Teaser: Sierra Designs Flex Capacitor 40-60 backpack – Skurka

Sorry, forgot the vimeo link above..https://vimeo.com/108437971

So, I totally read this as Flux Capacitor. Wonder if it was deliberate. :)

Looks interesting, but I’d be interested in more info before I lept to any conclusions. I’ve always wondered why backpacks tend to get taller rather than wider. To be honest, I’d much rather go wider.

Edit: I can’t tell from that photo, but I wonder if it still has the horizontal water bottle pockets. Those look interesting.

Firstly, let me give big kudos to SD’s committment to experimenting and rethinking gear!  Obviously, when you’re trying something new, sometimes it won’t work (and sometimes it will!).  But that’s the price of innovation.

I, too, LOVE the horizontal bottle pocket (I thought of designing one at a 45-degree angle to retain the bottle better, but if horizontal works…I didn’t end up including it in my pack design, but maybe next time).

The downside of “fatter” packs can be two-fold:  less carrying comfort (awkward center of gravity); less efficient carry on overgrown trails or bushwhacking.  But it’s not fatal, and careful packing can counteract the former problem.  I don’t like the stretchy fabric for the side pockets (possibly just for the prototype?) and the zipper closure should definitely be waterproof (whether via a flap or the zipper itself).  The downside of zipper closures, in general, is that ANY failure is a catastrophic failure, so you might try to include some type of back-up closure method (like a top strap, or something else).

BTW, I absolutely ADORE my Flash 2 FL.  The interior roominess is incredible, and compared to my previous BA Fly Creek 2, the Flash is 300% worth the extra few ounces!  When I’m stuck in my Flash because of a sustained rain storm, I can sit up, move around, and generally not be a grumpy, backache-y camper.  I carried the Flash for 90% of the Colorado Trail, and was thrilled to show it to fellow hikers.  I hope SD will continue to include UL tents with vertical walls/big interior space/awnings instead of vestibules in your product line.  Anyone who has ever experienced these tents in the field will understand!

Note the photo shows it “fattest”.  Those two long seems cinch up so they are right next to one another, giving the pack its “minimal” volume (you can still compress beyond there, obviously).  In essence, it takes the weight and tucks it tight along the length of the spine, and a little above.  Depending on how much bulk you have, it just gets wider/narrower.  So the weight distribution does not change like it does with an overflow sleeve.  The intent is that the weight stays ideally centered along your back.

Googled a bit about the pack. Found this quote from Skurka on his blog.

http://andrewskurka.com/2016/sierra-designs-high-route-1-fl-tent-tease/#comment-21071

The backpack is about 6 weeks behind the shelter, so you’ll soon be hearing more about that, too. A color correct model should arrive in late-June, and we expect the first production run to arrive in late-August. I know, that’s late, but we figured that having it available ASAP was better than forcing you to wait another 6 months until Spring 2017.

The backpack has even greater appeal than the HR1 Tent (which is not free standing). 2.5 lbs, great load-carrying ability (I hauled 69 pounds of elk meat + gear in it on my elk hunt last October), durable fabric throughout, easy access to the pack body via a toothy zipper instead of a roll top-type closure, easily accessible side pockets, built-in water bottle pocket on the shoulder strap, and finally a volume adjustment system that affects the pack uniformly rather than leaving bulges and narrow spaces. MSRP is going to be $200-230. Three unisex sizes (S, M, L) to start; I think a woman’s version will be available in the spring, but I can’t remember where that piece is at.

NM

Here’s a clickable link,

http://andrewskurka.com/2016/sierra-designs-high-route-tent-imperfections/

In your post you say you and SD were not aware of the Stratosphire, a tent that has been on the market for 5 years. Kinda odd.

I carried a ULA Catalyst on the JMT last summer and I found the sensation of a wide pack to be slightly unpleasant. I felt like I had to be very aware of packing only lighter items at the sides of the pack or I would feel a torquing feeling anytime I turned or leaned. I, personally, am not interested in wearing a wide pack after that experience. A liter of water in a Smartwater bottle in each side pocket was the worst case scenario for me.

“I think a woman’s version will be available in the spring, but I can’t remember where that piece is at”

I wonder what design differences will there be in the women’s version.

I would like to see a shorter torso length for a small/med like at least 15″ instead of it beginning at 17″.  It tells me that not a lot of thought went into the pack other than trying to produce something “different” for the sake of different and not looking at the entire picture. I guess to some, only tall people hike.

rant over…..   : )

I’ll counter that comment Donna to say that only “average sized” people hike. 21″ is not long enough. Two sizes with a total of a 4″ range? They’re not trying.

+1 on that. 21″ is just not going to work for me.

I’d like to hear more about the “Y-flex” suspension and its interface w/ the hipbelt. Setup, materials, and construction details, please. Pictures?

I can’t verify the final design, because I have not seen it, but the frame used round aluminum tent poles and a tent hub. VERY light and strong. The hub was centered around mid-back, with two stays going to the top of the load control straps on either side, also supporting the scapula pads (there is NO frame sheet, which folks don’t realize is where a LOT of the weight comes from), and a single stay going to the waist belt. The pack had a little port in it, where you slid the pole “outside” the pack and then into a pocket on the hipblet, ensuring that the load transferred directly to the belt, and securing the belt at the same time.

But then, the design could have changed………I’m headed down to OR and if I get any more details I will post them when I get back…..

–Glavin

Thank you, Michael. I appreciate your insight and look forward to your ORSM findings.

Odd, why? If you are not in the market for a tent, if none of your guided clients have come on a trip with one, if none of your local dealers carry them, if you have no professional dealings with them, and if you spend way more time hiking than reading about it, why would it not be conceivable?

<span style=”line-height: 1.8;”>If the first time I saw offset poles was a TT product, I would be happy to say so. In some respects it is an easier position to maintain than the one I am. Plus, in general I feel pretty strongly that you should acknowledge giants on whose shoulders you stand. </span>

I have posted some additional info, commentary, and photos on my website, http://andrewskurka.com/2016/sierra-designs-flex-capacitor-40-60-backpack-teaser/

Odd because if a company is developing a tent then one would expect that they would do a bit of research to see what is already on the market.

With some products or lines absolutely that approach is called for. For example, SD has a simple dome tent coming out because it saw a void for a sub-4 lb double wall dome tent for $200, at least in traditional outdoor retail channels.

<span style=”line-height: 1.8;”>But in other cases we design the products we simply want or imagine, and don’t bother to look at existing products. That was the case here. </span>

The pack looks good, Andrew. Do you know what waist sizes the hipbelt works for? Is the original release date of August no-more?

Will get hip belt info today. It is interchangeable.

<span style=”line-height: 1.8;”>Pack was knocked off the August release due to internal hiring and moving, plus some delays related to color and pocket design. Will ask for an updated release date today. </span>

Odd, why? If you are not in the market for a tent, if none of your guided clients have come on a trip with one, if none of your local dealers carry them, if you have no professional dealings with them, and if you spend way more time hiking than reading about it, why would it not be conceivable?

But in other cases we design the products we simply want or imagine, and don’t bother to look at existing products. That was the case here.

I agree with this 100%.

I never even saw a picture of a StratoSpire until someone accused SD of copying the design. Six years ago I bought a Scarp 1. Nice shelter for my winter needs. I haven’t looked at the TarpTent website since then. Last year I bought a new 3 season shelter, a Deschutes CF. I knew I wanted a Cuben mid, so I didn’t even research the TT product line. The biggest factor was: I knew I wanted another mid a littler larger than what I had using for the past 4 years and I didn’t spend much time searching other than MLD and SMD, whose products I had used before. I also found no reviews on the Deschutes CF and I didn’t need any to make my purchase decision.

As a consumer I have little knowledge of the state of the market. I skip most of the shelter and backpack product threads here on BPL because I am not in the market for either. I have read the threads regarding Andrew’s product development only because I read his blog so these threads are of some interest to me. I read his blog and blogs like Dave Chenault’s and PMags because they have a lot of real world experience and I can learn from them. They spend more time on the “how” rather than the gear. I don’t read blogs whose owners are constantly reviewing gear. I don’t read any gear-centric blog, because I find all this gear talk to be boring.

Why would anyone assume SD’s new UL development team would research the market? I am sure the UL team is small and lean. The focus is on products for a niche market with Andrew’s input based on what an experienced hiker needs. This is the driver, not the competition.

I used to develop training programs and software applications for auto manufacturers. I would determine their needs through interviews and build the products based on my expertise and experience. I had no idea what the competition was offering and I really couldn’t have cared less. I had a reputation for building things that worked and stuck with what I knew worked for me and my clients.

It seems the new SD/Skurka pack is going to be a limited product line for now, so I wouldn’t expect to see a large breadth of sizes. Maybe later if it becomes popular.

To be honest, I haven’t paid close attention to the details of this pack because I don’t need a new pack. Same with the new rain gear he helped develop. I agree with the focus on venting, but haven’t delved into it because I don’t need new rain gear.

If someone needs a new UL shelter, or backpack that has reasonable load carrying capacity, then you might want to look into SD’s new offerings, which seem to be reasonably priced. You may want to consider the real world expertise of the design input. Or you can go to one of the fanboy blogs who seem to spend more time writing about gear than actually using gear for months on end, and accept their recommendations.

I have no relationship with Andrew and have never met him. I don’t think I use a single piece of gear that Andrew uses or recommends. Heck, I don’t even subscribe to his philosophy of “ultimate hiking.” But I have great respect for his skill, knowledge, and techniques. He seems to be an honest and sincere person, so why all the doubt cast upon him?

If you need new gear, do some objective research and make your own decision. What works for me, Andrew, or others may not work for you. But there is no need to criticize Andrew.

Very well said, Nick.

Thanks for the additional info and pictures, Andrew. Looks good. Especially when shrunk down to 40L.