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An Interview With MODALITI, The Designers Behind the MTN Approach Ski System
…ks. Our more recent pack, highlighted here, was designed and developed for MTN Approach. Cory Smith came to us with the need to be able to have his approach skis fit in a technical, functional and cool bag and we delivered. First designs were sketched in mid-April and after 3 sample packs from our factory, Cory had his first production run at the end of November. Being avid mountain people it was great to design and develop a pack that we would us…
Mtn Approach Ski System
…groom). And either way, you’re going to be carrying a bunch of gear. Enter Mtn Approach, a new fold up ski system for boarders to hike on, before packing them away and riding their normal equipment. And the bit we really like? It comes with a pretty sexy backpack… The skis are 150cms long, with 2 sets of hinges that allow you to fold them in thirds for packing. They have steel edges, and the skins are built in (but are replaceable). The bindings f…
Exo Mtn Gear K4 Review
…pad, as finding this foam was the biggest challenge, according to the Exo Mtn Gear founder. After all, the K4 must support even a load of 100 lbs (or more) safely and comfortably. The Exo team tested every piece of material, hardware (some custom-made for Exo), and even the sewing thread before using it on this pack. All packs are sewn precisely at the Exo Mtn Gear facility in Boise, ID. And yes, the K4 is a true all-in US-made pack, where both t…
Exo Mtn Gear K3 Review
…n your back, you better have a good and load-capable carry system! The Exo Mtn Gear K3 is a perfectly scalable ”all in one” pack; put extra load between the frame and bag on your way to the basecamp and use the stripped-down setup later as a daypack. For backcountry hunters, this solution is a must – carrying a mountain goat on your back to the basecamp requires a proper pack. But there are many situations when outdoorsmen, bushcrafters, and backp…
Update | Mtn Approach Ski System
Watching a new system evolve We posted a few weeks ago about a new backcountry touring system that is almost ready for market. Since then, Tom from Modaliti design has got in touch to share some of the updates to the backpack as it gets ready for production… There are no major changes, but we think it’s always interesting to see a carry project evolve, as you fine tune it’s functionality, aesthetics, and manufacturability. So here’s a few shots o…
Mountain Standard 28L Mountain Utility Pack :: Drive By
…e 500D black nylon, and a hypalon bottom panel. Then you’ve got the subtle MTN MOLLE rows for attaching pouches, biners, and other accessories, along with great stretch mesh side pockets for bottles. I could go on, but let’s get into it. “This thing is bomber. When I opened this up and started feeling through its features and material, I noticed the quality right away.” Who It Suits Mountain Standard nailed the name. “Utility Pack.” Commuters, the…
The Ultimate Pro Guide to Traveling with Ski Gear
…or borrow the rest. Never Travel Without… Traveling with my Salomon S/LAB MTN ski boots in hand is key. Boots are essential and usually very much tailored to the rider. Skis and everything else are easily borrowed or rented if you’re unlucky enough to have them lost in transit. When I fly I love my Bose QC35 noise-canceling earphones, they make the small planes easier to sleep and travel on. Cutting out all the extra noises that make flying harde…
23 Reasons Why You Should Try ‘One Bag’ Travel
…s. I’m just a regular guy and I don’t have a very much money either. Like any big change, it requires making yourself a plan with little steps and of course… some practice. But most importantly… you too, CAN do one bag travel! Special thanks to Mtn Lab for the contributions to this list and who helped inspire me to sit down and finally write this article! This all happened via a casual conversation in a post on our Facebook group, Carryology Class…
Defying convention | Bags that take a different approach
Defying convention | Bags that take a different approach Most crew start their bag research knowing they are after a backpack, messenger, tote, or some other specific type of bag. Heck, we even try and help you narrow to the ‘right’ category, with posts like Backpack or Messenger, trying to cut your mass of options down to something more manageable. But what about the bags that don’t fit any one category? The bags that defy categorisation, and in…
Designing the Incase x Bionic Collection: with Kenji Okada
…he most commotion that are doing the most. We try to have a very authentic approach and intentional approach to this, so for customers out there to not necessarily buy in for the hype but do your research. Our goal is to make products that improve the user’s experience and do so for a long time. Understanding how you consume and turn over or get rid of product has a huge impact. Buy meaningful things that will last. For more information on the Inc…
5 Key Elements :: Designing the SLICKS Travel System
…oduct design, the wisdom is also “don’t fix it if it ain’t broke.” FLINK’s approach is to combine both philosophies and create value through innovation. Our history with innovative backpack design goes back to the very foundation of FLINK. While studying for his Industrial Design Masters in 2004, one of our co-founders, Remo, invented and patented a Flexible Link (hence the name FLINK) based backpack carrier system. This project won Remo 20,000 Sw…
Why Ultralight Brands Are Crossing Over
…appeal to the more experienced traveler? We decided to take a two-pronged approach.” “The Aero Jet was made to be a good match for a beginner one-bagger, and the Vagabond Jet can be aspirational and doable for the experienced one-bagger. We might not have nailed the product line exactly yet, but that’s what keeps driving us toward the right assortment and features. We didn’t realize how controversial opening styles and luggage dividers could be w…
The State-of-Play with PFAS and Waterproof Shells
…positioned outside the standard test bracket. It could mean the structural approach has real-world limitations that haven’t been widely documented. Both possibilities are worth watching. What all these approaches share is a recognition that the fluorine problem was never just a chemistry problem — it was a design problem. For fifty years, the industry built performance by addition: take a fabric, add a membrane, add a coating, add a treatment. Eac…
Week In Review ~ 15 June
…uring your travels… – A clean approach to carry While some brands take the approach of adding bells and whistles to their carry products, cleaneverything takes the opposite approach. Focused on minimalist design, their bag and wallet items do not have zippers, linings, pockets, ornamentation or even stitching. The carry products are constructed from Italian leather by Romanian craftsmen through a process of leather folding and moulding, with the u…
Traveller Denim Co. shop visit :: Austin, TX
…leather panel that doesn’t need to be there. That’s exactly how these two approach their jeans. They look amazing because they’re built for utilitarian function. “We want people to identify with quality, not fashion. Our brand is about the quality construction and fit. While we appreciate stitch details in other brands, our branding is limited to a veg tan leather belt loop with a serial number… Simple, utilitarian products are beautiful, since t…
An Interview With The Founders of Outlier
…obvious harm, you avoid the obvious human toxins and it sounds like a good approach. Andy: I’d love to get some insights into your retail. Do you retail through anyone or is it all direct Internet and kind of open studio? Abe: We used to have sort of a one-store-per-city kind of approach but we found that we weren’t very good at wholesaling. Tyler: It took away from our focus. There’s a lot of other things happening when you’re a brand; you’ve got…
How to Keep Your Critical Gear Dry While Outdoors
…rs for non-critical items. The remainder of this article will discuss this approach… Gear Sack Criteria Using gear sacks to keep equipment dry can overcome most of the limitations discussed above. Besides protecting critical items on the trail, they can also provide a high measure of security while in camp. There are three key factors, however, that will determine if any particular gear sack is up to its assigned task. 1. Fabric: The gear sack fab…
QWSTION Store Zurich :: Shop Visit
…ign,” says Christian. “We studied here so that’s definitely influenced our approach – [but] it’s not a fashion city, so functionality is important, but then integrating functionality in a simple, reduced product, that’s probably very Swiss.” The brand’s appeal, meanwhile, transcends local borders. As well as being strongly embraced by the Swiss community, QWSTION have already impressed design-conscious pockets of Scandinavia, Germany (particularly…
Why Minimalist Design? :: Ucon Acrobatics Interview
…ange that much. If you could break minimalist design down into a practical approach, what would it be? Design as little as possible. Ucon Acrobatics have built a brand on quality minimalist and contemporary design. Why the success? What’s the sweet spot when talking minimalism and carry goods? Most carry goods nowadays are highly functional products with countless pockets, zippers, buckles, straps and other features. For me this is often too much…
14 Scandinavian Brands You Should Know
…d to help protect gear from the elements, and an environmentally-conscious approach to manufacturing. Their Eco Essentials initiative has seen the launch of new developments such as their unique Tretorn OCEAN-SHELL® fabric made from recycled PET, The Rain Jacket From The Sea, and the completely biodegradable Bio Plant Jacket. Gear of note: Wings Flexpack Wings Daypack Malmo Rolltop Malmo Duffel Arch Jacket Rain Jacket From The Sea Bio Plant Jacke…
The Anatomy of the World’s Most Affordable Travel T-Shirt
…a “collection of progressive essentials” created to “reinvent basics.” The approach was methodical, iterative, distinctly Japanese in its pursuit of perfection through incremental improvement. Both UNIQLO and Lemaire have “an iterative way of working, so that each season brings nuanced modifications to previous seasons’ motifs.” This meant pieces from different seasons could work together, extending the life of each collection and bypassing the di…
Road Tests :: Kifaru X-Ray
…toughness with advanced technical suspension design The X-Ray is Kifaru’s approach to a small, tactical daypack/EDC bag, but it’s an incredibly versatile bag. The $331 price tag is no small sum, but it’s tempered by the fact that the bag can be adapted to a countless number of unforeseen future carry needs. I’ll go over the two setups that fit my needs best (below), but I have no doubt that whatever carry needs I have in the future, the X-Ray can…
Modern Industry’s Refreshing Take on Carry
…ese are young faces bringing a breath of fresh air to carry. Second, their approach and overarching philosophy is forward thinking, bent towards sustainability and giving back to the community. After all, the companies they admire are those that buck the trend, like Outlier, Zero Skateboards and Rickshaw Bagworks. Why Kickstarter To bring Modern Industry to life, the guys had two options: bring in some external funding and cede control or they cou…
A Carry Awakening
…ne. To do that you typically narrow your focus and go deep. So why is this approach no longer working for me with bags? Maybe a touch of background… Patagonia is a pretty rad hub for talent. In a world of excess they repeatedly cut through the mess and help us see a better way. Years ago they influenced me to buy a fancy waterproof jacket. It’s not a ski jacket, or an ice-climbing jacket, but rather a versatile shell that can protect you during al…
Road Tests :: Mission Workshop VX / R8 Arkiv Field Pack
…han MW generally provide, but was slowly getting used to the ‘chuck it in’ approach to pocketing. – The Good Getting it dialed If you can get a configuration dialed into your needs, it’s a great backpack. It looks good in both a workplace vibe and an adventure vibe. It is interesting without shouting, and it holds up well with a variety of loads. I really enjoy using it. – Versatility This is a proper Everyday Water Proof pack (EDWP2), which will…
Behind the Scenes of The Arc’teryx Brand
…or returns? We’ve traditionally been a design driven company, but we don’t approach all our design as a seasonal reinvention. While it would be great to revolutionize categories year after year (we’ve done this only a handful of times), we instead just recognize known product parking spots and work to incrementally improve them when we can and sometimes that can take years. The rest of the company is sort of along for the ride, putting a lot of tr…
Best Active Backpack Finalists – Second Annual Carry Awards
…fully, they’re back on top and progressing quickly. The “balance body bag” approach is at their core, which they’ve spent more time researching and understanding than most brands spend on Facebook. It reduces fatigue, allows a more upright posture, and has excellent flexibility in load amounts. This is amazing stuff that the world should know about. Kelty PK 50 Admittedly, the PK 50 is larger that what we’d normally throw into this category but…
Week In Review ~ 3 July
…ll into the category of fast fashion. But Dereks doesn’t believe in a fast approach that results in uninspiring and discardable designs. Instead this small workshop carefully crafts each piece by hand, building bags that are made to last with hard-wearing waxed canvas. Intriguing silhouettes team up with versatile designs that lend themselves to a variety of everyday, outdoor and travel uses. Discover the Dereks range here. Tuck flexible EDC into…
Meru :: First Ascent of the Shark’s Fin
…s so little intel on the route that they had to take a more ‘siege tactic’ approach to their ascent. “Their gear was heavier than usual and they carried more supplies given the complete lack of beta about the wall.” “The Meru peak had remained an elusive first ascent for good reason. It’s described as the ‘Anti-Everest.’ There are no Sherpa teams to set rope, it’s remote with no basecamps for support, and up until Meru it had very little internati…
Specialist Carry :: Expedition Documentarian
…parture. The way I use almost all of my equipment is based on that kind of approach. Very systematic. Yes, exactly. I tend to be – it might sound a bit surprising – but, I tend to be very chaotic. I enjoy Jackson Pollock paintings. For me to become professional, I thought I had to become very precise in my end use of equipment. One aspect of my artistic background that brought me to that is my training in etching. I studied prints and etching when…
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