2 August Week in Review: Kid-Friendly Packs, Camera Bags, and Tough Cord Wraps

A camera bag that takes everyday carry tasks in its stride, packs that can handle anything kids can throw at them, and tough cord wraps that will outlast your tech. Discover more in our Week In Review…

Cool for school – and beyond

Kids get cool lunch boxes for school…but the older you get, the more mundane lunch boxes seem to become. Black+Blum are making lunchtime exciting again with their Box Appetit lunch box. Rather than a generic chuck-it-all-in box that results in your meal looking like a food fight, the Box Appetit includes handy features such as a sauce pot, a dish so you can divide different parts of your lunch, as well as a fork. Plus the water-tight seal helps keep your food fresh. Liquid refreshments are covered too with their Eau Good filtered water bottle. The bottle utilizes a Binchotan active charcoal filter to reduce chlorine and mineralize water (Binchotan charcoal has been used in Japan for centuries as a water purifier). Both the lunch box and water bottle are BPA free and reusable – and with their distinct aesthetics, you can be sure they’ll both be conversation-starters too.

Tough, tiny and taking on the world

Kids and Goruck packs have a lot in common. They’re always getting into scrapes and coming out the other end full of pride with their battle scars, getting covered in mud, equally at home in urban environments and nature… So it’s only natural that Goruck would create pint-sized packs that are as tough as the kids who’ll use them. They come in two sizes, 8L and 13L, to suit different ages and are also available in a choice of colorways. Just as durable as the packs Mom or Dad may be sporting, the Kid Rucks are built in the USA using 1000D Cordura and have a lifetime guarantee. They can also be customized with patches, so kids can put their own stamp on them. From school days to holidays, kid carry is sorted – and if parents just happen to commandeer one…well, they are in charge, after all.

Taming your tech cords

We live in a digital world, with a variety of tech coming along for the ride, whether it’s to work, during our travels or getting out and about in our downtime. Carrying tech means carrying the cables that go with it – cables that excel at undoing all our careful wrapping the moment they’re slipped into a bag or pocket. Saddleback Leather’s cord wrap sets are ready to wrangle unruly cables, so carrying your tech becomes a pleasure rather than a pain. Available in a set of four square cord wraps and a set of three adjustable cord wraps, these hard-wearing pieces are built just like the rest of Saddleback’s gear – a 100-year warranty means that even if your current tech eventually needs upgrading, these will still be going strong.

Versatile camera bag scores peak achievement

Peak Design have enjoyed great success with Kickstarter, but nothing quite like their latest campaign for the Peak Design Everyday Messenger. The most successful campaign of its category in the history of Kickstarter, it blazed past its funding goal in less than two hours after it launched and has already well surpassed the million-dollar mark. So what’s making it so popular? Well it’s a thoughtfully designed camera bag that – as the name implies – also serves as an everyday bag. Created in partnership with world-renowned photographer Trey Ratcliff, the bag can expand when you need to haul a lot of gear but also slims down when you’re carrying a small load. The magnetic latch enables quick and easy access to the contents, so you can grab your camera in a jiffy rather than fiddling around with zips. Organization is also sorted, with a front pocket for small items, flexible dividers that are customizable to your specific gear, plus a dedicated space for a laptop and tablet. A choice of carry options let you carry it as a shoulder bag or messenger bag, along with a removable stabilizer strap. Snap one up for yourself here.

Inspired by history, built to battle modern carry challenges

They make ’em tough in the army. So the new Salt and Pepper collection from Tanner Goods, creators of long-lasting and rugged goods, inspired by a vintage Swiss military pack that could take a beating and still come out victorious? Sounds like a combo that’s ready to conquer carry challenges near and far. The bags feature a Salt and Pepper canvas that was discontinued in the 1970s by the Swiss military and hasn’t been available until now. The fabric is engineered to original Swiss military specifications, woven from flax and nettle fibers rather than cotton, with a DWR coating to defeat the elements. Tanner Goods are the first to offer the fabric within the United States, across a collection that includes the Wilderness Rucksack, Nomad Duffle, Everyday Tote, Field Camera Bag, Drifter Dopp Kit and Stowaway Boot Bag.