Backpack
This is the pre-launch ordering page for my backpack. I’ve tried to cover as much of the options as possible, if there’s something missing feel free to send me an e-mail.
Fabrics and colours
For the fabrics I’d strongly suggest one of the ULTRA fabrics, because they’re just unrivalled in toughness and weight. The metric I care about with fabrics in this bag is the abrasion resistance, where the RX30 and X50 last ±2000 cycles in a standardised test, ULTRA200 takes 4400 cycles until failure, and ULTRA400 a whopping 8800. For comparison, super heavy duty 1000D Cordura is rated up to 4000 cycles.
The ULTRA 200 is a very tough fabric, but if you don’t mind a slight weight penalty (±50g on a bag) ULTRA400 will be even tougher. Those who want something other than monochrome, the RX30 and X50 are still very solid options and 4 times tougher than the VX21 used on many backpacks.
As a default I use black ULTRA 400 for the lower portion of the bag. If you want a different colour please let me know.
For the side pockets I use UltraStretch.
For the straps and the collar (on the lid version of the bag) I use black UltraGrid, I can match this to a lining fabric if you pick an UltraGrid.
For the webbing black is the default, but I can also offer grey, orange, coyote, and olive.
Closure
On the lidded backpack, the collar underneath closes with a Cyberian cord-lock for easy access. The straps for the lid have a generous length for carrying oversized items. You can upgrade the buckles to Fidlock Sliders should you wish.
The roll-top version is very similar from the bottom up until the shoulder straps, but instead of a lid it has a roll-top with a Fidlock Snap buckle. It also comes with a tension strap that runs over the top and a helmet / shoe pocket.
Organisation
On the inside of the bag I can add a laptop pocket with foam padding on both sides, designed to keep your laptop off the ground.
Small mesh pockets on the side can offer quick access to small things.
The quick access zipper opens up the side of the bag so you can access the contents without opening the top. This also lets you grab your laptop.
The bottle pockets on the side feature a replaceable, elastic drawstring. Elastic wears out, so I try to avoid sewn-in elastics as much as possible.
Hip belt
I plan on offering two types of hip belts, both removable:
A simple strap of webbing that attaches with a gated clip to loops of webbing on the side of the bag.
Or a wider more structured belt that slides through a slot on the back of the bag and can be outfitted with zippered pockets if you wish. The latter I’m working on for my own bag, if you’re considering this option please let me know and I can show you some sketches / a prototype.
The chest strap uses a Fidlock piping buckle, which minimises the amount of dangly webbing, offers quick adjustment, and who doesn’t love magnets?
