Phoenix backpack

We suggested a Carryology team and reader favorite: Dimension-Polyant X-Pac fabric, in the darkest murdered out black that we could get. We'd been dreaming of it ourselves.

Jack and Kevin had never made a product with X-Pac before. Which is exactly the idea behind these collabs, to step out of our comfort zones. So after some testing and prototyping, we landed on the VX42 variant. It has a d nylon front face which is laminated to a polyester X-ply and a 50d polyester backer. Durable, strong, lightweight, waterproof. Usually, there is a bright orange option.

But no, not here. Black is always available. But Kevin went ahead and had all the interior trims and fabrics custom-made and color-matched to the orange Pantone PMS. Yes, all of them. Zipper coils, zipper tape, zipper pullers, edge binding, webbing, mesh, and the Velcro.

Even the hardware is custom-made to the correct color but more on that specific part later. Having worked as a developer, I know this is a serious feat. And the end result of all this extra work?

An absolute assault on your senses. You can almost taste how shockingly bold it is. Waterproof exterior X-Pac fabric means some additional upgrades are necessary. But… well… collab, right? We hit up our friends at YKK and selected their beefiest water-resistant zipper, the 10 AquaGuard reverse coil. The PU tape on these zippers shakes off a heavy downpour without flinching. They work well and they have a unique look. We experimented with some off-the-shelf options as well as some custom options.

But ultimately we liked the existing design for the reasons just mentioned. So how do we upgrade? Well, we selected Hypalon, a classic favorite material. And then we cut them to shape… with lasers. The same design, but laser cut Hypalon. Some folks asked why these collaborations have such eccentric names.

Products can be more than just seams and bartacks. And considered the risks they took. Jack and Kevin both left their previous positions behind, senior positions with giants in the industry, because of a dream and gut feeling that they wanted to blaze their own trail, grouping their savings together to birth a brand new company from the ashes of their past. A Phoenix was the perfect symbol for their achievements, their bravery.

And factor in the vibrant, blazing, inferno hi-vis orange interior, it reminded us of flames. Or flaming wings, if you will, ha! And of course, he delivered the heat. Honestly, they looked good. But that was it. One patch will be included with each CPL24 backpack sold, which is the only way to get your hands on this killer collectible patch.

It will never be sold individually. Early concepts. In our humble opinion, together we just created the ultimate EDC combination of pack and pouch. I want to have a snowshoe bug out pack ready just in case too. Just in case we get enough snow on the weekends to actually use them.

Starting January 1st, if there is enough snow down on a weekend to snowshoe, one would be notified the previous Wednesday afternoon that snow shoeing and winter camping for the weekend is a go. The plan will run through March 21st. There will be no limit on sign ups, as not everyone will be able to attend each event. Here is how it will work at least I hope it will work 1. Sign up. This means you will be ready on 2 days notice to meet at a designated location to hike with snow shoes.

If you can't make it, no problem. Hopefully the will be more weekends. There will be a weekend between trips. In other words, if we go January 8th, we will skip January 15th and be ready to go again on January 22nd. This is every week until March 15th.

There is No limit on the number of trips. At the end of each trip, we will collectively decide where our next trip will be. No post holing. We will be looking for at least 8 inches of snow. Snowshoes are mandatory. With snowshoes you can expect to be off trail so map and compass, gps, or gps enabled phone will be helpful.

If we are on snowshoes, snow will be used for water so plan accordingly. We can share stoves. I have a whisperlite, so if someone wants to carry some of the fuel, you are welcome to use my stove.

I may run up against not being able to go. If so, someone will need to "run" the trip. Trips will start at on Saturdays. I plan to arrive Friday night and camp near the trail head. All are welcome to join me. Marcus Alina Andrew Jessica Marcela Mel Nerissa Omar Paige Rob Sonia Wherever you are, wherever you go, take your Phoenix Instinct.

We ship Worldwide including the EU. Phoenix bags are shipped internationally with a zero tariff commodity code so should not be subject to import tax. More stock is on the way so please drop us an email at info phoenixinstinct. Large multi directional wheels roll in every direction and over obstacles with ease.

Compartments use large, high quality, double YKK brand zips. Quad loop pulls available. Constructed from premium, padded, ballistic nylon. Padded top pocket ideal for cameras, notebooks or tablets. Compartments use large, high quality double YKK brand zips.

Weight: 8 lbs 4kg.