Carry Evolution :: Alite X Boreas Collab Pack

What do you get when you take the urban functionality of Alite Designs’ Pine to the Pacific Rucksack and add a generous dose of Boreas Gear’s technical vibe? The Alite X Boreas Collab Pack, a waxed canvas roll-top featuring the Boreas Super-Tramp suspension system. Curiosity piqued, we were keen to find out more…so we got the lowdown on the collab from Boreas and Alite co-founder Tae Kim and Alite designer Liz Clark…

Run us through the collab, how did it go down? Was there a lightbulb moment over drinks? 

It has been something we’ve been discussing for a while now. Alite and Boreas have two very different users, and we’ve always wanted to hone in on a product and make it attractive to both audiences. We knew that we wanted to make an aesthetically pleasing bag that was well designed for functionality. Keeping both brand identities in true form was the name of the game…

How did the product evolve? 

WIth several sketching meetings, prototype iterations, and arm wrestling matches, haha. It was fun for us to work together and combine our design ideas. We both came into it with our favorite products in mind and how we can combine forces. We wanted to keep the waxed canvas appeal but still keep the Boreas technical feel. Certain details like using black leather and SR buckles really helped the bag take on its own personality.

How long did the development take?

Less than six months and eight prototypes later…

What were the biggest challenges along the way?

Deciphering how to properly connect the suspension with the waxed canvas was a big milestone. The curvy back panel of the suspension required us to do a few modifications on the pack body, and we ended up having to add another side panel to the Pine to the Pacific Rucksack body. Keeping both brand aesthetics in mind along the way also was challenging, but in an educational way.

(Tae and Liz) One awesome thing that you learned while developing the product?

Having an in-house prototyper is the best!

What makes this particular pack special?

We integrated the needs of two users into one bag design, and the results are a progressive direction both companies are stoked on. The suspension system combines urban and technical capabilities. We can honestly say that we’d use this bag for going anywhere – it’s sleek enough for happy hour and it’s rugged enough for a bike ride up Twin Peaks.

What single thing are you most proud of in relation to this pack? What did you really nail?

The colorway. Black leather, black rivets, black SR buckles. Super attractive if you ask us…

If your collab pack was a celebrity, who would it be?

Ahhhhh we just took an office vote and the winner was a tie between Patrick Swayze and James Franco.