This spring marks the launch of several redesigned MEC packs and not only are they looking mighty fine, they also have all sorts of awesome function-based improvements.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
For starters, we now have women-specific backpacks. I can hear half of you saying “What’s the big deal?” and the other half chiming in with “It’s about time.” Let’s start with the timing issue: there was a major shift about five years ago when outdoor gear manufacturers clued in and realised that designing women-specific gear meant more than just “shrinking and pinking it”. Back then, we did carry some Gregory and Arc’Teryx packs for women that sold quite well, but all the MEC-brand packs were pretty much unisex — which, I found out, doesn’t mean they were designed specifically for men either. So over two years ago, Mark Knight, in-house packs designer extraordinaire, started working on packs specifically designed for women. The idea was to make sure our packs fit all our members, including women.
As for what the big deal is? Well, plenty. There was a whole R&D phase. The first step was defining exactly what makes a woman-specific pack different. Based on research Mark conducted, gals have the same functional requirements as guys: they want the best gear. The issues were about ill-fitting straps and belts, so the majority of the work focused on defining women’s physical requirements and how to adapt the design accordingly. The challenge was to create a pack that, while as adaptable as possible, would accommodate different body types. The three main differences you’ll notice with our women’s packs relate to shoulder straps, back length, and hipbelt.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Shoulder straps
They are shorter and anatomically curved, attach to the pack at a different angle to accommodate for women’s narrower shoulders, and can be moved up or down for a personalised fit. Straps can also be switched out and replaced with shorter or longer ones.
Back length
While the terminology is common to men’s and women’s packs (Short/Standard and Standard/Long), the measurements are specific to each gender with women’s being shorter. Since the desire is to keep the bulk of the load close to the back, you can’t compensate for the shorter length by making the pack significantly deeper. We made the women’s pack slightly wider than the men’s and 1cm deeper. For example, the Aurora 60 is 65cm long and 28cm wide while the Eos 60 is 72 x 26cm.
Hipbelt
Other than featuring our new Trail Motion™ technology (more on that in a later post) and being offered in Small, Medium, and Large, the women’s packs’ hipbelts are shaped to curve upward more aggressively to cup over hips once buckled. And speaking of buckling, Mark made life easier for us gals by incorporating a V-pull system that offers a mechanical advantage like that of a pulley and having us pull forward instead of backward to tighten the belt.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
But wait, there’s more! Since we were looking to revamp the whole MEC packs’ collection, Mark and the rest of the design team made some other improvements that you’ll notice on many men’s, women’s and unisex packs. The following features are notably found on the Aurora and Eos models.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Fabric
Regular denier nylon was replaced with high tenacity nylon which is very strong and light.
Roll-top closure
The spindrift collar has a roll-top closure with a buckle (just like ondry bags) which does a better job protecting the contents of your pack when the lid is removed than the old-fashioned drawstring.
Pole/ice axe loops
The standard webbing loops have been replaced with these snazzy elastic cords equipped with state-of-the-art quick-attach buckles.
Head cup
You’ll notice a neat concave shape on the back of the pack which is there to avoid you hitting the back of your head when you look uphill or are climbing ladders (think West Coast trail) and to allow you to turn your head freely.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Zipper pulls
All the zippers feature glove-friendly pulls that are easy to grab.
Colours
This year’s models come in some pretty nice colours and the more subdued traditional colours have some bright accents to liven things up.
One very important thing to consider when buying a pack is fit. Our staff are trained to help you figure out what size pack is right for you and they will also show you how to adjust all the straps properly. If you don’t have access to an MEC store, we’ve got some helpful articles in the Learn section of our Web site.
Finally, Mark tells me that designing a pack is a constantly evolving process. For instance, the spring 2013 versions of the Aurora pack will feature more padding on the shoulder straps and hipbelt. Comments from gear testers and members help us make out products better, so don’t hesitate to send us your feedback, comments, and suggestions.
Filed under: From Our Staff, Gear, MEC News Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
