it.

What mistakes do you see frequently in design?

One of the things I see most frequently committed, by students especially, is designing a product from one dimension. Not taking into account all the ways something looks, how it feels in peoples’ hands, at context and scale. These are incredibly important aspects, and are often the differentiators between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ design.

What would you tell a younger version of yourself (say five years ago) taking into account the experience/wisdom that present-day you has acquired?

Sketch, read, and simply make more. It’s the only way to learn.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Thanks for the interview, I’ve been a reader of Carryology for a few years now and love the site. Keep up the good work!

The post Interview with Luke Mastrangelo :: Prism concept backpack appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

It’s mid afternoon on rarely climbed Rocky Mountain cliff face. The weather is brisk and spring is in the air. Melting snow rushes down the face and into the river below. The light has that beautiful pre daylight saving glimmer and the climbers are back at it. Having ditched the spikes and snow axes of winter the climbers are eager to cram their fingers and toes into the tiniest of cracks and haul themselves up the fresh line. Above them, dangling by rope and swinging himself into position, camera poised and ready, is photographer Andy Mann.

Andy has that job we all dream of. He journeys to the exotic places in the world that grace the covers of National Geographic and other outdoors magazines. As an adventure photographer he doesn’t have the luxury of the studio or the camera van. He has to bring everything he needs with him out into the field and document the action unfolding in front of his eyes.

To be honest he couldn’t be carrying a worse thing: bags brimming with heavy metal, glass, cameras and associated accessories to try to capture the adventure. His unique approach to what he brings and how he brings it has led him to develop a style where he ‘tags along’ with explorers, climbers and divers around the globe. His imagery is evident of this style, as what he documents is entirely unplanned and unstaged. He is a part of the action, bringing an undeniable amount of authenticity to his visual storytelling.

Contributor and professional photographer, Shelby Craig, managed to speak to Andy a day before he was heading to the Fijian Islands on a shark diving expedition. They talked photography, travel, adventure and his recent collaboration with Mountainsmith…

Give us an insight into your world as an adventure photographer?

My style of photography has become a hybrid of  both photo and video, mostly through expedition storytelling. What I do is go out to remote parts of the world, virgin earth places, and go on expeditions with climbers or divers and tag along. I tell the story of explorations, of fear, of joy, of hardships. The things that bring out the grit in human character. The no-way-to-go-but-up situations. I look for the stories.

I also shoot a lot of music. When I listen to a song I try to scratch at the wounds more than most people think.

How did you get involved with Mountainsmith to develop the Parallax Pack? 

Well they are a Front Range (Mountains) Colorado small pack company. They’ve been known for years for their core backpacks and lumbar packs. They have that iconic anvil logo that’s well recognised in Colorado. They were only based about a half hour down the road from me and I think we crossed paths at a trade show in Salt Lake City where I was on the road working as a senior contributing photographer for Climbing Magazine.

I was passing through Salt Lake City and I needed a pack that would do a little more than a traditional camera pack because I was hiking up cliffs and all and they had one that I was interested in. I was really looking for handouts. I was strategically hitting them up on the last day of the trade show and knew that companies often gave out gear then. They had this pack the Mountainsmith Borealis and it’s part of their signature line. It had a good support system and you can throw camera stuff in the bottom and it had a big backpack style space at the top where you can throw rope, water and lunch. I told the guys what I did and they agreed to give me one to use as long as when we were all back in Colorado I had a beer and talked about what I thought of the pack as it was still a prototype.

That started a relationship of using their packs in the field and on the road. For several years I would just wear a pack out and they would send me a new one after telling them what worked and what didn’t. We’d go climbing and have beers and talk bags and then at the end of 2012 and beginning of 2014 we sat down and they were like “What would you do differently?” I’d worn these packs out every which way and I immediately started working with the designer changing some things and moving some things around. At the same time my career started to grow and we decided to partner up. And they allowed me to design something for photographers. That’s how it started and now it’s grown into what it is now. A full grown partnership.

Would you say that traditional photo bag makers don’t make bags that are up to scratch for your style of adventure photography?

A lot of the bag manufacturers try to produce something in the middle of the line. There are just a few specific details that I think make a camera bag perform better in the field. It could be as simple as tack loop or a material.

I personally just started adding a few of those things and then stripping the rest of the bag back and starting from scratch really. I feel like people were botching it. Most camera bags just have all these little issues. For example, most camera bags have this little flap that folds down on the front of the bag where the tripod sits in the middle of the bag. With lots of straps, loops and everything. And it’s just like dude, strip all that off and strap it to the side so you can access everything. The bags I designed with Mountainsmith are just really clean because the last thing you want when you’re in the field with a harness on and with ropes around is more straps and buckles etc.

What are some of the details that you find essential for your style of bags?

For my style of bag I think what makes them work best is that the design of the bag recognises that the quiver of gear people take is very different. In that camera bag you need to be able to carry a computer, hard drive, sound equipment, cameras, flashes, light stands, etc. It’s a ton of stuff. It needs to fit in the overhead bin and the fabric needs to make sense; it needs to at least repel water. It needs to be sleek because it needs to be able to fit in a bigger bag without getting snagged.

I feel like getting rid of all the bells and whistles is essential. The straps and buckles. A lack of features is nice actually.

Also, when bags have good heritage. Mountainsmith took their support system called the Anvil Airway and put it into my bags which is great because my loads are heavy. Camera bags get beat up because cameras are heavy. Nothing is light anymore. Especially if you’re lugging Lithium Ion batteries.

Lastly I care about the colour and that the fabric is solid and that it’s waterproof. It’s nice to look at a bag and go ‘you look good’.

You are obviously someone who is always traveling, thus always carrying. What are some challenges you face with all this travel?

Probably packing. First knowing what stuff to bring, then always trying to figure out what bag to bring for which situation. I often want to pack my stuff into lots of smaller bags. Mountainsmith makes these cool little Kit Cubes that are awesome. They are just little roll-top things that can fit in anything.

My favourite bag that is designed specifically for rock climbing shooting is the Descent. That’s my favourite one.

I’ve got three checked bags, a carry-on and I need to make it all work. It’s a puzzle, everything to do with packing.

Getting all the gear there is often hard too, but the guys I roll with are very ‘no excuses’. Their packs are just as heavy as mine, filled with climbing gear and we just deal with it and do it.

What would make traveling with all your gear easier? 

I feel like just having the option for space. The Borealis is good for that reason. It’s good for traveling for that reason. It has lots of space at the top and padded compartments for cameras at the bottom. I think the solution is to have options so you have a blank canvas. You just want to get everything in a pack and go. When things are over-slotted and over-designed you have issues. Sometimes you need a big sack. A place to put shit.

Do you have any tips or habits from the road you can share?

I always, always carry my stuff on me. Nothing protects you from lost baggage period. You can build it out of armour and what’s inside will be protected but it still has to get there. If your bag gets lost you’re bummed because it could ruin the job or the expedition because time is always of the essence.

The import thing for me is to be able to travel with everything on your back and know that everything can fit in the overhead. You have to think about where you’re traveling and on what kind of transportation or aircraft. What happens if you get on a small commuter plane and they tell you that they need to check your bag because it doesn’t fit in the overhead? That’s a problem. Your lenses will be fogged up when you get there or something might get crushed. I always carry a smaller bag within my carry-on because you have to be prepared to deal with those situations without a problem. To pull out at least the goods such as the cameras or the hard drives and keep them with you. To be able to divide if needed is so important.

Sometimes having things on your back makes them look smaller, lighter and more compact.

At the end of the job the thing you’re not going to give them ever is the hard drive with the job on it. Even if you need a little lumbar fanny pack. The goods are always important to keep with you.

What does the environment demand from your gear? What are the important things for protecting your camera gear?

First the fabric – waterproof coating and/or a rain cover is essential when outside.

Other than that I don’t overly protect my gear very often. I’m more concerned with protecting myself and getting the shot. I can tell you how many things I’ve wrecked. That’s something I’ve decided early on. I’m just a little different. It’s hard for me to manage everything. I like to focus on the creative side. I just don’t mind beating up my stuff and just dealing with it. I shoot a lot. All year long. In many different environments. The cameras, lens coatings and bags I use are pretty burly. If you can just put your stuff in your bag and zip it up it’s safe. That’s the safety zone, when the equipment is in the bag. When it’s out of the bag there is no safety zone. I just keep myself safe. My equipment is a sacrifice. At some point you just have to go my gear is a soldier and it’s going into battle when it’s out of the bag and when it’s in the bag it’s home and it’s safe.

Do other carry products such as messenger bags, rollers, hard shells, etc have features that give you ideas for photo bags? 

I think you can always keep an eye on fabrics. In the outdoor industry where everyone is going lighter, faster, stronger you see that. Recently I decided to go a little more cowboy. I like canvas and denim. I’d like to see bags last longer and show signs of wear. I dig the messenger style bags. There are a few jobs I do every year where I don’t want a backpack and I’ll bring a messenger bag. Like if I’m at a show shooting music I like to have something that I can have over the shoulder that I can open quickly and take a shot and then walk away. They work great for events or music, not so much in the field.

I love the four bags in my range but I’m always looking for ways to make them better.

Things are evolving so quickly with fabrics and style that you have to be thinking forward because that’s what people are looking for.

I would even make them (my bags) more rugged going forward. Canvas and all.

Any nightmare travel stories?

Last July another National Geographic photographer (Corey Richards) and I did an assignment in remote Russia. We had to fly from Saint Petersburg to this arctic Russian town and we had to get our stuff from Saint Petersburg Airport and then re-check it before this domestic flight. We had 20 bags or something and a lot of them were camera gear. Of course one thing didn’t show up for a while and the longer we stood there with our bags the longer we stuck out. An officer then came over and was like, “What do you have? What’s all this stuff? Do you have paperwork for it?” I was like here we go because we didn’t have paperwork. You’re only allowed to bring $10k worth of stuff into Russia and he gave us this form to fill out and we had like multiple $10k cameras. So we had to list item by item with a value massively below what it was worth. Like 1x Nikon 24mm 1.4 lens …$69… like massively undervaluing everything to hope that they just let us go. They just wanted to throw around a bit of power. They gave us a hard time but eventually let us through. And that happens all the time.

You just want to kinda fly under the radar the best you can, you know, but that’s so hard with photo gear..

Now I just bring a spreadsheet with serial numbers of my gear. I don’t put a price on it because if they ask me “Hey are you going to sell this stuff?” I can leave one and say here’s my list of gear and they can compare it when I come back on the way out.

Have you had any issues with lost or stolen gear?

I haven’t surprisingly enough because I have it on my back or right at my feet. I can’t stress the importance of having the goods with you. I’ve lost a few duffels, some climbing stuff. I just try not to take the risk. I’m usually moving through a city pretty quickly and then out into the wilderness where the risk is low for stolen gear.

Have you ever lost a lens or something while on the wall climb?

Oh yeah! I’ve dropped some pocket wizards and some other stuff. Part of the reason why I’ve designed the Descent, which is the slingshot style bag, is because it just floats right in front of your chest. You can open it up right there and you can change stuff inside the actual bag on your chest and you can zip it and sling it back around and be shooting again. Ever since that bag has been out shooting with me on the wall I haven’t lost anything.

What’s your go-to daily bag that you run with around town at home?

Mountainsmith has a computer bag, the Spectrum, that I use to commute with. I’ll carry a computer, some hard drives and it fits a little Sony NEX-7. It’s my around-the-town bag that I use to get to and from my production company.

What’s a day like at home for you in Boulder, Colorado?

Well I have my production company 3 Strings Productions that I founded with Keith Ladzinski and Cory Richards. I usually commute by bike to work, see what’s going on, make sure everyone is working on the right projects, keep everyone motivated and creative. Then it’s kinda an unspoken rule that if the weather’s nice we all go out at lunch to do something active. We have trail runs, bike trails, hikes etc. close by. Then after work I ride my bike home, cook dinner and just really try to stay creative and motivated.

What’s your go-to travel bag not for camera gear?

I travel with duffels. Climbing and haul bag duffels. I travel with them because they are waterproof, you can throw them around. They pack super well. You can strap them onto a roof of a car, to a camel, anywhere really. You can stash them outdoors in the pouring rain. When it comes to travel the important thing to do is to have room. I have my Parallax on my back. That has my computer, my hard drives, all my camera stuff. Then I’ll have these haul bags and they are just full of gear that I need to get on location and to sleep. You can drag duffels.

Can you give me the essential carry kit when traveling the globe (bags, accessories etc.)?

I travel with two of these three camera packs at any given time/trip:

Mountainsmith -

Borealis

Descent

Spectrum

They are all built to carry more than cameras and lenses which is clutch for me on the go. I also travel with my Arc’teryx Arrakis 65 – a waterproof bag that holds my clothes and carries my smaller camera bags along the way into the field.

What single photography moment has given you the biggest smile?

I hold close to me a mountain of memories and laughter, all relate to the crack of the shutter somewhere beautiful. Of all the sunsets and epic adventures, I’d have to say a selfie I took with me and my fiancee when I asked her to marry me in Costa Rica. I still get chills on that one! #SELFIE!!!!

What’s next for Andy Mann?

Continuing to grow as a photographer and find new ways to express myself as an artist. I’m spending a lot of time underwater these days and it’s a whole new world for me. I’d love to take that a step further.

If you weren’t a pro photographer and all-round rad dude, what profession would you be doing now?

I’d be a musician. Solo acoustic and on the road. It’s my plan B!

The post Andy Mann Interview :: Adventure Photographer appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

Rugged and breathtakingly beautiful mountains, enchanting green forests, shimmering expanses of water…backpacking can offer up some pretty amazing sights depending on where you’re going. Too bad that kitchen sink on your back is spoiling the view… Whether you’re a regular or occasional backpacker, you may have found yourself at some point asking “Why did I bring so much stuff?” Perhaps the aches and pains in your body start playing with your powers of reasoning and common sense and the thought of chucking your heavy pack and all the contents straight off a cliff becomes an increasingly appealing prospect with every trudging step you take.

Well you’re not alone. Plenty of people have asked themselves the same question or have had similar thoughts chipping away at their self-control. This is a good thing though, as for many it has resulted in the quest to carry lighter loads. However, that quest in turn has fostered a revolution in carry – namely, ultralight backpacking. The folks at Core77 have put together an informative series of posts on this growing trend, the first of which is High-Efficiency Hiking: What The Heck Is Ultralight? by Kat Bauman, which you can read in its entirety below…

—

Given that most of you love oddly specific minimalism, you should be familiar with “Ultralight” backpacking. If not, start here. Regardless of your fitness level, the appeal of ultralight is undeniable – it speaks to the core of good design: make it simpler, keep it functional. UL definitions vary in pound-maximums and philosophies, but for most it boils down to the fact that the lighter your gear, the more you are free to do. For the hardcore aficionados, UL is literally a lifestyle, where the weight of everything is known in grams and ounces and enthusiastically hacked away at. For the general practitioner, the aim is to carry as little as possible outdoors without sacrificing safety. General guidelines often suggest that a full pack should weigh less than 10lbs to qualify as UL, and under 25 to make it into the lightweight bracket. (When in doubt, call things “lightweight” rather than UL if you want to avoid the semantic title-mongering of true believers.)

While all detail-oriented hobbies attract a certain percentage of wonks, UL is a growing trend for a reason. Efficiency out on the trail/mountain/river/etc. is a big part of the draw, along with the basic body-mechanical fact that lowering pack weight reduces strain and increases comfort… Comfort you are free to negate by doing something painful like a through hike. How many of us have tried “backpacking” only to find it a gigantic heavy drag? It may seem obvious from a designer’s armchair, but simplifying the systems frees the user to focus on other things, like the beauty of the trail. And counter-intuitive though it may be, removing the load bearing structure and cushy padding and webbing and pockets and D-rings on a backpack can actually make it more comfortable. Rather than trying to be every bag for everyman, Ultralight gear is task-specific, minimal, and as a result ergonomically approachable.

The principle of outdoor efficiency isn’t new (check out Grandma Gatewood), but Ultralight is largely seen as an invention of the 1990s and an organic outgrowth of the hiking and outdooring community. As more people spent more time out on trails, many of them developed personal solutions and modifications to reduce the bulk or heft of the gear they needed. Word of mouth, self-published information and forums carried weight-saving ideas between users. Meanwhile developments in technical materials pushed outdoor designs into weird new territory. Some people gave up traditional tents in lieu of more compact tarps, ditching the poles and saving major space and weight. Other solutions shrank the bedding and cooking equipment. Who needs a handle on their toothbrush?

As components became more efficient, so did bags, since the less you carry the less you need to carry it in. It’s now a basic assumption that going ultralight means reducing the base weight of your bedding, shelter and pack. As arguably the most bodily-relevant component, pack design has seen major trend shifts in the last few decades. Popular styles have veered from the heavy external framed packs that a Victorian scout would have lugged through the Alps to a myriad of integrated frame types, as well as frameless packs that look like garbage bags, and back to re-envisioned external systems.

The design solutions to the ongoing lightness “problem” are all over the board and as diverse as the people using them, but the core principle is the same: The less you have to carry, the more energy you’ll have for the adventure you’re on. The UL school of thought still has deep roots in the DIY tradition but there is a growing industry around production ultralight packs. Some companies have adapted their products to meet the demand for lighter and lighter gear, while others have sprung up out of the ultralight community itself with that niche as their sole focus. To dig into how ultralight design works, and who’s doing the work, stay tuned for our upcoming interviews with key designers in the field!

The post Core77 Ultralight series :: Part 1 appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

When FedEx knocked on my door to deliver the Arc’teryx Cordova I was a bit reluctant to open the box. The bag looked a little strange in the press release so I had modest expectations. But the pictures didn’t do it justice. As I opened the box, I started grinning. The fabrics felt ultra-premium. The zippers were like shaking hands with an old friend. The stitch placement was practically neurotic. And the fit, thanks to the thermoformed padded back panel, was snug.

No joke, this is one of the most comfortable packs I’ve ever worn. Arc’teryx says the Cordova was inspired by Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood, Gastown, and is intended for minimalist commuters. I’d say that about sums this thing up. It’s a bag for commuters who’ve been around the block, with all the stuff you need and nothing you don’t. Laptop sleeve, large front pocket, comfortable straps, and high positioned fleece-lined sunglass pouch. But the best part is it won’t slow you down in a pinch and it came in handy on exam week.

I wake up to the dog licking my face. I turned off my alarm in my sleep again. Now I’m running late for class and, to make matters worse, I have an exam today. I jump in the shower and do ‘commuter math’ while I’m washing up: by the time I’m ready to go I’ll have 20 minutes to cover five miles. Knowing the ride normally takes 25 minutes I grab my new Arc’teryx Cordova, hop on my bike, and pedal full bore towards campus.

At the halfway point of my ride I reach the hardest part of my commute: eight blocks of a grueling 10% grade hill. I stand up on the bike and power my way up the monster incline. This is where most packs disappoint me.

Typically when biking, with each downward pedal the bags I’ve owned slosh their weight about and fight my rhythm. I end up having to work harder just to manage the backpack. So needless to say I was a bit nervous taking a bag where cyclists weren’t the target market. But the Cordova did fantastic. The whole bag is very well balanced, which prevents sloshing about.

This is a pretty impressive achievement when you consider the bag has no sternum or compression straps. After a few weeks of commuting with the Cordova I get the impression Arc’teryx deliberately built the bag with balance-during-movement in mind. After all, what better complement for a commuter than having a bag that won’t flop all over like a dying fish while you run to catch a bus. Brilliant!

Finally I make it to the top. Ten minutes to go before the exam. I push hard through the bad part of town, flat out past the junkies asleep on the sidewalk. Just a few minutes left and I’m racing through gridlocked traffic on 19^th Avenue – splitting lanes and avoiding opening car doors.

This is another situation where backpacks will let me down. I generally don’t ride so close to the razor’s edge, but when I do there’s nothing worse than looking over my shoulder and seeing nothing but backpack. Roll-tops and exotic-shaped backpacks have become a real nuisance for me in situations like this. But the Cordova’s minimalist design works perfect for biking at speed.

And the hemispherical front panel has turned out to be real handy for enhanced visibility without sacrificing storage space. The front compartment is genuinely cavernous, but instead of it being some obtrusive angular shape, it gently transitions to an almost invisible horizon when the user is peering over their shoulder. A clever solution.

I pull into campus, park my bike, and sprint to class. A quick zip of the front pouch and I’ve got everything I need: calculator and pencil in hand. Just in time.

Who it suits:

Commuters, techies, and students alike. Whether you commute by car, train, plane, boat, bike, or any other invention of man, this bag will serve you well for many years…but with one hitch: it’s a minimalist pack. It will likely disappoint if you’re hauling home stacks of documents or heavy textbooks. That being said, this bag does have room for all the essentials to make your trip to work or school comfortable. And the bag’s balanced design will come in real handy if you’re running late and need to make up for lost time. It will keep your technology safe and reasonably dry with space for a tablet or other small electronics.

The front pocket is deceivingly large and more than capable of holding your lunch, a big jacket, or anything else you might need on your commute. There are no provisions for a hydration bladder and the straps are fairly thin so I’d recommend keeping the load down as well as avoiding wearing this bag for extended lengths of time. Thus, if you travel light and fast this pack is definitely worth a closer look.

The Good:

Over the past few weeks I’ve grown to love some unique innovations on this bag. Perhaps the most impressive feature is the foam back panel. For the Cordova, Arc’teryx abandoned the typical breathable foam mesh in lieu of this very clever molded foam back.

Similar in feel to the EVA foam backing you’ll find on some Chrome Industries backpacks, this is a simple but surprisingly effective way to avoid a sweaty or achy back. During my hard ride to class it kept me plenty cool, allowing ventilation between the molded ridges cast into the foam. And when I rode over bumps in the road the foam backing soaked up the shock from my cargo.

However, in an interesting departure from Chrome’s EVA foam backing, the Cordova’s foam shape provides substantial improvement in structural integrity. During my use of the Cordova, the foam acted like a pseudo framesheet, which greatly helped with load control and load distribution. The bag naturally keeps its shape regardless of how much you put in it, but still is flexible enough to follow the contours of your back.

Heavy loads also feel much more evenly distributed as compared to other bags I’ve used –no pressure points. It’s because of this foam backing I felt comfortable trying it out on my rides in the first place. I’m both surprised and impressed with this feature. Dare I say it, this could be a nice alternative to the breathable foam mesh, which we at Carryology don’t really dig.

Another feature that caught my eye is the interesting expanding three-dimensional water bottle pouch. It doesn’t do anything new or special as compared to standard lay-flat water bottle pouches, but it’s an intriguing design. The unusual geometric shape of the outer panel enhances the appearance of the bag when the pouch isn’t in use, lying flat and almost disappearing into the lines of the pack. But with a water bottle in place a black elastic fabric and elaborate stitching pattern is revealed.

As dorky as this sounds, the whole thing reminds me of a bomb bay door from a stealth fighter jet. It’s refreshing to see a bag maker think outside the box for little things like this.

The Bad:

Although this is an interesting and innovative bag, in this case, I’m not feeling the centrally located laptop sleeve. To be fair to Arc’teryx, the central laptop compartment appears to be a movement among bag makers of all brands and it’s done for all types of reasons like increasing comfort and access and to protect your Mac baby from untoward bending.

But as an end user I wasn’t entirely sold on it. After using this bag for several weeks I found myself thinking that much of the bag’s magic seemed to wither away when I was carrying a laptop. The wonderful balance seemed to thin out. Even the foam back’s load distribution seemed to be undermined. I found myself moving the laptop out of the dedicated compartment and closer to my back so that I could regain some of that magic. Don’t get me wrong, this bag controls loads extremely well – better than most backpacks I’ve used. And that foam backing is rad. But whenever I was carrying my laptop in the Cordova, the laptop’s increased distance from my back seems to have made the pack feel heavier than it should have been.

Another thing that bothered me about the Cordova is that when I was carrying a laptop the bag couldn’t stand upright when resting on the ground. No matter what I did this bag always fell over. I tried propping it against different objects, on different surfaces, different packing methods – nothing worked. If I was carrying a laptop, the slightest disturbance sent it tipping or sliding in either direction. This may or may not be an issue for you, but during my exam (and pretty much every class I took this bag to) it drove me nuts.

The Ugly:

My one niggle with this bag is the AC² hemispherical front panel. It’s a really interesting idea, provides a cavernous expanse to store bulky items, allows for great visibility, and shows off the superb craftsmanship Arc’teryx is capable of, but unfortunately it’s nowhere near full most of the time. This means the clever hemispherical shape of the front panel looks wrinkled and tacky more often than not. Even during the photoshoot of this bag I had trouble filling it out in a flattering way. In all honesty, it makes the bag look poorly planned, which is a shame because this bag is anything but.

If I were king for a day I’d like to see Arc’teryx line this hemispherical panel with something (perhaps the foam they used on the back panel) to help keep its shape when not filled to capacity. They went through a good amount of effort to create the hemispherical shape on the front panel and the end user deserves to enjoy those aesthetics.

Other Bags to Consider:

When it comes to daypacks there’s always the classics: GORUCK’s GR1 and the Icon Pack from Incase. They set the bar long ago and are still pretty hard to beat.

Conclusion: 

In summary, the Cordova is a great pack for those who don’t want to be bogged down. It’s simple, practical and awesome to use. The materials and textures won’t attract unwanted attention, but the craftsmanship and quality will never leave you feeling as though you’ve settled. Even after all these weeks I’m still a bit irked about the hemispherical front panel, but provided you can look past it, I would recommend this pack to any minimalist commuter – especially those who occasionally find themselves running during their commute.

Editor’s note: The pack for this drive by was supplied by Arc’teryx

The post Drive By :: Arc’teryx Cordova appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

Following on from their introduction post to ultralight backpacking, Core77 dug down into the details courtesy of an interview with Mike St. Pierre. Mike is the founder of Hyperlite Mountain Gear, a brand that prides itself on making ultralight and lightweight packs, shelters and accessories. Check out the interview Unpacking “Ultralight” with Mike St. Pierre of Hyperlite Mountain Gear by Kat Bauman in full below.

-

This is the first of a multi-part look at lightweight backpacking and the designers who love it.

Ultralight is a challenging niche within both the outdoor community and the outdoor industry. Ultralight users are often out on the trail or mountain for weeks on end, and ultralight designers have to get them there and back. To learn about the passions and problem-solving involved, I spoke with Mike St. Pierre, founder of Hyperlite Mountain Gear, makers of award-winning ultralight packs and tents.

C77: What inspires you to create new designs?

Mike: Honestly? My own personal interest level in an outdoor activity. I started out making packs for backpacking and through-hiking because I was doing a lot of that, then I got into climbing, so I made packs for climbers. Then I got into backcountry skiing – so that’s probably one of the next products. New designs come from personal interest and from customers requesting products for niches where they want to go lighter.

How do you determine desired weight and work towards it?

We don’t set out with that goal in mind. Weight is important, but I’ve never been looking to be the lightest guy out there. The weight is a byproduct of the design philosophy: strip away and provide the basics of what you need. A lot of companies build bags that have a multitude of attachment points, bags for doing all kind things – one bag fits all. We don’t look at it that way, it’s good to be specific. Rock climbing? Climbing bag. Ice hiking? Ice hiking pack.

How do developments in high-tech materials impact your line of products and new designs?

When I found out about cuben fiber it was a no brainer. It’s truly waterproof, the strongest material in the world, it’s non woven. All the other fabrics out there are coated fabrics. Instead you’ve got something that won’t leak, weighs less… It’s the best. So we’re always searching for the newest modern materials. More minimalist designs mean more high tech materials. Marrying the two is how we reduce the weight. Stick with what works, but sometimes you find something exciting that can spark a whole new line.

I had a heavy hand in the development of a lot of fabrics that we use. We’re doing our own production here in Maine – when we started no one was willing or had knowledge of the adhesives and bonding techniques involved. I shopped it around, and decided there was no way to do it unless we build out manufacturing ourselves. Our cuben fiber with laminated woven fabrics, those are products fabrics I had my two cents in with our developers. I constantly find things I like somewhere, and find a way to get it laminated or incorporated in the manufacture of the cuben.

How does your design process address ergonomics?

To begin with it was all trial and error. People will tell you there are standards in this industry, REI et al each have their own measurement system – none correspond to the numbers of the actual packs. They just use that to sell stuff, it has nothing to do with reality.

I build almost entirely by hand. People build these 3D models of your bags in these programs. In the time you build that model in that program, I can build a physical sample. We’ve gotten somewhat digitized now, but for something new you have to rough it together and refine it from there. Once we get an idea, we build a crude prototype by hand and go from there, refining all the way. The design team is me. We’re working towards a bigger R&D department of several people.

Manufacturing for ourselves makes us unbelievably nimble. One of us on the staff goes out over the weekend and comes back wanting to change something to make it work better, and we can. If something doesn’t fail I get nervous. We’ve also got athletes in the field. The higher they go on mountains the more we see problems, and I can make that change next day. We couldn’t be innovative if we were shipping containers around the world.

By not making containers of stuff out in Asia and trying to sell it all out before we can change, that’s great. We can make changes and make sure the customer gets the most up to date, quality products. I still use everything we make, unlike bigger companies run by suit and tie guys who aren’t even out in the outdoors. And the big companies have a huge barrier to entry in innovative gear and new materials, given the apparatus. We don’t have the same overhead.

Eddie Bauer launched a cuben fiber backpack, it’s double the weight of ours and double the price!

At what point does aesthetics enter the design process?

It’s definitely a consideration, but lower on the priority list. That’s the nature of design, I wouldn’t design things that end in la-la land. But it can’t look unfinished, gotta look polished. The nature of making things functional, simple always seems better. In the back country that’s hugely important, if something fails…the simpler things are the easier they are to fix. That’s another consideration, even if our product fails you’re never going to have catastrophic failure – you’ll still be able to be safe, warm, whatever.

Which end-users specifically inform your product development?

It all starts with me. I get a new interest…it’s hard to design something I don’t use. Everything in the line is something I use in my personal activities. That seems to resonate with our customers, and the industry, I guess.

Being able to go out and realize “That buckle doesn’t belong there, it belongs over here!” it makes it so much easier. I’m always pushing the limits of what I can do in the outdoors, it makes designing so much easier instead of relying on other people to give you the feedback on early concepts. The sky’s the limit, because everything out there is overbuilt and too heavy and every piece of use in the outdoors could benefit from our philosophy and approach.

What was the intention (or inspiration) that started your line of products?

Too much of this industry is all the same people, all in the same fishbowl talking to each other, recycling old ideas. I came out of left field with no design experience, no experience in the industry, but I love the outdoors and I’ve been in the backwoods my whole life. A lot of this industry is sales driven. The marketing department develops an idea, and THEN the product developers get it, which is totally backwards. We’ve had no formal marketing in this company to date. If you build a really good product – especially in this industry, where product is king – the sales will follow.

So which ideas should get thrown out?

Mostly the industry telling people what they need to have, when the industry doesn’t even use the products. That’s huge! These big companies pushing stuff, but how many of them have actually tried it? You can go to EMS for everything you need for a backpacking trip: you’ll walk out with 25 pounds of stuff! Metal match containers, cots, a shower! 60lb backpack for a two-day trip. There’s nothing fun about that! Same amount of stuff, the stuff you need, could be just 10-12 pounds. That’s a huge difference! I don’t need nine ways to attach an ice axe to my backpack.

At REI, all their buyers are really active and into it, “Holy shit we love your bag, I use your bag…we’d love to carry your stuff.” I set up a meeting, meet the pack buyer, she looks at the product and goes “There’s no way our customer would buy this: it needs more pockets and zippers.” You’ve missed the point!

Like minivans “needing” 16 cupholders.

Yeah. You don’t need that stuff! You’re going to have more fun, go farther, stay drier, have more fun! It’s a misconception. We’re a pretty direct to consumer company – maybe 15% of our business is wholesale. I think that’s telling. I’m here to disrupt this industry.

What other technical gear companies do you admire?

Any company with the same philosophy we have. It’s all about the product. If it’s good – if it does what they tell you it’ll do – that’s huge. If they’re not blowing smoke up your ass, tell you how it is, you get out there and it works. Sleeping bags and apparel: Westcomb, Rab has always been in my closet, I’m digging the new BD apparel [*Black Diamond, though I wish he'd meant this], just brought on a Valandre sleeping bag. Feathered Friends is a great bag company.

Getting lighter gear, I’ve been getting into multidiscipline adventures. Packrafting, where you hike in and raft, my base weight is about 10 lbs of gear. I’ve got a full whitewater boating setup for 22lbs for multi day. It’s a fine line between lightweight and durability, but at the end of the day it HAS TO WORK, it can’t be a throwaway product.

—–

The post Core77 Ultralight series :: Part 2 appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

Core77 keeps the awesomeness rolling with their lightweight and ultralight backpacking series. Following on from their interview with Mike St. Pierre of Hyperlite Mountain Gear Core77 chatted to the founder of one of the most well-known brands in backpacks, Osprey. Posted below in all its carry goodness is Unpacking “Ultralight” with Mike Pfotenhauer of Osprey Packs by Kat Bauman…

-

Whether you think ultralight backpacking sounds like hell or vacation, it provides a special dilemma for design minds. Ultralight gear has to be minimal, ergonomic, versatile and very, very light. To get a higher-level industry take on the lightweight challenge I spoke with Mike Pfotenhauer, founder, owner and chief designer of Osprey Packs. Osprey is over four decades old and renowned for innovative, ergonomic and, yes, lightweight pack design. Still independently owned and operated, they’re a leading name in multiple fields of backpacking. When I caught up with Mike he had just gotten back from Southern California – a region he’s required as a Northerner to speak poorly of – where he’d had a nice time hiking around Big Sur. (Don’t tell him I told you.)

You guys have been doing pack design for a very long time. What sparks new ideas now?

For us a new design is often a compilation of older ideas that finally make sense. We build many iterations when developing a new product. Often it requires a minimum of 15 or 20 different versions before we can finalize a new product. All of this experimentation is never wasted. Our prototype archives are loaded with innovative concepts that are just waiting for the right opportunity. We have a lot of ideas stored. In fact, I just told everybody we have to dig out today! We have so many prototypes we’re tripping over them! It’s insane, we’re drowning, we could get lost in them!

Do you still have a hand in the design process?

I’m definitely still involved in the design process. We have a design office in Mill Valley, and up until two years ago I did almost all of it. Now I have two design assistants and a production manager, and the design team in Vietnam, who turn the designs into prototypes and so on. We get a lot of input from distributors and vendors too. We travel to Vietnam where we have 35 people in the development office. With web conferencing we keep the product on a 24-hour development path. They build samples and ship them here or we go over them online, and go over them again and again and again…until the curtain. It’s been worked to death by then. So that’s three designers – two less than half my age, which is interesting. Young minds to keep me thinking young.

You guys just put out a new Exos. What’s your take on going ultralight from a design perspective?

I really appreciate limitations. With any lightweight gear you have that rule – you want to keep it simple. It’s also nice from a sustainability angle. Less process, less material. I do gravitate towards lightweight, towards minimalism. I like the challenge to strip things away. We’re pretty known for that – gear that’s lighter but durable. Not too light, though. We have an extensive warranty program and we don’t want stuff coming back. Or getting thrown away!

How do you determine desired weight and work towards it?

Comfort, efficiency and load transfer are the concerns at the top of our list. Once we’ve accomplished those we do what we can to strip weight where it won’t be detrimental. Because we develop our prototypes entirely in-house we know the product intimately and every gram that’s not pulling its weight is discarded. With the Exos we knew that a highly tensioned back panel would be far lighter and more comfortable and ventilated than one with plastic or foam. We stripped dense foams out of the hipbelt and shoulder straps and created more ventilation by using layers of 3D mesh.

How do developments in high-tech materials affect your line?

We have developed very close relationships with our raw materials suppliers over the course of 40 years. In concert with our own large development staff in Vietnam, our country of origin, we are continuously refining our materials and pushing our suppliers for new innovations. They know that we often cannot make the leap to the next performance level unless they work closely with us, perhaps a new fabric coating or 3D mesh with unique properties.

When you’re considering the ergonomics of a new design do you build on previous assumptions about what works, or go back to drawing board?

Our ergonomic design follows the principles we see in human anatomy whenever possible. We see parallels in our materials. Fabric is skin, framework is bone, webbing is tendon, and so forth. In the Exos, we created a breathable skin tensioned over framework as the interface with the body. The framework supports the load which in turn is transferred without pressure points to the wearer’s back via a tensioned skin of airy mesh.

I consider pack design an art. It’s like a 3D kinetic sculpture, and since it’s being worn by the body it has to work with the body, so ergonomics are critical. I studied art and do a lot of life drawing, and it’s a great model for the design. It should be comfortable – it’s the best way to get someone interested in the product! That it doesn’t cause pain. It’s a great design problem. It’s as complex as the human body, so it’ll never be fully solved.

It’s all from me doing this for 40 years. Sometimes my wife accuses me of sleeping with our packs! I’ve got 6 packs on the floor of our living room. Do a lot of work from home, or wherever I am. Art is my go-to thing – I carry a sketchpad everywhere. I’m most interested in the connection to the body, the hipbelt and suspension. How the load is carried by the body. I pay less attention to the front of the bag. There are other people who do that better than I do.

Roughly how long before a new idea is prototypable?

We often generate prototypes same day that we think of it. Write up a list of design comments, I have an assistant in Vietnam, and we’ve spent ten years working together so he knows how I think and he’ll fill in the gaps. He’ll get together a prototype basically overnight. Something concrete to look at and bounce ideas off. The sooner you have something concrete to work off of, the better. Even if it’s really bad! That synergy you get working with someone else who doesn’t quite get what you’re thinking is informative too.

We time the trips to Vietnam to be close to actual production. We learn a lot from the producers about necessities in production, what might not work. It’s a constant collaborative thing, none of us get too emotionally tied up in the product. I guess since I own the company I don’t set up gates and deadlines. I’m willing to work up until 11:59 to get it done.

At what point does aesthetics enter the design process?

The work in progress can start out looking funky and cluttered. We push aesthetics and performance equally along the development path. We keep our sample goggles on knowing that in the end pattern tweaking, final fabrics, colors and blocking will help pull the required look together. Some concepts are doomed because they are just too scary and alien. That’s the stuff we archive for later when we’ve figured out how to tame it.

How would you describe Osprey’s brand philosophy?

I’m terrible at this. I keep getting asked to come up with a Mission Statement, or a Vision. We do what we’ve been doing, and we’re going to keep doing it! Maybe: Be involved in the making of the product. Most of our competitors will come up with great ideas but don’t have the ability to build prototypes and go to the factory to get them made, and they haven’t been involved in the making. I’ve been involved personally – in Colorado for 12 years. I know what they can and can’t do. We fully own the process. The manufacturers appreciate that we don’t just let them do it. They don’t want to have to do the creative work for everyone. I think that’s part of why so many bags look alike, companies are all pulling from the manufacturers’ same creative pool.

So I guess the philosophy would be to own what you do, be responsible, be as involved as possible. I miss the manufacturing! Not the hard work, but the excitement of seeing the product made. We’re debating having our own proprietary processes, to be able to produce our own parts and things like that. I like to stay involved, I’d hate to give that up! I enjoy being away from the sales and marketing.

What do you think makes Osprey distinctive?

What makes us the best is our long history of doing what we’ve been doing. Never broken by changing hands, change in philosophy. We hear from our athletes in the field, retail forums and reviews, and international distributors weighing in on how things are used around the world. There’s huge Chinese demand for skateboard packs – and not just skateboarding but longboarding! That market alone is bigger than our country.

Do you personally test gear?

I don’t take many extended trips. During the development of the Exos, I climbed a peak in the Sierras and backpacked around. There are tons of trails around Mill Valley, I use those to test. There are running and biking and hiking trails. I can just walk out my door and have endless trails to test stuff on. We do travel gear too, and I do a fair bit of travel particularly to Asia, so that’s easy.

Did hyping “The Guarantee” change your design thinking?

We always kinda had that, we just finally put it in writing. I guess the marketing people got ahold of it and went to town. We are trying to tie our warranty people better into the process, I think they sometimes feel left out of the design. So we’re trying to get that feedback better looped into the process. It’s only a team of about six people, with two or three doing sewing. We have a pretty good record on repair. It didn’t radically jump up our returns.

Working on anything exciting right now?

Yeah, for Spring ’15 I’m working on a new suspension system. The Exos was derivative of the Atmos – kind of a 3D trampoline back panel. I’m working to incorporate that trampoline into the hipbelt, and carry maybe 95% of the load there. Lighten it up further, ventilate further. I want to make the pack act more as a garment than something that sits hard with a lot of contact. I think it’s working! The prototypes feel a lot different. It’s always scary when you go into production – you never really know if your idea can be produced thousands of times. That’s the battle in Vietnam.

What other technical gear companies do you admire?

Black Diamond, Nemo, Big Agnes, Outdoor Research and Petzl.

What was the intention or inspiration that started your line of packs?

Since I was a boy, I have loved to build the gear that I use for any of my outdoor adventures. The design is only amped up by the building. Hands on in the processes of construction always takes you places your tweaky mind can’t fathom. Actually using it usually sends you back to the drawing board or sewing machine. I love that cycle. It’s the perfect combination of frustration and reward.

The post Core77 Ultralight series :: Part 3 appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

These days boutique cycling bags are becoming increasingly popular. Students and commuters alike are starting to recognize the value of tough and robust bag designs that bicycle messengers have relied on for years. This means that more and more clever bag makers are transitioning out of the shadows, off their kitchen tables, and into the marketplace – giving us more choices. So when Inside Line Equipment in Berkeley offered to open their doors to us, we couldn’t resist asking them a few questions about their humble roots.

What key insights drive your stuff?

Just functionality. Like simple, clean stuff. Not so many pockets that you lose things but well thought out.

So are you leaning towards minimalist styling or functional?

I guess I’d lean towards minimalist, but really both. What I think of as functional is really simple.

Who else is doing cool things in the carry world?

There’s a lot of small companies out there doing rad things. The big companies might be doing cool things, but if so it gets lost. The tactical companies out there are doing some really rad stuff. I like to draw more stuff from tactical companies than the office type stuff because it’s usually simple clever things that are durable since it has to withstand some rigorous use whereas a lot of cheaper bags – like mass produced stuff – are a bit fussy and untested.

Is the military inspiration what sent you down the road of using MOLLE webbing?

Yeah. I really like MOLLE for the utility. It’s not as clean or sleek as a plain bag, but I like how it works with our accessories but isn’t exclusive to ILE. MOLLE has been around for 15 years, but it’s just starting to trickle into the civilian oriented bags.

So are there any things that you see other brands are doing great or some things that other brands could be doing better?

It would be rad if some of the high-quality domestic military brands like Mystery Ranch would make more bags that incorporated civilian styling. Also they could put out some more weatherproof stuff. I just saw that Arc’teryx made a new backpack. It’s a $1200 submersible Navy SEAL backpack. It’s floatable. It’s just crazy. I think things like this that are more civilian oriented would be great. And I think adventurous people would buy them.

So what’s next for ILE?

Well, some smaller daypacks for sure. Also, we’re working on a new color scheme thing for the Japanese. And we’re doing a little bit different photo bag. Really, though, we’re always just trying to improve everything we make. One thing that I improved recently is the liners. Instead of sewing the sides of the liners they’re Radio Frequency welded. I really wanted to buy the machine that does this but it’s expensive and it’s huge. It’s a Radio Frequency welder. It heats the fabric from the inside out so they’re melted together and it makes it completely waterproof. So it’s a drybag but it still has the durability and functionality of a Cordura backpack. And that makes it even more durable.

Can you explain more about one of the smaller daypacks you’re working on?

It’s like a one-day assault bag. The Default may be a little bit big for some people, but the smaller daypack we’re doing is pretty lightweight. It doesn’t have the vinyl liner so it’s not waterproof but that means it can open up flat. There’s a spot for shoes and some real simple organization. I hate digging through pockets and stuff but if there’s something like a mesh organizer you can still see what’s inside and it’s not in the way. The fabric is made in Connecticut and it’s sail cloth so it’s super lightweight, really sew-able but also durable.

So what do you carry daily?

What is the essence of your brand?

Just minimal styling but with all the functionality of a technical bag.

Is there something in particular that stands out in your mind?

Once I made a bag to carry this guy’s little Chihuahua except it had this false bottom that was really complicated. It was kinda ridiculous but he loved it!

What drives your choice in materials for bags?

I always look for what is available domestically. I use Cordura because it’s super tough, US made, and you can make just about anything and it’ll hold up. I also use US-made thread, it’s really consistent quality. I’ve learned that thread is just not something you want to skimp on. Same with buckles. But thread is throughout the entire bag. In the grand scheme of things it’s pretty cheap but some people skimp on it and go with a smaller size or go with an imported version and the quality just isn’t as good.

Do you prefer using domestic materials instead of going overseas?

Yeah. I think the quality’s better and now I’ve developed relationships with these companies. There’s something really cool about knowing where everything comes from, and the stories behind everything that goes into these bags.

Is there something that’s driven your desire to use domestic?

I like that everything it stands for is awesome. I mean I don’t drive a giant truck with a confederate flag on the roof or anything. I’m not super patriotic but I think there’s great stuff made in the US, with fair wages and made to rigorous standards. With overseas competition the US-made products have to be held to the highest quality. The industry got smaller after the 80’s, but now it’s coming back. I have some friends who are in a small shop in Temescal Alley, Standard & Strange, [in Oakland, CA] that only sells US stuff and it is awesome. It’s hard sourcing US but I think it says something about your brand.

What things won’t you do with your brand?

I won’t take them to Singapore. I like making all the backpacks here. I’m not sure if in the future I’m going to touch every single backpack like I do now, but I like doing that right now. I like overseeing all of this [gestures to shop]. And I’ll never compromise materials if it’s a dollar cheaper. Because if you want to buy a cheaper backpack I’m sure you can find one. With ILE there’s no investors saying ‘you need to cut down the cost of these backpacks.’ It’s nice being self-employed because I can make sure that the standard of each backpack doesn’t get compromised.

What key insights drive your product direction?

What I think I can make better or what my friends think could be improved. I have no interest in making messenger bags because there are already ten thousand messenger bags. I know that with backpacks I can keep making them better and keep getting inspired.

What key challenges do you face with your product?

I have so many ideas for different bags to make, I just don’t have time to develop them all. I get so excited about new product ideas, but have to balance that with running the whole operation.

So which product are you most proud of?

The Photo Bag. It’s not like any other photo bag and that’s why it’s appealing. The idea is that it serves the purpose of someone who wants to travel with a messenger bag full of their clothes and their camera bag, like if you’re going on an airplane or whatever. This bag puts both of those into one. It’s a little bit taller than a Default but the same width. It has a roll-top compartment, a spot for a 13” laptop, and the bottom opens up a hard shell camera case. And since there’s no zipper and there’s no shared seams there’s no leakage.

What was your inspiration for that bag?

This guy writes a blog called ‘Prolly Is Not Probably’ [now called ‘The Radavist’] and I talked to him. He and I developed this. We wanted something for that purpose, a bag with a spot for clothes, shoes, and camera gear. I remember riding BMX bikes as a kid and we’d carry a camera in our backpacks folded in clothes and stuff. Also, all camera bags look awful. So I wanted something that didn’t look like a standard camera bag and something made from more durable materials.

What are your main channels for inspiration?

I don’t know, I just listen to whatever people are asking for and then get creative. I don’t go to a “special place” under a tree and think of things. I’m always sketching things down. Sometimes I’ll come back to work in the middle of the night because I can’t sleep and I want to work or I have an idea of how to do something better.

What was the catalyst for your brand starting?

Just me needing a better backpack. I wanted something different than what was out there. I had a couple of backpacks growing up, but wanted something better, so I decided to make it.

What was the first bag you made?

It was similar to a Default, but it was pretty rough. It was made on my grandmother’s sewing machine and it’s…yeah…awful. I also made a couple of wheel bags because I was going to bike races and I needed a backpack wheel bag. I basically sewed back straps onto a bicycle wheel bag. I was going to a bike race that was less than five miles away and it felt stupid to drive. It’s kinda silly because I don’t even make that bag and I don’t think there’s even a market for that kind of bag, but it was something that got me into sewing.

What was the point of no return for your business?

Probably buying the bartacking machine. It’s a super specialized thing and it’s really expensive. It’s like five grand for that machine so when you buy that you gotta be making a lot more backpacks. It takes you to the next level and when you’re spending that much money on sewing machines it’s pretty serious. Most everything you can get away with on a pretty simple sewing machine with bag building. But there are some things like the RF welding and the bartacking that can set you apart. I love tools so much…

What guy doesn’t?

Yeah, though most guys probably don’t like sewing machines [chuckles].

What single business moment has given you the biggest smile?

Every month I get an order from Japan from this little bike boutique and they’re so into bags. They carry all sorts of US brands and I am stoked that they think my bags are rad. Anyhow, this latest order said “ten rad bags”. They trust me enough to pick out anything cool. That’s pretty gratifying.

Can I see a pocket dump?

I don’t have anything cool in my pockets…but you can see my broken iPhone [chuckles]! Oh! My wallet is kinda cool, it’s made out of Hypalon. This was a test to see how durable it was. It’s what they use to make hovercraft skirts out of. It’s rubber-coated nylon fabric. I’ve had this wallet over a year. But I think that’s the coolest way to test something. Make a wallet out of it because you use it every day. I have so many backpacks that I’ll never test them properly. I have friends and I tell them wear the shit out of their bags. Now that I’ve tested it I’m making a prototype for a Photo Bag using Hypalon for the drag handle.

Where’s your dream office?

I’m pretty happy with this space. I just moved in here. The last place I was working…it was really bad. Back in November it was so cold. We were in a cinder block building with 25-foot ceilings. It was huge. We were heating it with two small space heaters and the warmth was drowned out in the cold. It was warmer outside than inside, so we would open up the roll-up door just to get sunlight. It was very cave-like and not fun. It was so cold I did not want to be there, so as soon as I was done working I would just go home. Whereas here I can go next door, get a beer, relax and cut some stuff. I always want to be here now, so I guess this is my dream spot for now.

The post Interview with Eric Fischer :: Inside Line Equipment appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.