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Top 5 | Best EDC
…d Indigo) and is truly a next-level addition to your carry. STRENGTHS Slim design keeps pocket bulk to a minimum Precise, technical construction Convenient magnetic closure Sleek style suits work and play GiantMouse ACE Riv Titanium If you haven’t heard of GiantMouse, here’s a little refresher. It’s the brainchild of Danish designers/knifemakers Jens Ansø and Jesper Voxnaes, along with American businessman Jim Wirth. It’s an American knife company…
The Best Travel Shoes for Every Type of Traveler Right Now
…urable TPU sole. This barefoot shoe packs easily in a foldable form and is designed to allow toes to spread for comfort and freedom of movement. Vivobarefoot Primus Lite (US$130) The Primus Lite comes in men’s and women’s sizes and is made with recycled PET mesh for light weight, breathability and comfort. The shoe also features a thin yet tough TPU outsole and a stitchless, durable design that complements the natural shape of the foot for maximiz…
Best New Gear: October 2019
…r strap, along with a luggage pass-through for convenient travel carry. XD Design Bobby Bizz Anti-Theft Briefcase/Backpack Hybrid The XD Design Bobby Bizz doesn’t just offer the benefits of a backpack and briefcase in one. It also provides discreet anti-theft features to protect your gear, whether you’re traveling or in bustling commute crowds. The bag’s range of defenses include a water-resistant and cut-resistant exterior, lockable main zipper,…
Best New Gear: January 2018
…ange of missions. And their new Courier Bag 15 is a prime example of their design expertise. Inconspicuous, adaptable and meticulously made, this messenger-style bag offers top and side access to quickly and easily reach your gear, and comes with a removable cross-body strap for added stability on the go. 5.11 Tactical Dart Pack With its clean silhouette and multifunctional design the Dart Pack can easily zip between work and play environments. In…
15 Compact All-Black EDC Essentials
…lroy’s Key Cover restores carry calm to your pockets with its slim, bifold design that stores keys tidily and clink-free. The cover features a magnetic closure for easy access, and allows keys to hinge out for use. In addition to cutting down your carry bulk, this nifty design also helps protect other pocket contents against key scrapes and scratches. Bellroy Card Sleeve (US$ 54.95) Sleek and slim, the Card Sleeve looks equally suave in work setti…
The 5 Best Hydration Running Packs 2018
…ht weight and larger capacity Includes 2L hydration bladder Sleek, durable design Super comfortable Bounce-free design . Cons: Expensive Community Favorite Salomon ADV SKIN 12 SET (US$122.50) The Salomon ADV SKIN 12 SET (a common choice in running circles) features Salomon’s Sensifit construction and MotionFit Trail construction, allowing the pack to wrap comfortably around your body without hindering freedom of movement or irritating your skin….
Top 5: Best Work Backpack 2020
…for many years. It’s a brand that has always kept to classic and timeless design but with a driving intent to layer in modern improvements. Their bags are beautiful in person and are designed to age and form a lovely character over time, with their leather, brass and canvas combination developing fine patinas. In recent years, they’ve flipped their entire bag line to sustainable polyester made from recycled PET bottles – the Charlie 12h’s fabric…
Core77 Ultralight series :: Part 2
…tely 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 ca…
Stephen Kenn :: When Art & Carry Collide
…le Bags. You then moved into furniture. How does the craft cross over with designing carry? The only crossovers were designing something that holds form and function. Bags need to both have a desirable shape as well as serve a function. Furniture needs to be aesthetically pleasing while maintaining a level of comfort. What drives you to design the things you do? Where do your passions lie? I love making objects that people use on a daily basis. I’…
Best Specialist – The Sixth Annual Carry Awards
…SK 32 Pack The Arc’teryx Alpha SK 32 Pack is a sleek and durable backpack designed for backcountry pursuits. The lightweight pack is well suited to minimalist loads, with a choice of top and side access to easily reach gear on the go. Designed to offer tough and weatherproof functionality without unnecessary bells and whistles, this is a versatile outdoor pack for those who want to roam with just the essentials in tow. ___________________________…
My Favorite Gear for Aquatic Adventures
…e really crisp photos through them. Best Aquatic Adventure Top: Prometheus Design Werx Helios Shirt MSRP: $45 Sailing, canoeing, or kayaking during summer are all about wind, sun, and water spray. The PDW Helios Shirt addresses all of these in a really cool design and dedicated material choice. It’s made of a polyester blend containing about 6% spandex for wearing comfort. It’s semi-relaxed, breathes perfectly, protects from sun (30 UPF factor), a…
Studio Visit :: D3 Mystery Ranch
…seems to work. Where in other carry brands I see whole teams labor over a design for weeks (or even months), D3 can concept, prototype and pitch a design in the time most teams take to do their mood board. . There seems to be a healthy level of debate within the Mystery Ranch team over virtually every aspect of their gear. Every fabric, clip and closure gets questioned at some point, with champions for each option trying to convince the others of…
Matador x Carryology | Travel with the Trident
…dename Water and water resistance were constantly at the forefront of the design brief and design process. It made sense to have some kind of product name inspired by this. We looked into the depths of an ocean’s worth of mythology from history. Water gods, water creatures, etc. When it comes to water and mythology, there is really only one king… Poseidon, the Greek god of the seas. And equally as iconic as the god himself, is his famously powerf…
Carry Innovation :: Interview with Vertepac
…a lot of inspiration from organic structures, street art, concept art, and a bit of Calvin and Hobbes along the way. 😉 And of course the mandatory amount of design blogs like designboom, Core77 and such. Editor’s note: photos provided by Vertepac….
Leader Bag Co :: Baby Business
…g the gear that goes along with it. We also have a ton of respect for good design and meticulous process. Good design looks good – and makes you look good – for life, not just this season. Great design ages well, and grows with you. Your brand is still only a year old, but what’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far? As a team of four, we all bring different strengths to the table, but at the same time, we all have strong opinions about…
Colfax Design Works TOAD Review
…ns you can shove large and bulky items in here with ease. Being in the bag design game myself for a dozen years or so now, it’s a mind-boggling feat to me that such a small brand can manufacture these bags in the USA. Particularly because of how they manufacture these “military inspired technical travel goods” with high-end materials and expensive (and hard to find) methods of manufacturing within the borders of the US. I’ll say, materials-wise, t…
Cult Bags :: The Revival of the Jensen
…n was able to put it in production, which was no small task, but he didn’t design it. He did design the barbell leathers and I’ve always thought that was the most significant contribution he made. It’s really cool to see that now copied a little bit. People are mostly just looking at the superficial work and borrowing ideas. What’s your personal contribution to the Rivendell brand? I would say putting a high priority on keeping the US-made aspect,…
Bellroy X Carryology | Forging the Chimera
…t Cover. So these were a critical addition to us. Not only did the Bellroy design team love it, but together we completely redesigned the pockets and back panel with an hourglass silhouette. This provides easier access to the pockets as well as additional volume to the pockets, allowing you to carry larger items without stealing a bunch of your interior volume. Lastly, the pockets are lined with PU-coated ripstop to create an additional water bar…
Best New Gear: December 2020
…nd Jesper Voxnaes. Their latest release is the ACE Riv. The compact folder design is modeled after the Biblio but with a new design and feel. The Riv is available in titanium, brass, and green canvas micarta. It features a 2.44″ (62mm) blade made of Elmax steel and rides on a ball bearing pivot with a titanium frame lock. Sunderland mk1 Anodized Pens Brad Sunderland is an engineer and machinist who launched a successful Kickstarter in 2015 for hi…
QWSTION Store Zurich :: Shop Visit
…otating line of like-minded brands…” Christian Kaegi, acclaimed industrial designer and QWSTION’s design chief meets us at the entrance. Relaxed in trainers and designer slacks, he welcomes us into the store’s interior. The breadth of it is difficult to understate. More ‘gallery’ than store, the joint is large: a bright, eclectic showroom that immediately challenges my conception of the conventional retail experience. “We decided not to do a mono…
Best New Gear | April 2022
…es to handsome heritage aesthetics, premium materials, and multifunctional design, you can trust Trakke to deliver the goods. Their new Wester Roll-Top Backpack offers all of this in a tough, 21L design that rolls easily from urban pursuits to outdoor adventures. In addition to the main compartment, the pack provides a quick-access 16″ laptop compartment, dual side pockets, and a handy pocket on the front with its own internal organization. KILLSP…
Best New Gear: December 2017
…ittle more compact? Well, consider your wish granted with the Triple Aught Design Axiom 18 Pack. The bag retains the low-key aesthetics of its big brother, but in an 18L design that’s well suited to day trips, commuting, or even overnight stays. Made in the USA, the pack features a weather-resistant VX-21 ripstop shell and water-resistant YKK zippers to protect your gear against the elements. Want flexible organization? You’ve got it, with a dedic…
5 Key Elements :: Designing EVERGOODS Crossover Equipment
…a-based brand is GORUCK co-founder Jack Barley, as well as Kevin Dee whose design experience includes Patagonia’s advanced R&D center. Eager to dig down into the brand’s design ethos, we asked Kevin to share insights into creating EVERGOODS’ crossover carry equipment… 1. What does “Crossover Equipment” mean? When you start telling people that you’re working on a backpack brand, the first question you usually get is something like “What kind of pro…
Top 5: Best Specialist 2020
…ckly. It’s a smart combination of tried and tested features and empathetic design that’s winning over a lot of new fans. STRENGTHS Industry-leading harness Signature bomber build Clean and insight-led design Thule RoundTrip Bike Duffel When I first got a glimpse of the RoundTrip Bike Duffel from Thule I was surprised. A highly organized cycling go-bag is something I’d never seen or even thought of before. In hindsight I shouldn’t have been, the i…
The Level Collective Winnats Roll Top Review
…well. Hardware Next up, the 316 grade stainless steel buckles. The custom-designed buckles are laser cut and barrel polished in Sheffield. Getting to the finished product was a challenge to say the least (you can dig into details of the design process here) but I’m pleased to say they’ve done a solid job. The rolltop buckle works well and is just the right size in my opinion; big enough to use easily and smoothly, but not so big that it detracts…
10 Best Bike Commuter Backpacks, Tested
…d with Nylex, velour or “soft touch” material. Conclusion There’s a lot of design knowledge built into the Apidura City, and it shows throughout the build and use of this pack. It’s a fine commuter, and quality option for $164. And Apidura really do excel as a small brand that caters to their biking community. Ortlieb Atrack BP (US$270) Best Waterproof All-Rounder The Atrack BP is for the bikepacker, bike commuter, and adventure traveler who is lo…
Freitag Spins Up A Unique Way To Design Your Own Bag
…a confirmation screen and I hit “submit”. After that, I was given a final design page that was mine to share, which you can even still check out here, with different expanded views and 360° rotation. When designing your bag, you’ll see a “Next production date” listed at the top so you know when to anticipate your bag hitting the sewing floor. Fast forward to just over a month, in my case, and my brand new, “My Fault” F712 Dragnet was on my doorst…
Unicorn/Dragon Patch Design Story and Symbolism
One patch design is light. One patch design is dark. One patch is inspired by the West. One patch is inspired by the East. An equal opposite balance. Yin and Yang. When the two patches are displayed next to each other, as intended, they visually interact. The characters and beasts are riding towards each other, towards battle, or maybe towards peace. Or maybe both at the same time. Or maybe on different timelines. On the Carryology Assault (AKA “…
Outdoor Retailer Summer 2015 :: Recap Part II
…to hold a shed layer or a cycling helmet. The Java is a play on the 3-Zip design and the design was inspired by Japanese businessmen traveling on the subway, with not much room around them. There are, admittedly, a bunch of zippers, but the idea is to give you access no matter how little space you have. The Urban Assault is a clean and slim daypack rocking the infamous 3-Zip. It has fixed harnessing and no yoke, to save on weight. Finally, we che…
BIGxTOP Daysack Review
…ppeal to those who enjoy highly technical-looking packs or techwear vibes. Design Looks You can see the nod to classic hiking packs in the design, though the silhouette is understated enough to blend into urban settings too. I think it’s a thoughtful design that won’t shout ‘I’ve just stepped off the trails’ in the city but also looks at home in more rugged terrain. It’s outdoorsy in a subtle way, giving it the flexibility to move smoothly between…
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