Blog

Backpack Updates June 2017

Posted on 20th Jun 2017

We aim to build the best backpacks in the world. A result of this goal are periodic updates to our backpack lineup. We're really excited about these changes and introductions. They reduce weight, add function, and some of the new products being developed are truly compelling.

Improvements:

Hardware: Our compression hardware is changing from Side Release buckles and Bachelor Buckles to Gatekeepers. This new bit of gear is lighter, stronger, stays put, compresses better, and it can be removable. See video below.
Dual Buckle Belt: Replaces our 1.5" single buckle belt closure with two 1" buckles. This change allows for custom top and bottom tension on the belt to fit different body types, and it makes the belt more survivable because these buckles are user replaceable and easy to source. See video below.
Removable Lumbar Pad : Our belt fits most body types really well, but those with deep lumbars, curvy backs, and muscular builds will benefit from this removable lumbar pad. It doesn't change the belt, but does change the way it fits. Can be used with the belt captured by the frame attachment to increase effective frame height by 1-2 inches. See video below.
Captured Belt : Run the lower frame hold down around the belt instead of behind it and capture the belt. Add a lumbar pad and the belt feels very different, fitting some better. See video below.
Tan Suspension: Expedition Olive backpacks will now ship with tan hipbelt and shoulder harness. This color blends well with Olive. Shown in videos below.

New Products

Merlin: A larger Daypack Talon, around 1400 ci, 14 oz, with three well thought out pockets. We are really excited about this pack. It's big enough to use as an every day backpack (fits a standard laptop), it can compress a packbag, add volume for longer trips, or you can use it with a Revolution as an ultralight day hunting setup with the ability to pack meat in comfort. The Merlin uses our new Gatekeeper hardware, and you will need to purchase a set of Gatekeepers to use the Merlin on an older pack. Seek Outside Merlin

Revised Products available soon

Peregrine: Sized for day hunts, overnights, or 3 days for a minimalist, the Peregrine will feature two large side pockets big enough for optics, plenty of organization, flexible compression options and a hydro port.
Precipice: Will be renamed, receive a few improvements, but be conceptually similar.

New Products Coming Soon:

Brooks: Unsupported two week sheep hunt in Alaska? The Brooks will be your pack of choice. Giant volume, great organization, incredible compression. Enough capacity for a family of five on a week's backpack trip plus a sleek daypack, all in one.
Bottle Holster: This PALS compatible bottle holster will allow you to carry a nalgene on your hipbelt.

View Comments

X-Pac™ Backpack Fabric

X-Pac™ fabric originates from the sailcloth industry, the same industry that developed Cuben and Spinnaker, among others. The need for huge yardages of ultralight, ultrastrong, waterproof fabrics (plus customers with deep pockets - yachts aren’t cheap) means sailing drives innovation.The outdoor industry benefits from these innovations. Spinnaker, Cuben, and now X-Pac™ are widely used in [...]

2017 Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Larry Fischer Award

It’s easy to be good at something you love. Passion drives action and persistence. Our passion is the outdoors.Nature itself and the active enjoyment of it calms troubled spirits and nurtures the soul. Few things in life give back more to you than that which you put in. The great outdoors [...]

Which Frame Height is Right for Me?

The frame height you need depends on torso length and expected loads. Torso LengthUp to 30 lbs30-50 lbsOver 50 lbs15-16”24"24"24 or 26"17-19”24 or 26"26"26 or 28"20”+26"26 or 28"28"The chart above ballparks the frame height needed in most situations. For more detail and fine tuning, read on. Frame height is critical to comfort.A comfortable backpack is one that [...]

Why We Care About Conservation

"If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them something more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it." - Lyndon B. Johnson My father tells me stories [...]

Product Focus: Seek Outside Divide

What makes the Divide the best ultralight backpack on the market? Comfort - our suspension rocks! Our Patented Articulating Frame paired with an articulating hipbelt that grips your body make our packs the most comfortable backpacks on the market. Versatility - one pack covers almost all the activities you can imagine. If it doesn’t, you can [...]

Product Focus: Redcliff

The Redcliff is a Seek Outside original. Part tipi, part pyramid, and all versatility the Redcliff is big enough for families and car camping while being light enough for large groups to carry backpacking. A symmetrical shape and subtle angles on all panels make it capable of shedding strong wind, rain and snow, while pitching [...]

Our four smallest shelters compared

Here at Seek Outside one of our most frequent customer questions is "which of the four smaller shelters should I get if I'm going to use it for backpacking?" It's a tough thing to answer, especially if you have no way of seeing at least one of the options in person, and most especially if [...]

Michael Fried on using the Unaweep motorcycling through South America

It's always a privilege to see the new uses customers find for our gear, things we never considered when we designed and built it. Michael Fried's ambitious motorcycle and hiking trip through South America certainly qualifies. Read, look, and then start planning. -S.O. It's hard to pick a pack to live out of for a year, [...]

Winter canyon backpacking video, logistics, and gear thoughts

Last week I wrote about a gear testing trip into the Escalante. Today I'm back with the video report, as well as some thoughts about gear selection and trip planning for a backpacking in the Colorado Plateau during the heart of winter.Logistics:Statistics will tell you that January is one of the wetter months of the [...]