Successfully funded on Kickstarter, the Travel Line is now available for pre-order here on BackerKit.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
100% SHIPPED. And, a big ol' Duffel + Duffelpack Survey!
over 7 years ago
– Thu, Nov 22, 2018 at 02:00:12 AM
Before we get into the main course of this update, let's have a lil' fireside chat.
There's a good chance that our American backers are busy reuniting with family and friends, sitting around a living room at this very second, drinking wine, sharing stories. You might be traveling across town, across the country, or across the world as you read this. Whatever the distance, it's worth it. Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, you'd probably agree that time spent with loved ones is precious...perhaps one of the most special experiences that life has to offer.
PD designers and manufacturing partners toasting during a night out in Ho Chi Minh City. Whatever your Thanksgiving spread looks like, we hope you're able to enjoy it with those you care about.
We're thankful for this holiday weekend. We're thankful for those we love, and we're thankful for every second of time we get to spend on Earth with those people. We're thankful for our lives and our livelihoods...thankful that every day 37 of us (!!!) wake up and get excited about coming to work. And we're thankful for you, our backers, the most passionate and loyal customers we could possibly ask for. Thank you for believing in us, supporting us (many times over) and for continuing to steer the trajectory of Peak Design.
Happy Thanksgiving, y'all. You're the best.
100% SHIPPED OR PROCESSING
As of this afternoon, 100% of shipments have either left warehouses or are actively processing for shipment. If you've completed your Kickstarter survey, you should receive a shipment notification by the end of this week or early next.
If you don't receive a shipping notification in that timeframe, here's why:
1. You're one of the 1000-ish backers who have yet to complete their BackerKit survey
2. You backed the Duffle or Duffelpack only (not shipping until Spring 2019)
3. You backed the $1 reward and did not add on any products
If you don't fit into those categories and you haven't received a shipping notification, please hold tight until early next week. And if you've only received part of your rewards shipment, see our previous update for an explanation why.
DUFFEL + DUFFELPACK SURVEY!
We've got the latest Travel Duffel 35L and Travel Duffelpack 65L prototypes in, and we're ready to get your feedback on 'em! To sweeten the deal, we'll send you an exclusive 15% off discount code upon survey completion.
For those of you who attended our San Francisco focus group or most recent Kickstarter Live Hangout, you're ready to dive head-first into the survey. For those who haven't, read on.
KICKSTARTER HANGOUT
Yesterday, Art and Max from the design team waxed eloquent on the latest Duffel and Duffelpack prototypes. They walked through the current designs, the thinking behind them, and the design challenges we're currently facing.
NEW PICTURES: TRAVEL DUFFEL 35L
Get to know our latest prototypes by perusing the images below, which can also be found in our survey.
The Travel Duffel 35L is Peak Design’s ode to the timeless and utilitarian duffel bag. We currently support 3 carry modes. Shown here is hand carry, via brilliantly removable hand straps.
Shown here is side shoulder carry via a detachable shoulder strap.
Cross-body shoulder carry via the same strap. The Duffel wraps nicely around your body in this configuration.
We're considering supporting a 4th carry option: backpack carry. It wouldn't be comfy for heavy loads or long time periods, but it would be useful in a pinch. Ex: hopping on your bike to go to the gym.
The Duffel's main zip is longer than the main volume of the bag, giving you significantly wider access than a standard cylindrical duffel bag.
We're working on 2 different external side zip designs, and we want your feedback on 'em. Take the survey for more info, and to tell us what you think.
The Straight Zip design offers more weather protection and a cleaner, more classic aesthetic.
The Trapezoid Zip design offers more volume and access with a more technical aesthetic.
Traditional duffel hand straps have a tubular wrap that fastens via velcro or snaps. This acts as a coupler/handle for hand carry. We think that design is annoying and sloppy, so we're working on a better solution that uses...wait for it...MAGNETS.
The Travel Duffelpack 65L is a monster gear-hauler that maximizes your carry capacity without compromising comfort or versatility.
Most manufacturers offer many duffel sizes. Why? We think it's because traditional duffels don't elegantly handle a wide range of loads. Our Duffelpack aims to change that by offering clever, massive, aesthetically clean expansion.
The previous image shows the normal 45L Duffelpack configuration. This image shows the fully expanded 65L configuration, made possible by 2 burly #10 expansion zips.
Like the Duffel, the Duffelpack features a main zip that is longer than the main volume of the bag, offering unrivaled accessibility from a straight-zip entry point.
The Duffelpack is sized to fit 4 packing units of gear. In this picture, it's shown holding 2 Medium Camera Cubes. Would you use a bag like this to haul around all your photography gear? Tell us in the survey.
Like our Travel Backpack, the Travel Duffelpack does not slight on carry options. Shown here is side handle briefcase-style carry.
A top carry handle lets you easily maneuver the Duffelpack in and out of tight spaces, like car trunks and overhead bins.
We're considering placing carry handles on the Duffelpack's shoulder straps. Do you see value in this carry style? Tell us in the survey.
A big beef we have with traditional "gear hauler" duffelpack-style bags is that they're not comfortable to carry. Hence, we're integrating a full-fledged backpack-style carry harness, complete with waist belt.
Our latest Duffelpack prototype has a sternum strap. Is that something you'd want? Tell us in the survey.
The Duffelpack will have external slip pockets for quick access to smaller stuff. Would you want or need internal pockets too? You guessed it...tell us in the survey.
Like our Travel Backpack, the Duffelpack will feature a variety of loops for attaching external carry cinch straps.
TAKE THE SURVEY
We're really stoked about bringing our backers further into the development process for these new bags. If you've got some downtime this weekend, we'd be thrilled if you filled out our Duffel/Duffelpack Survey.
Now go eat that turkey/tofurkey.
Duffel + Duffelpack Hangout TODAY, 2pm Pacific
over 7 years ago
– Tue, Nov 20, 2018 at 09:23:00 PM
Last week we held a focus group in San Francisco to get feedback on the latest and greatest Duffel/Duffelpack designs. Today, we're going to be doing the same for anybody, anywhere, who would like to join us.
Need a reminder? Go here, enter your email, click subscribe.
We'll be sharing the latest prototypes and answering your questions along the way.
FULFILLMENT UPDATE
As of this morning, 94% of rewards are in some state of shipping...processing, en route, or delivered. The last 6% we expect to go out this week and next. The spreadsheet below shows our shipping completion percentage by warehouse:
A large shipment landed at our Canadian warehouse on Friday. It takes a few business days for our warehouses receive stock and get it ready to ship...particularly during this time of year when everyone is stocking up for the holidays. We expect all remaining Canadian orders to be processed this week.
In Australia we had a large shipment delayed due to some mislabeling of SKUs at the origin warehouse. We worked with our freight forwarder to fix the issue, and that shipment should arrive today. It'll take a few days for stock to be received, but we expect all remaining Australian orders to be processed this week, maybe early next.
The remaining UK and Hong Kong shipments have been delayed by a variety of small issues, including a shipment of Sage 5L Slings that were stolen (!!!) from our UK warehouse. UK customers who ordered Sage 5L Slings will have their shipments split.
Ultimately we're incredibly stoked to get a vast majority of shipments out the door early, with the remaining rewards to ship well within our December timeframe.
SHIPMENT SPLITTING
If you open up your package and don't see everything you ordered, don't worry...it's likely en-route and will end up at your doorstep within 3 business days. That's because many of our rewards shipments are being split, either at the warehouse or during the course of the shipment. Our shipping system automatically picks the most economical shipping option for the items you purchased...in some cases, they're all put into one large box, in other cases you'll have multiple boxes, and sometimes items will be shipped directly in their lick-and-stick plastic packaging. When multiple parcels are shipped, it's not uncommon for them to get separated in transit. When they do, they'll typically all arrive within a 1-3 business day window.
So, if you don't get everything you ordered in your first shipment, we kindly ask that you wait at least 3 business days before contacting us. If items go missing for longer than that, we'll happily investigate and ensure you get them.
#BAGBRAG
Per our previous update, we've got a little contest going on. Show us your best shot of you and your new bags via social media (a.k.a. the "sosh meeds") and enter to win up to $500 in PD credit, PLUS a $500 donation to a 1% For The Planet non-profit of your choice. Just make sure you tag 'er with #bagbrag. Here are our favorites so far:
Rewards shipping is in full swing, and we're already hearing from backers who have gotten their Travel Backpacks. We've got more details below. But first...
#BAGBRAG
The Peak Design Travel Line is finally out there in the wild, and we want to celebrate in the most mature way possible: bragging. We're calling on all backers to share pictures of you with your brand new gear with the tag #bagbrag. Before the end of the year we'll pick 3 winners, who will receive a $250-$500 Peak Design gift card. In addition, we'll make a $250-$500 donation to a 1% For The Planet nonprofit of your choice.
The rules:
1. Share a pic (Insta, FB, Twitter) of you with your PD Travel Bags. Tag it #bagbrag.
2. On Insta, tag @peakdesign. On FB/Twitter, tag @peakdesignltd.
3. Before the end of the year, we'll pick 3 winners:
Grand Prize: $500 PD gift card, $500 to a 1%FTP nonprofit of your choice. Runners Up: $250 PD gift card, $250 to a 1%FTP nonprofit of your choice.
Winners will be chosen by the PD team, based on a wide variety of variables. As always, points for composition, humor, and/or drama. You can enter as many photos as you'd like. Now get to braggin'.
DUFFEL FOCUS GROUP
This Thursday we'll be holding a Duffel and Duffelpack focus group with local Kickstarter backers. If you're in the San Francisco area and keen to join, sign up here. For those who can't make it, don't fret. Our P2 prototypes are en route to the PD HQ, and once we get them we'll share a full update on the development of our two gear haulers. We'll also send out a survey to gather everyone's feedback. For all those awaiting more details, thanks for your patience! We're stoked to bring you deeper into the development process.
SHIPPING UPDATE
Of the 13,472 backers, 12,498 people have completed their Backerkit Surveys. Of those folks, 9,084 shipments have left our warehouses or are processing in the warehouse to be shipped in the next few days. Here's how our shipment processing rate breaks down across warehouses:
Los Angeles: 4,921 processed (89%)
UK: 2,504 processed (81%)
Hong Kong: 1,124 processed (44%)
Canada: 173 processed (27%)
Australia: 362 processed (55%)
The differences across warehouses is caused by stocking level variation, which results from the staggered timing of shipments reaching ports of entry across the globe. Our warehouses which are furthest behind (HK, CAN, AUS) are all receiving major stocking shipments this week. Here's a fun fact: we've shipped and received 36 shipping containers full of products across our 5 warehouses so far.
Long story short, fulfillment is going swimmingly and we're confidently ahead of our December shipping goal. We expect nearly all remaining Kickstarter shipments to leave warehouses in the next two weeks.
With just 35 hours left in their campaign, there's still time to pre-order these two new additions to Solo Stove's line of hyper-efficient, cleanly designed wood burning stoves. Less smoke and more heat from a smaller footprint...we've camped with 'em and drank hot toddies in the back yard with 'em, and we were damn pleased with their performance.
Things. Are. Shipping.
over 7 years ago
– Wed, Nov 07, 2018 at 01:17:19 AM
Yesterday we released a test run of 299 rewards shipments globally. The breakdown is as follows:
Hong Kong warehouse (33 shipments)
Canada warehouse (40 shipments)
Los Angeles warehouse (160 shipments)
UK warehouse (66 shipments)
If you're one of the lucky backers receiving one of these shipments, you will receive a notification email by the end of today. If not, don't fret...assuming all goes well with our initial test run, we'll be releasing more rewards shipments over the coming weeks!
SO WHEN WILL MY REWARDS SHIP?
In short, we expect all rewards shipments to leave our warehouses between now and mid-December. The longer answer is as follows:
Fulfilling 13,752 rewards shipments is a process that will span several weeks. Products in the Travel Line are still being manufactured, packed, and loaded on container ships. Over the next 6 weeks, each of our warehouses will be receiving multiple stocking shipments, which will be received and immediately shipped out to fulfill Kickstarter rewards, wholesale orders, and website pre-orders.
Because of the complexities of this process, we cannot give backers individual shipping estimates.
You will be notified via email when your shipment is released.
We think a vast majority of rewards will be shipped and received by x-mas, but we still cannot guarantee it. We're certainly doing our darnedest to make it happen.
12177 SURVEYS ARE LOCKED
Per update #15, we locked down all completed surveys last Thursday. That means that if you have finished your Kickstarter survey, all of your shipping information is locked in and un-changeable. If for some reason your survey is locked and you need to change your shipping address, you must contact us directly as soon as possible by emailing [email protected].
DUFFEL TIME: UPCOMING SURVEY + FOCUS GROUP
Duffel development continues to progress, and we'll soon have 2 new prototypes to share with you! When we do, we'd like to plug you directly into the product development process in 2 ways:
1. Feedback survey. We'll share a bunch of images/info about our latest prototypes (via KS Update) and send you a survey to gather your thoughts.
2. Focus group. We'll be conducting an in-person focus group to get hands-on feedback from backers. If you are in the SF Bay Area and interested in attending, please fill out our Focus Group Application. Space will be limited, so we likely won't be able to accommodate everybody who might be interested. Those not attending the focus group will still have the ability to submit feedback via our survey.
Mountains. We like 'em. Especially the pointy top parts of them. Longtime friend of Peak Design Ben Tibbetts likes them too. So much so that he is Kickstarting a gorgeous coffee table book about climbing the largest peaks in the European Alps.
New Video: Making the Travel Line
over 7 years ago
– Wed, Oct 31, 2018 at 02:28:26 AM
Hey folks,
Peter here. You know...the guy who seems to start every address with "hey folks". What I lack in originality, I try to make up for in sincerity. It's the midwestern in me.
With less than 2 days until our first survey lockdown (details in our previous update) we'd like to give you a closer look into our prototyping and manufacturing process for the Travel Line. Have a look.
The Travel Backpack came to life the way all our products have...slowly. It started as ideas in heads, then conversations turned that turned into sketches. Sketches then turned into paper mockups, and mockups into prototypes. There were 20 different iterations of physical prototypes for the backpack alone. Two things allow for this painstaking process....manufacturing partners that believe in us to nail it in the end, and the financial support of our existing products. In other words...you folks.
Our bags are complex. The Travel Backpack is the largest, most full-featured bag we've ever made. It's unique patterns and features require the expertise of manufacturers who fundamentally understand what is possible, yet have the guts to follow us down the road of novel techniques. We have found a partner in AJ Solutions and it's leaders Adriaan Kwon and Jason Lee. They learned their craft from big manufacturers, but wanted to start something on their own to pursue their dreams. That's pretty easy for us to respect.
This partnership began with them taking a chance on us with the Everyday Messenger. Four short years later, they've made a name for themselves as the company capable of bringing our designs to life. We didn't see that coming, but we're sure glad it happened. Now, Ho Chi Minh City (or HCMC, or Saigon....however you want to call it) has become a second home to many of us at Peak. Knowing our partners as well as we do allows us to communicate with trust and efficiency when we have work from across the ocean, which we frequently do.
Right now, over 1200 people are currently working full-time on the production of Peak Design bags. The emotion I have felt entering one our factories is overwhelming. It is entirely humbling to watch so many humans working so hard, knowing that I have never met, and will never meet, the majority of them.
But I also feel joyful, knowing that while the work is hard, it can also be fun. Technical sewing is a craft. There is opportunity for advancement. There is recreation, and there is a unique culture in these factories. We don't own them...and we don't manage them...but so long as they're making products for us, it's our responsibility to make sure that their lives are better for making our products.
This is a fundamental idea that drives how we do business, and is an important part of our Mission Statement. We negotiate fair pay and safe working conditions in our factories, and have established a code of conduct to articulate these standards. We train our partner factories on this code of conduct, and invest in independent 3rd party audits so we can hold ourselves accountable to our mission statement. In time, I imagine that all companies will move toward this level of responsibility.
Peak Design has been a great adventure since the beginning part of that adventure has been learning to navigate the landscape of manufacturing in another culture. We consider it an extraordinary privilege to get to do this. It's hard work. But it sure ain't boring.
We couldn't be more fired up to get the Travel Line in your hands. See our previous update for more info on our shipping schedule.
GET THE VOTE OUT
Lastly...you may have heard. There's a big 'ol midterm election coming up here in the US, just 1 week from now. We put together a brief Field Note to help you prepare. Voting is your civic duty. Get out there and get 'er done, and encourage at least one other person to do so too. Democracy ain't perfect, but it's what we've got.
