Peak Design has launched a Kickstarter for a new 'outdoor' line of soft-goods, including two new 45 and 25L backpacks and two 2L and 7L slings, along with a number of organisation and packing tools for accessories.
Image: Peak Design
The line-up is an entirely new product series for the company, which it says has been developed to overcome shortcomings with existing products on the market.
“Having experienced repeated shortcomings with other outdoor bags on the market, Peak developed the Outdoor Line to address issues like poor fit, overly-bulky harness systems, limited access, and over-engineered ‘technically baroque’ designs,” the company says.
Peak Design says the new products feature modular organisation, easy access to gear, and comfort for a diverse range of body types.
Image: Peak Design
Starting with the backpacks, Peak Design says it has taken inspiration from running vests to design a harness system with low-profile, highly adjustable shoulder and waist straps that promise “superior comfort and fit with significantly less bulk.”
The smaller of the two bags, the 25L version, is designed for day hikes and is lighter thanks to it not having an internal frame or hip belt, which is a $44.95USD add-on accessory. As a result of the more stripped-back design it weighs just 1.15kg.
Image: Peak Design
The larger 45L backpack, on the other hand, includes an internal frame and comes equipped with a hip belt. It weighs 1.8kg.
Each bag is constructed with breathable materials, and offers a variety of anchor points for attaching accessories, including a dedicated capture clip pocket.
The backpacks also provide two different forms of access. Both feature a rear back panel for visibility of the interior and access to hidden pockets and laptop sleeves, and there's also a magnetically secured and quick-opening roll-top.
Peak Design says the roll-top access makes use of a new design feature named Ultra-Cinch, enabling users to quickly and efficiently fasten and decompress the bag.
The bags also have solid eco-credentials - they're manufactured by Fair Trade-certified factories.
Each of the Outdoor Line bags is designed to integrate with Peak Design Camera Cubes and Ultralight Packing Cubes, with the idea that the cubes can be removed and the bag can then be used as an ordinary hiking bag.
The other new products include two Outdoor Slings, available in two and seven-litre sizes. The Outdoor Sling has a padded, removable strap with a custom clasp and quick-adjustment hardware.
Image: Peak Design
The 7L model has external Gear Loops and can also accommodate one of Peak Design's X-Small Camera Cubes, turning the sling into a dedicated camera bag. In addition, both slings can also be mounted to the Outdoor Backpacks’ shoulder straps, creating chest-mounted storage - pretty trick.
“Our very first product—Capture—was a clip that let you carry your camera on your backpack strap while hiking. Since then, Peak Design has been synonymous with ‘outdoor photography.’ Yet we still haven’t created true outdoor bags...until now," said Peak Design Founder and CEO Peter Dering.
"The Outdoor Line is not only the culmination of everything we’ve learned as bag designers, it’s also a giant nod to our most loyal and longest-tenured customers,” he added.
The Kickstarter for the products is underway currently, and at the time of publication had already totally smashed its goal of $50,000 USD, currently sitting at $555,000 USD, and rising.
The kickstarter campaign runs until October 15, when the products will be available to preorder with an early bird discount of around 20-25%.
All of the new products are scheduled for a January 2025 release. No local pricing has been confirmed yet, but the US pricing has been revealed as follows:
