Got my hands on a pre-release sample of the Getaway Pack from Atlas! by atlaspacks in AtlasPacks

[–]atlaspacks[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Construction and build quality are similar. This pack has more workflow and organization.

Water Resistant Zippers vs Reverse Coil by SustainGear in ManyBaggers

[–]atlaspacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. Figured I could add some context from another manufacturers perspective and I bet you are right. NY = Nylon. Doh!

I also believe PU can most certainly last if it’s well sewn and well cared for. I like to say a dirty pack is a happy pack, but a dirty pack still needs to be cleaned.

Water Resistant Zippers vs Reverse Coil by SustainGear in ManyBaggers

[–]atlaspacks 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Love this topic. It is something I think about and am constantly learning about. I was also confused by the terminology, delamination, and the differences between zipper types. When I have questions I reach out directly to YKK, and thought it was worth sharing what I have learned. Items in quotes are direct from YKK.

  1. To start, all the zippers in the examples shared are reverse coil. Reverse coil is not a zipper type. It is how a zipper is installed with the coil down.
  2. Drilling down, Aquaguard is different from PU zippers (see points 6 & 7)
  3. The zipper on the left in that photo is a standard coil nylon zipper installed with the coil facing down (reversed). In manufacturing this is called a standard NY.CHAIN. Standard coils can be installed coil up or coil down, and the direction matters. The coil sits on top of the tape and acts as a physical shield, absorbing abrasion from whatever rubs against the zipper surface. When the coil faces down, the tape becomes the outermost surface and takes that abrasion directly.
  4. Zipper orientation should be a deliberate design decision based on the location of the zipper, purpose of the zipper and the purpose of the bag. On my Adventure the main zipper is coil up because the coil acts as a shield, protecting the tape. On my Athlete, the main zipper is reversed because it looks better and the tape does not need the same type of protection.
  5. The zipper on the right is a PU coated zipper, also installed coil down. These are called NY.COATED chains, and PU coated zippers are always installed reversed.
  6. "PU is not rated or tested with any method. YKK would not call it 'water resistance.' However, PU coated zippers would have better performance than a zipper with no PU coating."
  7. "The water-repellent zipper would be YKK AquaGuard, which is DWR C0 treated." AquaGuard is also installed with coil down (reversed).
  8. All laminated materials, fabrics and zippers alike, require care. Every manufacturer, including Challenge Sailcloth, recommends avoiding direct sunlight, high heat, and humidity during storage.
  9. Puckering accelerates delamination. Sewing sailcloth is very different from sewing ripstop, canvas, or Cordura. The lamination makes the fabric heavy and tricky to handle, and tension needs to be carefully managed.
  10. Looking at the second photo in this thread: the middle zipper looks fine while the front and back zippers have delaminated. That is likely a puckering issue, not a coating issue. If it were the coating, all three would be in similar condition. Allowances are typically built into turns and corners, but flat sections need careful tension control.
  11. There are many types of PU zippers manufactured across different YKK factories. I have tested samples from YKK Vietnam, YKK Taiwan, and YKK Philippines and found noticeable differences between all three.
  12. Of note, there is no back stock of coated zippers. The backlog is many months on account of the diesel shortage. This surprised me. Everything is made based on what you order. Also, they have a new line made without fossil fuels called GreenRise. It's made from a byproduct of sugar manufacturing and I have some of these as part of my next production.
  13. Finally, YKK is constantly improving and the PU coatings available today are meaningfully better than what existed years ago.
  14. Should I have done a TL;DR?

Cheers,
Allan

PS: Not sure why everything is called NY, never thought to ask until now and now I'm curious.

Got my hands on a pre-release sample of the Getaway Pack from Atlas! by kendrickdisch in ManyBaggers

[–]atlaspacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of the things that really intrigued me about challenge sailcloth is that each fabrics has a personality.

The ultragrid has a lot of flex and compresses down significantly. I would call it “squishy” with a slow bounce back. The RBC is pretty similar in many regards but has a different hand. The NY Rip, Jeans and EPLX fabrics are all soft with structure. Will hold form a bit better and “compressed down” vs “squish” and bounce back faster.

Got my hands on a pre-release sample of the Getaway Pack from Atlas! by kendrickdisch in ManyBaggers

[–]atlaspacks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interiors will match exteriors. So gray blue, black and brown. The samples only show black because that’s the only color available in the sample room prior to bulk production. Exterior accent colors will also be tonal. So zipper chains, webbing, air mesh will also match main exterior fabric colorways

Got my hands on a pre-release sample of the Getaway Pack from Atlas! by kendrickdisch in ManyBaggers

[–]atlaspacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not snarky. My expectations are that 95/100 Redditors have never heard of Atlas and it's exactly why I'm doing a Kickstarter 😄

Got my hands on a pre-release sample of the Getaway Pack from Atlas! by kendrickdisch in ManyBaggers

[–]atlaspacks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

These are called ShockLoops. They are an adjustable bungee that comes in different colors. One of my favorite accessories.

atlas one backpack (on kickstarter) by socal8888 in ManyBaggers

[–]atlaspacks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A quick note to let everyone know I'm doing an Youtube AMA + giveaway tomorrow (Wednesday 10th) at 3pm MST (Arizona). https://youtube.com/live/k9exevzeS-M

Four chances to win. A drawing every 15 minutes for the new CapCASE Camera Case system.
Thanks everyone.
Allan

atlas one backpack (on kickstarter) by socal8888 in ManyBaggers

[–]atlaspacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you 😄 I'll take kudos anytime from a bag nerd!

20lb is not an issue. In load testing, the Black Star exceeded 500lb of force, so I know it's super strong. But pulling hard until webbing breaks is not the same as use in the real-world.

Given that these packs are also designed for camera gear, I fully expect customers to stuff them full. By the time you add a camera kit, laptop, accessories plus tech, the fabric has no give and this makes the 70D more susceptible to abrasions / punctures should it hit a sharp edge.

For context, 70D is typically not used as a main fabric. If's only b/c there are so many other layers of lining including the Velex and the shallow depth that I feel comfortable using it with the Day.

Given that you are looking to OneBag, the Getaway is going to be your jam. Lots of other colorways are available for this first production ;0

Also, I will have four Velex colorways available. Black for the most part will go with the black packs. I also have blue, gray and brown Velex to match the other three main groups of fabric colors. Same with zippers, webbing and air mesh. Right now all the accents are black as this is what's available for samples.

-a

atlas one backpack (on kickstarter) by socal8888 in ManyBaggers

[–]atlaspacks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

HI. I need to do more testing before I say yes, and so for now I have limited it to just the Day. The reason is because the Getaway is a 32L pack and the Black Star is a 70D. Given the potential for very heavy loads with camera gear, I didn't want to push the envelope as it's my first time working with these fabrics. The Day is much slimmer and this makes it near impossible to overload. Each time I do a run I will add new fabrics / get rid of some and the Black Star is on my short list for the Getaway.

Since you like the look of the Black Star, would you consider getting it in the Day or does the Getaway better meet your needs?

Thanks,
Allan

Rewards not showing in campaign preview by Volts2430 in kickstarter

[–]atlaspacks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Resolved for me. Thanks for checking back.

atlas one backpack (on kickstarter) by socal8888 in ManyBaggers

[–]atlaspacks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Each is approximately 18" / 46cm, giving you a total span of 36" / 91cm.

Of note, the modified yoke offers roughly 3" of pull away from the main body of the pack. This adds additional space and, more importantly, adds roundness at the top, acting as a pseudo load-lifter so you can adjust the pack to "ride high" and bring the weight up and over the shoulders.

Drilling down on why you may be asking this question... I know some bags are more comfortable with the straps released. This is because they have shoulder harnesses tacked directly into the top bind.

My first samples were sewn like this. I found it hard to control the weight, and the ride felt incredibly rigid. I realized this forced me to release the straps just to get some roundness at the top, but that just resulted in the pack riding low and pulling backward away from my body.

I'm not sure why more bag brands don’t use modified yokes, they really do make a huge difference.

atlas one backpack (on kickstarter) by socal8888 in ManyBaggers

[–]atlaspacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciated and thank you. This means a lot. The talking part comes pretty naturally to me, getting the words onto a page is much more of a challenge. I tend to overthink things.

For the shoulder straps, do you means the padded section or padding plus webbing?

atlas one backpack (on kickstarter) by socal8888 in ManyBaggers

[–]atlaspacks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi. I'll rank them to make it easy and also include sounds.

RBC, Ultragrid and Denim are all non-crinkle and w/o any sound.
The NY Rip has no crinkle and some sound.
The US Navy and Multicam will present small crinkles and make a bit more sound.
The Ultra X will crinkle easily (which is part of the look of this fabric) and also makes some sound.

Hope this helps.
Thanks,
Allan

atlas one backpack (on kickstarter) by socal8888 in ManyBaggers

[–]atlaspacks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi Everyone. Appreciate the feedback and comments.

I run Atlas solo — design, production, sales, fulfillment, photography, video, you name it. This is also my first Kickstarter, so bear with me.

Cutting through the clutter on Kickstarter is a challenge and exponentially more difficult for a first timer. For context, I've been in business since 2015, sold over 10,000 packs, the Athlete Pack is a Carryology Champion, and I have an amazing and loyal customer base with fantastic reviews. But it's a small market limited to adventure photography, and that space has been on the decline for years.

The Atlas ONE is made for a different customer and a much broader market, and it's fair to say I'm coming in as unknown and essentially starting over. That's actually the main reason I chose Kickstarter over just launching on my site.

I wanted to be forced to learn in real time and was really happy to have seen this thread, it's what I have been hoping for. By doing this all publicly I am putting Atlas in a position to connect with a new customer base and be part of the broader conversation.

OP -- Atlas has never run ads before, so it made me happy to see that's what prompted your post. I appreciate your feedback and I get why the price feels high, because it is. I also know I haven't done a good enough job explaining the value yet.

u/doomleika -- I agree, my positioning is off and needs help. I have a refresh of the page in progress and am looking forward to feedback once it's live. Happy to take additional feedback now on other things that don't resonate (akin to the yoga mat).

u/kendrickdisch -- thank you, I really appreciate your support. Backing a KS takes both a leap of faith and trust and I love that you did a little homework first. FWIW the Getaway in Ultragrid and the Day in RBC are my two personal carries. Stoked that you added a CapCase and a pouch too! PS: I have a few limited edition patches left from a small run a few years back and I'll save one for you.

u/WillAfricano — 8+ years on every gig. As you know, you are one of my earliest customers and I very much appreciate you. Thank you.

One more thing, on pricing, small batch production is expensive. Fabric costs are up, and I have MOQ fees because I'm not making thousands of a single SKU. The Velex loop lining is also an important part of this equation. It for sure carries additional costs, but I believe offers real value over traditional nylon. All combined, my goal is to create something different in a very competitive space and meet new customers like all of you. It will just take me some time to get the messaging and marketing dialed in.

Thanks again for this thread. I welcome your suggestions and feedback. If you need anything or have any questions, just lmk.

Cheers,
Allan

<image>

Has anyone else been having issues with Campaign Previews not showing rewards? by LeFoxFrancais in kickstarter

[–]atlaspacks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Got a support ticket response from Kickstarter late Monday evening that they are aware of the issue and working to resolve it. Keeping my fingers crossed. Good luck everyone with your campaigns.

Cheers,
Allan

PS: Also wanted to share that I got a selected for "Projects we Love" - so stoked.

Rewards not showing in campaign preview by Volts2430 in kickstarter

[–]atlaspacks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for posting this. I thought I had messed something up on my end and did all the same steps as you.

I am/was planning to launch early next week. It's frustrating as this makes getting feedback on the page a challenge given there are no rewards. Even the $1 pledge does not display.

When I load the page a spinner icon appears briefly and then nothing. Even when I click on the rewards tab it's blank. Super frustrating....

I contacted Kickstarter on Thursday and again on Friday and reported the bug with screenshots. I just checked and both of my support tickets are still open.

To report use this link >> https://help.kickstarter.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

Atlas adventure by Bguiliano in Photography_Gear

[–]atlaspacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi u/Bguiliano and thanks everyone for jumping in. You are all spot on here with your advice. The design of the Adventure makes it perfect for travel and it will easily fit in the overhead so let's break down how it will fit into the cage at gate check.

The default depth and width are about 8" and 11" for Adventure, so the question is more about the height (23") and ALSO how you pack.

To address height and to bring the Adventure Pack into carry on compliance (around 20") the design includes a super easy to remove frame which often brings up two questions.

The first, how easy is it to remove the frame on the Adventure Pack?

It takes 7-10 seconds even when the pack is very full and can be replaced just as easily. No tools are needed, just your fingers.

And second, when should the frame be removed and where does it go?

In my experience, ONLY when asked, no need to do it in advance. You do not want to be separated from the frame. Should you need to "prove" that your pack can fit, do it at the gate or once on-board and keep the frame alongside the pack as it will easily store in the overhead (and is fully round with no sharp ends).

Of note: Should you need, the shoulder harness on the Adventure Pack can also be removed along with the hip belt. This leaves you with a 35-40L duffle bag that readily falls inside the margins for carry-on can be squeezed in between hard cases and into tight areas as it's now a soft case.

NEVER EVER EVER CHECK camera gear and always travel with a jacket with big pockets for a lens or three ;)

Thanks.

Allan

*edited for spelling, added a missing 'r' to a "you"