Big Agnes Treks Into Backpack Territory
After 20 years of creating tents and sleeping gear, Big Agnes introduces its first backpacks, with six sustainable offerings for spring 2022.
Big Agnes has always kept adventure junkies warm and dry. Now, it prepares to help them shoulder their loads.
The collection of six backpacks range from 20 L to 63 L, and all are made with 100% certified recycled nylon. They’re also loaded with proprietary construction, including the brand’s new packable “Trash Can.”
Finally, each pack comes with a sustainability commitment in partnership with Leave No Trace. Big Agnes’ years of experience inform every aspect of its new product category.
“Our new pack line leverages over two decades of product design and development experience,” said Bill Gamber, co-founder and president of Big Agnes. “As a brand, we’re excited to finally have backpacks to complement and carry all our award-winning gear.”
Big Agnes’ Pack Construction
“The market is full of some impressive products but we’re bringing fresh new ideas and a commitment to recycled fabrics to the category,” Gamber said.
To start, every pack is built with Global Recycle Standard (GRS) certified, 100% recycled nylon. According to its developer, MIPAN is the world’s first fully recycled nylon filament designed specifically for textiles.
The material uses preconsumer waste to reduce its environmental footprint and conserve petroleum resources. It also uses a solution-dyed ripstop grid to add durability.
Next, Big Agnes adds its Load Wrangler suspension systems. Details are limited, but the system combines proprietary compression and hip belts to help hikers comfortably secure their loads. Other core features include the usual hydration bladder sleeves, pockets, and exterior attachment points.
Various sizes and designs for men and women will be available to suit a wide range of needs. Notably, Big Agnes’ female designers worked to optimize the women’s designs to suit female bodies. The list of products includes the following:
- Prospector 50 L and Women’s Sun Dog 45 L: Ultralight backpacking packs designed for shorter-duration overnight pursuits
- Parkview 63 L and Women’s Garnet 60 L: Lightweight backpacking packs designed for extended backpacking excursions, featuring custom-injection molded frame sheets anatomically engineered to fit the body and maximize torsional stability
- Impassable 20 L: A top-loading daypack with an internal laptop/hydration sleeve and compartmentalized storage, perfect for day hikes and everyday travel
- Ditch Rider 32 L: A minimalist, roll-top daypack with an internal laptop/hydration sleeve, designed for versatility on and off the trail, streamlined for all-day comfort
Sustainability Mission
Big Agnes’ Trash Can and its partnership with Leave No Trace build on its tradition of sustainability. The 7L Trash Can is a packable and attachable accessory, made from the same material as the packs. It’s a solid idea for anyone who routinely picks up trash on hikes — or simply wants to pack it out.
Big Agnes plans to include the Trash Can with the 45L and 60L packs. The company will also sell it as a standalone accessory. Gamber notes that company professionals tested it thoroughly before launch.
“Our Trash Can has one purpose — to clean up our public lands and give back to a global organization that’s working to help make it happen,” said Gamber.
“We wanted to provide an easy way to collect the large and small garbage that’s littered along trails, rivers, and in campgrounds. Through some post-work product testing, our employees determined that the Trash Can holds at least 36 crushed aluminum cans.”
Big Agnes will donate a portion of sales from the line to assist its global efforts to sustain public lands. And every Trash Can will include an informational card to help drive awareness of Leave No Trace’s mission and to help educate users on backcountry best practices.
You can’t get a Big Agnes backpack until next spring, but you can get ready now by checking out BA’s other backpacking gear.
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