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Symbiot Sportback
I know that the hip new thing these days is the saddle bag. People all over town lug their stuff around in these things that hang at your hip like a fatty appendage. And before the saddlebag...or messenger bag as they are now called after an apparently widely successful rebranding effort...there was the briefcase. Don't even get me started on what an outdated symbol of 1950s American salarymen chic that was. I still think the briefcase is a silly thing to carry for pretty much everyone except obscenely rich guys who chain them to their wrists when they transport a pound of uncut diamonds.
But back to bags. So the point I'm straining to reach here is that all this time, I've been partial to one form of "crap transport", and that is the backpack. But the backpack has its drawbacks. Even when you cinch them up around your shoulders, they flop around. They are pretty much useless for rigorous activity like running. If you will, flashback to high school and think of how the geeks would sometimes get all excited and run around with their packs on...well, you see what I mean.
So now there is a company seeking to solve the pack flop problem. Called the Sportback, the pack here looks a little bit like a training bra for Sir Edmund Hillary, but the idea is fresh, original and solves the problem of pack-flop. The company making the new pack, which wraps over your shoulders and seems to fit as snugly as a vest, does do away with some of the problems of traditional packs. The company is called Symbiot Design, and according to Jonathan Gross who started the company with some friends, they came up with the idea and design to help folks who are into biking, hiking, running and adventure racing.
The Sportback looks very cool, and certainly useful if you are a runner, mountain biker, tri-athelete ,etc .There are space limitations, so you'll have to cut back a bit on the amount of stuff you carry, but you should be doing that anyway. Oh, and there is space for your water bladder should you want to have the pack replace your Camelback.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mike Jun 28th 2006 11:16AM
I own this bag and it has not only increased my endurance but has allowed me to have everything that I need without and added stress on me. I use it a lot since I have had it and I am very happy with it. Consider it highly recommended.
Frank Jun 28th 2006 11:47AM
About f'ing time somebody figured out how to make a backpack that functions correctly. I have tried to make other packs work by tightening the straps down tight but it always cuts off my circulation. Looks awesome.
Justin Jun 28th 2006 6:04PM
Run, Bike, Skateboard, Hike....doesn't matter, this bag does it all and then some. Perfectly engineered to form to your body with very little movement while maximizing breath ability. Highly recommended for the active/ adventurous types.
Fritz Jul 25th 2006 11:29PM
Your nomenclature is... I'll just say it's weird.
Saddle bags are either the little bags that go under the saddle of a bicyle, or the much larger bags slung behind a saddle on a motorcycle or working stock animals (e.g. horses and llamas).
The "things that hang at your hip like a fanny appendage" are called fanny packs or waistpacks. I've never heard them called saddlebags, and you're seriously confused if you think anybody's ever called them a messenger bag.
Messenger bags are simple totes designed to be slung over one shoulder, a bit like an extra large women's purse. True messenger bags have an extra strap from the wide strap to the opposite hop to prevent them from flopping around -- solving exactly the problem that the Symbiot apparently tries to address. Because messenger bags hang a little lower on the back, almost resting on the hips, they address THE major problem with small backpacks, which is sweat accumulation. Messenger bags not appropriate for running or hiking, but they're not designed to address those needs.