Introducing the Prometheus Design Werx x Carryology:

SPX Pouch (SPX-C / CE07)

Accessory Pod (AP-C / CE08)

Stash Pouch Size 1 (SP1-C / CE09)

Admin Organizer Size 2 (AO2-C / CE10)

HAL1 Straps Sold Separately

Iconic, functional, and hard-wearing EDC pouches from the masters at PDW, then elevated with materials and trims to protect your gear against the elements. A modular pouch system to incorporate into your existing carry quiver, no matter what you carry or whatever your mission.

Each CE release is carefully chosen because it’s “best in class”. The leading pieces of gear in essential categories, hand-picked and taken to the design table and reimagined. 

In this case, we have the modular pouch/organizer collection. Four industry-leading pieces with years of insights built in, paired with sleek and minimal lines and our signature touch of expression and performance. 

And if you didn’t already know, these CE collections are designed to be restocked and evergreen, so more folks can access them and carry them proudly. So if this sells out make sure to hit that ‘NOTIFY ME’ button.

The Pouch Series

SPX-C

The SPX Pouch is designed to hold most of today’s smartphones and features an extra internal divider to stash a power bank so you can charge on the fly. 

It’s the perfect pouch to access your smartphone while on the go without the annoyance of it being a weight banging around in your pant or short pocket when hiking, climbing, or during any active pursuit. 

AP-C

The AP-C is the classic pen and pencil case. A version longer than most linear-style zippered pouches and ideally suited for full-sized combo wrenches, art supplies, and any manner of writing and drawing implements. And it will even fit most popular brands of modern electric toothbrushes.

SP1-C 

The SP1-C is designed to store a wide variety of items from the trail to EDC. Not too big and not too small, this handy zippered pouch is ideal for anything from binoculars to personal effects, trail snacks, and survival items.

AO2-C

The AO2-C is a true box construction, “drawbridge” type, clamshell opening organizer designed primarily to house writing to admin implements and compact tools.

The Upgrades

Rugged Exterior Fabric

You know us, we’re huge fans of the Connecticut-based brand Dimension Polyant’s X-Pac fabric. Being completely honest, we explored some additional fabrics during the development phases, but then we circled back to X-Pac. And why’s that? Firstly, it’s awesome stuff. Extremely durable, 100% waterproof, made in the USA, and it looks awesome. Secondly… being that these are pouches to be added to your existing packs, we thought it would be a great way to “match” them with previous collaborations and/or your other favorite non-collaboration carry. It just seemed to fit all around, like two perfectly cut puzzle pieces. For this collection, we opted for X-Pac VX42, a three-layer sandwich with a great balance of toughness, flexibility, and low weight for small items (like pouches).

Interior Pop

While we had our friends Dimension Polyant on the horn, we explored some exciting new liner fabrics for the pouches. Sure, an orange liner is usually our thing, but our jaws dropped once we started playing with DP’s PX05 fabric. It’s totally clear, allowing the white/gray backing of the VX42 to “shine through” for visual contrast and serious X-factor. For strength and durability, they added black polyester X grid (for strength and a nice visual pop) as well as a square grid of white polyester for ripstop properties (and additional strength).

Rainproof

Both the exterior fabric (VX42) and the interior fabric (PX05) are waterproof, so we needed to round out the protective shell with some YKK AquaGuard zippers. These are the semi-matte finish, no full matte, not glossy, just right. All exterior zippers utilize this zipper, with YKK reverse coils on the interior. But in the rare circumstance that you submerge your pouches, there’s also one water drain grommet at the bottom of the two admin-style pouches (CE09 and CE10).

Customize Your Pullers

Of course we went with a black exterior fabric on this collection, including black paracord with 3M flecks for visibility at night… but there’s an extra bonus included with CE08, CE09, and CE10 (CE07 doesn’t have zippers). Included in each pouch, there’s a little envelope with a full set of pre-cut zipper puller cords in orange w/3M flecks and olive green w/3M flecks. Now you can personalize your entire kit or individual pouches as you see fit.

Hardware Upgrade

Sure, the standard closure method on the SPX is secure and works well, but we had to add a little extra fun to the mix. We’re big fans of the brand, you’re big fans of the brand, everyone loves Fidlock. Magnets, one-handed operation, they look fantastic, and they give that satisfying *clack* when you close them. Specifically, we chose the Magnetic V-Buckle with a solid metal face for durability.

Organizer Upgrade

We really love PDW’s admin pouches, but to save a little weight (and cost to you), rather than purchasing a Velcro-backed organizer panel, we included it sewn into the pouch itself. Everything you need, without adding, removing, and/or paying for inserts.

Add links to products and a link to the https://prometheusdesignwerx.com/products/hal1-straps

The post PDW x Carryology | Modular EDC Pouch Essentials appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

< Score Your Chill Pill Here >

We’re excited to announce our newest Carryology Essential: the FidgetThings x Carryology Chill Pill (CE07).

Our favorite EDC fidget toy in the world, period. A tool hand-lathed in Southern California, USA, by Derek Schuetz. An EDC genius and master of keeping your pockets (and mind) chill, all day, every day. 

The Chill Pill is everything you need to take the edge off and keep your fingers busy. A compact pill-shaped toy, measuring in at 37x20mm, its two magnetic halves pull with awesome force and combine together with the most satisfying audible click. 

Roll it around your palm, disengage and re-engage with a flick of the finger, or toss it in the air for the two halves to form like Voltron. It’s the perfect companion and orange-pop for your pocket. And we’ve found it to be the ultimate calming influence on ‘drop day’ – trust us, ha! 

What makes this a special project? Let’s dive in. 

Honeycomb Titanium 

Derek makes his Chill Pills in so many different and awesome finishes. What first began as two 3D-printed pieces has now escalated into every metal, acrylic, and finish you can imagine – aluminum, copper, brass, turboglow, ultems – allowing his fans to match their EDC loadouts and mix and match the pill pieces however they like.  

But you know we love Titanium. It’s one of the world’s great materials, tough and light and built to last, so Titanium it would be. 

And after testing and playing with all of the variations, we found we wanted grip, no, needed grip. The better the grip the more tricks your Pill can do – a smooth pill was not the way. 

Enter the honeycomb machining. A nod to nature and some of the world’s most fantastic creatures. It reduces weight, lifts its badassery, but more importantly gives you that ever-important purchase when you’re maneuvering your pill around your palm like a demon. 

Dual O-Rings

But it turned out, it wasn’t enough. We wanted more grip. And so we asked Derek to do something he’s never done before – make two grooves into the acrylic side for dual rubber O-rings. A softer and more supple grip alternative that would make both pill halves completely perfect.

Orange Acrylic Pop

Being our seventh Essential, we wanted to push our signature black and orange vibe, so you can pair your Essentials together in your daily setup. 

Like the honeycomb Ti partner, the opposing side of the pill would be orange acrylic for pop. Its glassy look gives the aesthetic real zing, and appears like a bright orange bee tail – the ultimate accent.   

Machined ‘C’ So We Can Represent

Being so compact is one of the Chill Pill’s strengths, but makes it tricky when it comes to branding. But, you know, we like to rock the Carryology ‘C’ logo with pride. Using Derek’s machining mastery we found the perfect place to etch our logo, right at the base, so you can represent loud and proud. 

Stong, Badass Magnets

Do we know the strength and type of magnet?

Custom Label and Blacked-Out Prescription Bottle

There’s so much to love about the Chill Pill, and its capsule shape is one of them. It’s fun and speaks for itself. But our favorite play on the medical theme is every Chill Pill arrives in the mail in a mock prescription bottle with a ‘medical’ note from FidgetThings. 

So we redesigned the whole bottle to make it ours, and more special. All Black Everything when it comes to the canister. Because #allblackeverythingrules! 

The post FidgetThings x Carryology | Exclusive Release appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

Our favorite EDC fidget toy in the world, period. A tool hand-lathed in Southern California, USA, by Derek Schuetz. An EDC genius and master of keeping your pockets (and mind) chill, all day, every day. 

The Chill Pill is everything you need to take the edge off and keep your fingers busy. A compact pill-shaped toy, measuring in at 37x20mm, its two magnetic halves pull with awesome force and combine together with the most satisfying audible click. 

Roll it around your palm, disengage and re-engage with a flick of the finger, or toss it in the air for the two halves to form like Voltron. It’s the perfect companion and orange-pop for your pocket. And we’ve found it to be the ultimate calming influence on ‘drop day’ – trust us, ha! 

What makes this a special project? Let’s dive in. 

Honeycomb Titanium 

Derek makes his Chill Pills in so many different and awesome finishes. What first began as two 3D-printed pieces has now escalated into every metal, acrylic, and finish you can imagine – aluminum, copper, brass, turboglow, ultems – allowing his fans to match their EDC loadouts and mix and match the pill pieces however they like.  

But you know we love Titanium. It’s one of the world’s great materials, tough and light and built to last, so Titanium it would be. 

And after testing and playing with all of the variations, we found we wanted grip, no, needed grip. The better the grip the more tricks your Pill can do – a smooth pill was not the way. 

Enter the honeycomb machining. A nod to nature and some of the world’s most fantastic creatures. It reduces weight, lifts its badassery, but more importantly gives you that ever-important purchase when you’re maneuvering your pill around your palm like a demon. 

Dual O-Rings

But it turned out, it wasn’t enough. We wanted more grip. And so we asked Derek to do something he’s never done before – make two grooves into the acrylic side for dual rubber O-rings. A softer and more supple grip alternative that would make both pill halves completely perfect.

Orange Acrylic Pop

Being our seventh Essential, we wanted to push our signature black and orange vibe, so you can pair your Essentials together in your daily setup. 

Like the honeycomb Ti partner, the opposing side of the pill would be orange acrylic for pop. Its glassy look gives the aesthetic real zing, and appears like a bright orange bee tail – the ultimate accent.   

Machined ‘C’ So We Can Represent

Being so compact is one of the Chill Pill’s strengths, but makes it tricky when it comes to branding. But, you know, we like to rock the Carryology ‘C’ logo with pride. Using Derek’s machining mastery we found the perfect place to etch our logo, right at the base, so you can represent loud and proud. 

Stong, Badass Magnets

Do we know the strength and type of magnet?

Custom Label and Blacked-Out Prescription Bottle

There’s so much to love about the Chill Pill, and its capsule shape is one of them. It’s fun and speaks for itself. But our favorite play on the medical theme is every Chill Pill arrives in the mail in a mock prescription bottle with a ‘medical’ note from FidgetThings. 

So we redesigned the whole bottle to make it ours, and more special. All Black Everything when it comes to the canister. Because #allblackeverythingrules! 

The post FidgetThings x Carryology | One Chill Essential appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

Introducing the Bellroy x Carryology Slim Sleeve (CE05) and Card Sleeve (CE06). 

Two best-in-class slim EDC wallets: the Slim Sleeve, a timeless EDC classic. And the Card Sleeve, the distillation of ‘carry less’ philosophies, for the minimalists among us. 

< Score the Essentials Slim Sleeve (CE05)  >

< Score the Essentials Card Sleeve (CE06) >

These wallets are the top two most adored wallets in our Carry Community. Both designed to be slim, sleek, minimal and ready for adventures, from everyday to beyond. 

Each CE release is carefully chosen because it’s “best in class”. The leading pieces of gear in essential categories, hand-picked and taken to the design table and reimagined. 

In this case, we have the EDC wallet collection. Two industry-leading pieces with years of insights built in, paired with sleek and minimal lines and our signature touch of expression and performance. 

And if you didn’t already know, these CE collections are designed to be restocked and evergreen, so more folks can access them and carry them proudly. So if this sells out make sure to hit that ‘NOTIFY ME’ button.

MINIMAL AND SLEEK

When designing the best ‘go anywhere’ wallets, we wanted to nail the aesthetics. These pieces would be expressive and high in style points but also minimal and clean.

Luscious blacks with smooth lines and a little pop, nailing that perfect and versatile silhouette.

LUXE LEATHER-FEEL AND WATER RESISTANCE

We say it every time, one of the single most important parts of any softgoods product is the material selection. If you’re like me, when I hear the word “Bellroy”, you think world-class leather. 

Leather is our choice when it comes to wallets; it molds to your body and is soft in the pocket, developing that awesome patina over time.

And to lift the leather up a notch, we dug into Bellroy’s lab and picked out a premium water-resistant eco-tanned leather from their Leather Working Group gold-rated tannery (because wet leather can be a drag, staining and/or cracking). 

So it was carefully chosen for its durability, smooth handfeel, and protection from water, allowing you to adventure further with peace of mind.

AUXIKKO EXPRESSION 

After you guys loved the CE03 and CE04 so much, you know we had to bring it back, so you could match your Essentials up.

We selected special panels on each wallet to deeply deboss with our very own custom Carryology Auxikko pattern.

A coming together of two distinct inspirations: the ancient Japanese Kikkō pattern based on the nested hexagons of turtle shells. And the modern engineering concept of auxetics – structures or materials that transform under pressure, making for incredible strength and performance.

HI-VIS POP

Of course, you know we love expression in our carry. Not to mention a blaze of orange. So each wallet has a little pop – because it’s our signature and fun and awesome. 

Bellroy x Carryology Slim Sleeve (CE05) Features

• Debossed Carryology branding
• Custom Auxikko pattern embossed accents
• Eye-catching orange pull tab
• Premium LWG gold-rated WR leather
• Keeps bulk to an absolute minimum
• Quick-access slots front and back
• Pull tab for your main card storage
• Backed by 3-year warranty
• Special edition
• Holds 2 – 8 cards
• Pull-tab card storage

Bellroy x Carryology Card Sleeve (CE06) Features

• Debossed Carryology branding
• Custom Auxikko pattern embossed accents
• Eye-catching orange pull tab
• Premium LWG gold-rated WR leather
• Keeps bulk to an absolute minimum
• Quick-access slots front and back
• Pull tab for your main card storage
• Backed by 3-year warranty
• 2 – 8 cards, folded bills

The post Bellroy x Carryology Essentials Wallets | First Access appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

<< ORDER THE FRAKTAOLOGI NOW >>

May 2015: Struktur Event design conference in Portland, Oregon.

On a stage, microphone in my hand, a folding camping-style chair seated beneath me. I’m leading a panel discussion on carry titled “Backpacks are the new sneakers”. I’m joined by Hadrien Monloup (Carryology), Martina Brimmer (Swift Industries), John Canfield (High Above), and a clean-shaven Douglas Davidson (The Brown Buffalo). The crowd in front of me is made up of the most talented designers and the leading experts within the carry industry. 

To this day, I’m not sure why I abruptly changed the topic, but I’m a weird guy who loves all things carry. Through my mic, I propose the question to the room, “What is the most punk rock bag in existence?”

Several hands raise. 

Several answers are shared.

None are correct.

I sit back, holding onto the silence for dramatic effect, and answer…

“The big blue bag”.

Roaring thunderous applause. Champagne bottles pop. Everyone begins furiously dancing. Fireworks erupt indoors. Puppies!

At least that’s how I remember it. I may have embellished that last part just a tiny bit. But I’m sticking to my story.

We’ve been writing about this icon of carry since 2010. We’ve been fans of it for even longer than that. Andy Fallshaw (Carryology co-founder), has even published a love poem about the Swedish hauler, titled “Ode To The Big Blue IKEA Bag”. Yes, a love poem. We even awarded it the “Hall Of Fame” winner for this year’s Carry Awards. We love this bag. And for good reason.

Tracing its original concept story back to the 1960s, this nearly 40-year-old product was born as a direct result from a process in design thinking and research, which is some high-level nerding that we appreciate. Hundreds of millions of them have been produced since then, all thanks to the two fathers of big blue, Ingvar Kamprad (IKEA founder) and Sten Lundén. 

This bag is always there when you need it. For any purpose. It’s packable, so you can use it as a backup travel tote for souvenir overflow, tucked away in your one-bag travel backpack. It’s a gardening bag. It’s for depositing one million dollars in cash at your local bank. It’s camping gear storage. It’s a grocery hauler. It’s there when you’re ready to move into your next home or apartment. It’s famous for being able to carry 50 kilograms, “We found a woman at the office who weighed about 50 kilos and asked her to stand in the bag. I took one handle and Ingvar took the other. We lifted the bag up, and it didn’t break!” 

It’s bold. It’s utilitarian. It’s so simple that you truly forget about it. It’s minimal. It’s maximal. It’s badass. Folks on our Carryology team and our Carryology community members literally jokingly brag about how many Fraktas they own in their collection. It is the most punk rock bag in existence. 

For all the reasons above, as the world’s self-proclaimed number one fans of the icon, we wanted to create our own ode to the legend. Except this time, it would be an ode that exists in the physical world, a product and not just a love poem. But maybe a little bit of both. Inspired by everything that makes the humble big blue bag great… and then cranking the knob up to 11 at CBGB on a Saturday night.

First, fabric. While we love the instantly-recognizable blue polypropylene fabric of the original (commonly used on rice bags)… that just wouldn’t do. We made a list of properties we must have. Whatever we chose had to outperform the original stuff in every category. Durability, strength, water resistance, and color. We called up our friends at Challenge Sailcloth and made our wild pitch. While they had literally thousands of fabrics to choose from… there just wasn’t something that was perfect for this particular project. One option was 90% there, another fabric was 95% spot-on, and another was only halfway there, but it had properties we really wanted to include. So we popped the question… could they laminate us our very own custom fabric for this? Without hesitation, Hale at Challenge Sailcloth replied, “Absolutely!”

The original big blue is bright and bold. And we couldn’t make an ode to the original without stepping up the brightness and boldness factors. So it would be blaze orange, of course. Because “orange is the new blue”. We commissioned their first run of EPX400 fabric in this eye-piercingly bold colorway, Bright Orange. And this fabric’s performance… it’s the bee’s knees.

The 400D face fabric is made from 100% recycled polyester, which has twice the abrasion resistance of 420D nylon. Then, it’s laminated to a 70D ripstop backing fabric, with a matrix of 45° CrossPly in between for ultimate strength. Remember that 50kg human test from above? We’ll get back to that later. Finally, there’s a C0 DWR (durable water repellent) finish applied to the face, for those perfect sexy water droplet beads we all love to see. This ultimate performance sandwich creates a truly waterproof fabric (200PSI, 13.8+ Bar) that is wildly strong and can take many years of brutal abuse (3,000 cycles ATSM 3884)… and it’ll look great while doing it. 

The handles would be up next. These were critical to the success of the project. Solid color webbing without the wordmark would just look lazy. And folks, let me tell you… I’ve been designing and manufacturing bags for 15 years now… and sourcing this custom webbing was a serious chore. Searching the ends of the supply chains, we finally found the single best webbing supplier in the world. And somehow, we convinced them to take on this custom project. After six months of back and forth sampling and dialing of just the webbing, we had our final golden sample. The custom Pantone color-matched Carryology webbing finally existed.

Since so many of us all love our morale patches, we opted to toss on a small Velcro loop field to accommodate. Of course, this Velcro was also custom Pantone color-matched to the fabric, so there wouldn’t be three shades of oranges clashing with one another. But we couldn’t just make a Velcro loop panel and not include our own morale patch.

Since the entire project is a bit tongue in cheek, the patch had to meet the same style. Personally, this is one of my top three favorite patches we’ve ever made. Inspired by the movie Inception… the bag’s patch would be… a patch of itself. A bag on a bag. Molded rubber for detail and bold colors. Everyone who has seen it so far declares their love for it or laughs uncontrollably. Success. We made exactly enough patches so each Fraktaologi (both sizes) will come with its own patch. The patch will not be sold separately. 

Arguably the most important piece to the puzzle… how do we make this thing? We wanted the highest quality sewing and construction possible, but we didn’t want these things to cost $300+. If we went cheap, it would feel cheap. If we went domestic, it would be impossibly expensive. Who could deliver on both of these? The hero himself, Mr. Helmie Ashiblie of Alpha One Niner (badass people, badass brand, badass products, Carry Awards 1st place winner, and partners for the Carryology collab “Stealth Cobra”). In this world of softgoods manufacturing, this is a man who has a proven track record of delivering some of the highest quality products on the market. Helmie stepped in and offered up his manufacturing services for this project. And we couldn’t be happier about that. All the pieces were on the board.

Since we got this far, in the 11th hour, one of our team members brought up a valid question. Even though we knew the answer to it already. Should we make the OG size of 19 gallons? Or the more travel/EDC-friendly size of 10 gallons? Cue the “why not both?” GIF meme. 

Large (19 gallons).

Medium (10 gallons).

The Medium can hold approximately 1,300 meatballs.

The Large can hold approximately 2,500 meatballs.

The final step, we realized, hadn’t been finished yet … it needed a name. We kicked around some silly ideas. And yes, this was a silly idea turned serious, but it’s definitely not a joke. So we needed something that paid proper homage and respect to the original. At my wit’s end, I thought… I know IKEA uses Swedish names for many of their products, let’s see what “frakta” means. Well, “frakta” is Swedish for “carry”. It was that moment I had it, like every lightbulb in an IKEA store’s lighting section lit up all at once. Pulling up another browser window… yep, “Ologi” is Swedish for “The study of”. “Frakta” + “Ologi” literally translates to “Carryology”.

The Fraktaologi was born.

One massive shoutout to our Senior Editor, Brandon Vulaj. Once the design concept was finalized, Brandon stepped into the critical role of Product Developer for this project. Simply put, this wouldn’t have been possible without all his efforts. This might seem like a “turn-key” project that just took one or two emails to complete. But behind the scenes, Brandon has been chasing down suppliers, dealing with the world’s unstable supply chain challenges, working on pricing and manufacturing issues, and approving over a dozen different samples over 16 months’ time. These projects are no walk in the park and this one was no different. Worth it? Absolutely.

Finally, remember that story up above about the original blue bag being able to hold a 50-kilogram human without breaking? Well, we found two women who agreed to test the limits of the Fraktaologi. The test would require both women standing in the bag, at the same time. Total weight is a combined total of just over 100+ kilograms (220+ lbs). My friend and I lifted them up off the ground with opposite side grab handles and the Fraktaologi brushed off the test like it was child’s play. Not one single stitch broke.

Designed by Carryology, made by Alpha One Niner, from Challenge Sailcloth EXP400. It’s the do-everything anywhere bag. Packable travel tote, grocery hauler, cash bag for making large deposits, camping gear storage, a porter for whatever you can think of. Keep one in your car door pocket, one under the sink, and one in the hallway closet. You’ll end up using it way more than you ever expected. The Fraktaologi. A modernized and updated ode to the icon of carry, the Carry Awards Hall of Fame winner, and the most punk rock bag in existence. 

The post Exclusive Release | Fraktaologi appeared first on Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry.

May 2015: Struktur Event design conference in Portland, Oregon.

On a stage, microphone in my hand, a folding camping-style chair seated beneath me. I’m leading a panel discussion on carry titled “Backpacks are the new sneakers”. I’m joined by Hadrien Monloup (Carryology), Martina Brimmer (Swift Industries), John Canfield (High Above), and a clean-shaven Douglas Davidson (The Brown Buffalo). The crowd in front of me is made up of the most talented designers and the leading experts within the carry industry. 

To this day, I’m not sure why I abruptly changed the topic, but I’m a weird guy who loves all things carry. Through my mic, I propose the question to the room, “What is the most punk rock bag in existence?”

Several hands raise. 

Several answers are shared.

None are correct.

I sit back, holding onto the silence for dramatic effect, and answer…

“The big blue bag”.

Roaring thunderous applause. Champagne bottles pop. Everyone begins furiously dancing. Fireworks erupt indoors. Puppies!

At least that’s how I remember it. I may have embellished that last part just a tiny bit. But I’m sticking to my story.

We’ve been writing about this icon of carry since 2010. We’ve been fans of it for even longer than that. Andy Fallshaw (Carryology co-founder), has even published a love poem about the Swedish hauler, titled “Ode To The Big Blue IKEA Bag”. Yes, a love poem. We even awarded it the “Hall Of Fame” winner for this year’s Carry Awards. We love this bag. And for good reason.

Tracing its original concept story back to the 1960s, this nearly 40-year-old product was born as a direct result from a process in design thinking and research, which is some high-level nerding that we appreciate. Hundreds of millions of them have been produced since then, all thanks to the two fathers of big blue, Ingvar Kamprad (IKEA founder) and Sten Lundén. 

This bag is always there when you need it. For any purpose. It’s packable, so you can use it as a backup travel tote for souvenir overflow, tucked away in your one-bag travel backpack. It’s a gardening bag. It’s for depositing one million dollars in cash at your local bank. It’s camping gear storage. It’s a grocery hauler. It’s there when you’re ready to move into your next home or apartment. It’s famous for being able to carry 50 kilograms, “We found a woman at the office who weighed about 50 kilos and asked her to stand in the bag. I took one handle and Ingvar took the other. We lifted the bag up, and it didn’t break!” 

It’s bold. It’s utilitarian. It’s so simple that you truly forget about it. It’s minimal. It’s maximal. It’s badass. Folks on our Carryology team and our Carryology community members literally jokingly brag about how many Fraktas they own in their collection. It is the most punk rock bag in existence. 

For all the reasons above, as the world’s self-proclaimed number one fans of the icon, we wanted to create our own ode to the legend. Except this time, it would be an ode that exists in the physical world, a product and not just a love poem. But maybe a little bit of both. Inspired by everything that makes the humble big blue bag great… and then cranking the knob up to 11 at CBGB on a Saturday night.

First, fabric. While we love the instantly-recognizable blue polypropylene fabric of the original (commonly used on rice bags)… that just wouldn’t do. We made a list of properties we must have. Whatever we chose had to outperform the original stuff in every category. Durability, strength, water resistance, and color. We called up our friends at Challenge Sailcloth and made our wild pitch. While they had literally thousands of fabrics to choose from… there just wasn’t something that was perfect for this particular project. One option was 90% there, another fabric was 95% spot-on, and another was only halfway there, but it had properties we really wanted to include. So we popped the question… could they laminate us our very own custom fabric for this? Without hesitation, Hale at Challenge Sailcloth replied, “Absolutely!”

The original big blue is bright and bold. And we couldn’t make an ode to the original without stepping up the brightness and boldness factors. So it would be blaze orange, of course. Because “orange is the new blue”. We commissioned their first run of EPX400 fabric in this eye-piercingly bold colorway, Bright Orange. And this fabric’s performance… it’s the bee’s knees.

The 400D face fabric is made from 100% recycled polyester, which has twice the abrasion resistance of 420D nylon. Then, it’s laminated to a 70D ripstop backing fabric, with a matrix of 45° CrossPly in between for ultimate strength. Remember that 50kg human test from above? We’ll get back to that later. Finally, there’s a C0 DWR (durable water repellent) finish applied to the face, for those perfect sexy water droplet beads we all love to see. This ultimate performance sandwich creates a truly waterproof fabric (200PSI, 13.8+ Bar) that is wildly strong and can take many years of brutal abuse (3,000 cycles ATSM 3884)… and it’ll look great while doing it. 

The handles would be up next. These were critical to the success of the project. Solid color webbing without the wordmark would just look lazy. And folks, let me tell you… I’ve been designing and manufacturing bags for 15 years now… and sourcing this custom webbing was a serious chore. Searching the ends of the supply chains, we finally found the single best webbing supplier in the world. And somehow, we convinced them to take on this custom project. After six months of back and forth sampling and dialing of just the webbing, we had our final golden sample. The custom Pantone color-matched Carryology webbing finally existed.

Since so many of us all love our morale patches, we opted to toss on a small Velcro loop field to accommodate. Of course, this Velcro was also custom Pantone color-matched to the fabric, so there wouldn’t be three shades of oranges clashing with one another. But we couldn’t just make a Velcro loop panel and not include our own morale patch.

Since the entire project is a bit tongue in cheek, the patch had to meet the same style. Personally, this is one of my top three favorite patches we’ve ever made. Inspired by the movie Inception… the bag’s patch would be… a patch of itself. A bag on a bag. Molded rubber for detail and bold colors. Everyone who has seen it so far declares their love for it or laughs uncontrollably. Success. We made exactly enough patches so each Fraktaologi (both sizes) will come with its own patch. The patch will not be sold separately. 

Arguably the most important piece to the puzzle… how do we make this thing? We wanted the highest quality sewing and construction possible, but we didn’t want these things to cost $300+. If we went cheap, it would feel cheap. If we went domestic, it would be impossibly expensive. Who could deliver on both of these? The hero himself, Mr. Helmie Ashiblie of Alpha One Niner (badass people, badass brand, badass products, Carry Awards 1st place winner, and partners for the Carryology collab “Stealth Cobra”). In this world of softgoods manufacturing, this is a man who has a proven track record of delivering some of the highest quality products on the market. Helmie stepped in and offered up his manufacturing services for this project. And we couldn’t be happier about that. All the pieces were on the board.

Since we got this far, in the 11th hour, one of our team members brought up a valid question. Even though we knew the answer to it already. Should we make the OG size of 19 gallons? Or the more travel/EDC-friendly size of 10 gallons? Cue the “why not both?” GIF meme. 

Large (19 gallons).

Medium (10 gallons).

The Medium can hold approximately 1,300 meatballs.

The Large can hold approximately 2,500 meatballs.

The final step, we realized, hadn’t been finished yet … it needed a name. We kicked around some silly ideas. And yes, this was a silly idea turned serious, but it’s definitely not a joke. So we needed something that paid proper homage and respect to the original. At my wit’s end, I thought… I know IKEA uses Swedish names for many of their products, let’s see what “frakta” means. Well, “frakta” is Swedish for “carry”. It was that moment I had it, like every lightbulb in an IKEA store’s lighting section lit up all at once. Pulling up another browser window… yep, “Ologi” is Swedish for “The study of”. “Frakta” + “Ologi” literally translates to “Carryology”.

The Fraktaologi was born.

One massive shoutout to our Senior Editor, Brandon Vulaj. Once the design concept was finalized, Brandon stepped into the critical role of Product Developer for this project. Simply put, this wouldn’t have been possible without all his efforts. This might seem like a “turn-key” project that just took one or two emails to complete. But behind the scenes, Brandon has been chasing down suppliers, dealing with the world’s unstable supply chain challenges, working on pricing and manufacturing issues, and approving over a dozen different samples over 16 months’ time. These projects are no walk in the park and this one was no different. Worth it? Absolutely.

Finally, remember that story up above about the original blue bag being able to hold a 50-kilogram human without breaking? Well, we found two women who agreed to test the limits of the Fraktaologi. The test would require both women standing in the bag, at the same time. Total weight is a combined total of just over 100+ kilograms (220+ lbs). My friend and I lifted them up off the ground with opposite side grab handles and the Fraktaologi brushed off the test like it was child’s play. Not one single stitch broke.

Designed by Carryology, made by Alpha One Niner, from Challenge Sailcloth EXP400. It’s the do-everything anywhere bag. Packable travel tote, grocery hauler, cash bag for making large deposits, camping gear storage, a porter for whatever you can think of. Keep one in your car door pocket, one under the sink, and one in the hallway closet. You’ll end up using it way more than you ever expected. The Fraktaologi. A modernized and updated ode to the icon of carry, the Carry Awards Hall of Fame winner, and the most punk rock bag in existence. 

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Hong Kong, December 2019. Guard dogs gnash their teeth and bark loudly in my direction, I’m pinned down tightly behind the remnants of a short concrete wall in the mountain forest, crushing the leaves and twigs below me, trying to keep silent despite my heaving breath. Luckily, I have The Night’s cloak to help conceal me… until the guards begin shining their LED tactical flashlights, cutting like lightsabers over my head. All because I wanted a photograph of the HK city skyline (good news, I got the shot). 

I had already been hiking and climbing, hanging off a tall rocky ledge without safety equipment, and panicking in the darkness. And now this. Thanks to some bad intel from a terrible taxi driver, I’d mistakenly entered the property of some kind of government complex. Now I’m being hunted, likely facing some serious criminal punishment for trespassing and attempting to evade arrest. 

The chainlink fence, just a few feet in front of me, and, more importantly, between the dogs and I, provides a shred of confidence, while I rapidly calculate my next move. I hear rustling in the woods. On my side of the fence. A hundred meters or so off to the right, in the thick bushes. The guards shout Cantonese orders, loudly and blindly into the void, the canines bolt towards whatever it is. It was now or never. I take the small window and sprint the opposite direction. 45 minutes later, I’m out of the dense forest and onto a small residential path, finally able to focus on reducing my heart rate and calming my breath. “This is supposed to be my damn vacation,” I laugh to myself…

White’s Boots X Carryology

I asked the expert community within our Carryology Classified group

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Mystery Ranch x Carryology No Escape. 

USA ORDERS

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Behold our fierce second collaboration with Mystery Ranch. Forged in the creative fires of The Ranch. Ready to be set loose on the world. Scorching new paths of adventure. 

Codenamed the Dragon, this pack is built with the world’s toughest and lightest materials, giving it the ability to torch any enivornment that gets in its way. 

But just like its mythical namesake, this beast will be mighty hard to pin down. So don’t delay and catch your dragon before its gone! 

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Mystery Ranch x Carryology No Escape. 

Our second collaboration with none other than Mystery Ranch. One of the greatest pack makers the world has ever seen. 

If you’re reading this, you’re aware of the last collaboration: the Mystery Ranch x Carryology Assault pack, AKA ‘The Unicorn’. It was a project of labor, love, and inspired by one of the rarest packs of all time, the Beams Day Assault pack. And it sold out in just minutes… on two separate drops. 

After experiencing what can only be described as shock, we rubbed the dust from our eyes. Just four minutes after the website said “SOLD OUT” on the first drop, I reached for my phone and immediately texted D3 to congratulate him. And then the question arose: “What next?”. 

It was clear in no uncertain way. It had to eclipse The Unicorn. Heck, it had to breathe flames and toast The Unicorn to a crisp. That was the challenge. How to create a Dragon…

ultra-rare reimagined hunting pack turned urban legend

A lost (but not forgotten) mythical beast

Like The Unicorn, a mythical beast searched for but never attained, Mystery Ranch x Carryology round two needed the same DNA – we had to make the unattainable attainable. Then reimagine and improve it. Make it our own. 

There was little discussion, really. During our first phone call, the words were already inside my mouth, trying to force their way out… “SCAPE ARTIST!” Hopefully I didn’t scream it. I probably did. 

It had to be the Japanese powerhouse A&F’s 40th-anniversary celebration pack. The unattainable, ultra-rare reimagined hunting pack turned urban legend. One of the most desired Mystery Ranch backpacks of all time. One that IF you are able to find one, it regularly sells for between $750-$1,000 USD on eBay… for a USED pack made of Cordura nylon.

Dragon in the Ranch

I watch a warm sunny Austin, Texas disappear down into the clouds from my window seat (window seats always and forever) and land into a blistering-cold snow-covered Bozeman, Montana. For me, that’s just what I was hoping for. Unlike most folks from hot-weather states, visiting the cold is a rare treat and one that I enjoy. Feeling that crisp mountain air as I step out of the airport, it makes me want to go after it. 

Walking into the front door of “The Ranch” (the nickname for Mystery Ranch’s HQ and factory), I see “The Big Guy” (the nickname for Dana Gleason, founder). They have lots of nicknames here, I realize. Dana and I exchange friendly small talk through our fabric masks. Always great to shoot the breeze with him, a design hero of mine as well as a fantastic human. But damn, I can’t say I’m not looking forward to the next time I actually get to hug that gent.

Past racks upon racks of stacked multi-colored Cordura nylon fabric rolls and past a sea of whirring sewing machines piloted by some of the best sewers on US soil, I enter the belly of the beast… the design room. This is where it all happens.

Here, D3 (Dana Gleason’s son, also named Dana) and Alex Rich (one of the pack designers at The Ranch) are both waiting for me at a worktable stacked with a pile of prototypes and Scape Artists. One particular pack catches my eye. Prior to knowing we would be using the Scape Artist for a collab jumping-off point, Alex had designed and handmade his very own version of an updated Scape Artist, with a laser-cut MOLLE Stick-It style tail and other unique tweaks. That’s when I knew we were already on the right trail… in hot pursuit of the dragon, grasping at its yet-to-be-designed and realized tail.

Admittedly, I’d been thinking (dreaming) of what a Mystery Ranch x Carryology collaboration version of the Scape Artist might look like for more than two years. Yes, I’m a nerd and I’m proud of it. This is what I sit around and think about, all day and night.

One thing we agreed upon immediately was the overall direction: Absolutely next level. 

Reborn without compromises 

D3 coined the term and it needed no explanation whatsoever. It would follow the concept of “Maximalist Design”. No punches held back. Only the very best fabrics, only the best hardware, make it a monument of carry awesomeness, and ignore designing within any cost or manufacturing constraints. No features removed to trim the price tag. Full on. Blue sky. What might be considered improbable and maybe even impossible. Crazy.

A brother to the Unicorn

The Dragon also had to be something of its own, but share the same legendary bloodline with The Unicorn. There had to be a cohesive design language. These things were easy. Paracord heat-shrink tubing zipper pullers. Done. YKK AquaGuard zippers. Done. Orange interior lining accents. Done. No exterior MOLLE/PALS. Done. Hypalon puller tabs. Done. The world-class, ultra-comfortable, super-adjustable Futura Yoke suspension system. Done.

Lighter, stronger, built to fly anywhere

A pack is only as good as its fabric. The original Scape Artist used 500D Cordura nylon fabric, which is an absolutely brilliant fabric. It’s quality, durable stuff that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, which is why it’s used everywhere. But we wanted to turn this up to the next level. D3 showed me some wild fabric up at the Ranch and invited me to try to rip it in half. With all my strength, I couldn’t get 1mm of tear. It was damn cool, but there was maybe like three yards available and it didn’t really drape the way we wanted.

After experimenting and considering dozens of options, we cleared the table. What are the best fabrics we want to work with? Dyneema, Dimension Polyant X-Pac, and Cordura. They’re our three favorites for good reason. They’re super technical, modern, strong, durable, drape well, and well… they look awesome.

Working with the R&D team at Dyneema, we carefully ran through our use cases and requirements, and their team came back with “CT9HK.18/blkwov6” as their recommendation, and started creating the yardage for us right away. Yes, that is one long scientific-sounding name for an incredibly sexy fabric. Stronger than steel and technically speaking, Dyneema is the strongest material… on Earth.

We opted for the best of the best X-Pac, based on our professional experience. It would be the waterproof and durable X50 in MultiCam Black (the Ranchers have their own nickname for MCB: “BlacktiCam”). Like our Tokai Sling collaboration with Aer, we added this fabric only on the sides. This way, you have a bit of subdued street-inspired flare, but it’s not totally in your face or in the face of someone walking behind you.

Rounding it out, we used the tried and true classic 500D Cordura nylon on the “core” construction of the pack, such as the Futura suspension and the structural areas and base, to give it strength and boosted abrasion resistance where it mattered. 

Fire-breathing mouth

The large-mouth U-shaped panel-loader opening allows for killer access to all your gear, opening up to our signature high-vis orange ‘fire breathing’ interior, so you can find everything you need in a blaze of orange glory. 

Pocketfuls of gold (and access)

Inside, we’ve added five new accessory pockets, so you can find the right-sized pockets for all your essentials. Pens, multitools, flashlights, you name it. 

Two up high out of crunch zones for easy access. Two down low for larger objects or cylindrical shapes (umbrella, camera gear or bottle, etc). And one large vertical zippered pocket on the backside of the front panel. 

And while the panel-loader provides extreme access to the interior of the pack, if it’s super full, it can sometimes be difficult to fight around your stuff to gain access to your laptop. So we added a quick-draw exterior vertical zipper access for your laptop too. So you can get to your tech, quick smart. 

For those of us who love pouches (all of us?), we’ve added not three but four rows of MOLLE/PALS to allow users to utilize a wider range of pouches to be mounted. Because, hey, we want everyone to load up their Dragon just how they need it. 

Adding some spy-level fun, we included two vertical zipper pockets (one on each side near the bottom of the back panel), to stash something like a passport or other sensitive items. Like any good secret agent gadget, you’d never know they were there unless you knew what you were looking for.

A waterfall (when needed) 

As many of our Unicorn owners requested, The Dragon’s laptop compartment has a toggle to hang a hydration bladder, as well as a hydration hose passthrough, so folks can carry into the mountains, and be prepared (and hydrated). 

Speaking of water. We love a clean aesthetic and generally exterior water bottle pockets aren’t really our… bag. However, we listen to our readers. People begged for our next one to include external pockets to hold their favorite cylindrical vessels to hold this “H2O liquid” we keep hearing all about. The original Scape Artist has bottle pockets, but they don’t play well with taller/larger bottles. So we tweaked the patterns to securely hold vessels or objects of all heights (we’re looking at you, compact tripods). 

Hidden magic (Stick-It)

Folks, I’ve always loved Mystery Ranch’s version of the “beaver tail”. It provides additional exterior storage at a moment’s notice for so many different shaped essentials. And until recently, the Removable Stick-It was another discontinued product from their legendary catalog. We’re happy to see its return in Blaze Orange, Coyote, and MultiCam. Unfortunately, for the Stick-It to work with the No Escape, it requires additional lash points. So we decided to especially build it in (and maintain a clean exterior at the same time). 

So we took the Stick-It concept and gave it the “Maximalist Design” treatment. It would be able to be quickly deployed and then stowed away, attached into its own hidden zippered pocket at the bottom. It would be made from Dyneema and X50 MultiCam to match the rest of the pack. And it would have vertical webbing lash points, a nod to the Front backpack. Super minimal and clean when you want it or rapidly deploy it and have a pop of MCB and additional function.

Load-bearing origami wings

Like the Stick-It, we wanted a waist belt for “just in case” scenarios. While we love the function of the Carryology Assault’s hidden hip belt, some said they could feel it against their lower lumbar. To improve on this, we switched to the Scape Artist’s origami folding-style hip belt that folds up and away behind the water bottle pockets. 

Branding at the heart

The label. A minor detail, but worth noting. There’s something so perfect and iconic about the woven black and orange Mystery Ranch label. It just so happened that the Scape Artist already used this handsome woven label. We redesigned it to include both brands and in the process, actually shrunk it a few millimeters, making it smaller than the original. And most importantly, for that ideal design balance, we took the off-center Scape Artist location and placed it exactly in the middle. Perfect.

A samurai myth (for morale)

And this wouldn’t be a Mystery Ranch x Carryology collab without a morale patch. A morale patch with a story, symbolism, a bit of magic. 

Again, to pair with The Unicorn – the knight holding the grail, riding a unicorn with a shield made from Unobtanium – this would be the equal opposite. The dark to the light. 

There is a deep dive into the relevance of each of the four symbols chosen for this patch design, which can be read about here in full geeky detail. But they represent things which cannot be attained by mere mortals; a samurai warrior, a dragon, a very special sword (Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi / “Grass-Cutting Sword”), and a five-colored jewel from a dragon’s neck (from The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter). 

The two patches are meant to be displayed side by side, as a diptych, with the two warriors riding their mythical beasts towards each other. Maybe towards war, maybe towards peace, maybe towards both simultaneously. 

Of course, we need to give a big shout-out to the incredibly talented genius illustrator who designed the last patch and who does all kinds of fantastic work for Carryology (one of the founders of Carryology), Hadrien Monloup. Extra shout-out to our friend Alexander Ryu Long in Japan who helped us fact-check the symbolism for the patch design. Thank you!

No Escape

Lastly, the name. Sure, the codename we’ve been using is “Dragon” (like the Carryology Assault “Unicorn”). But it needed a real product name. Carryology Scape? What if we dropped the “Carryology” and went with some kind of play on words? Scape Artist is kind of like “escape artist”. Maybe Houdini? No, no, no. None of it felt genuine. It felt like a magician’s gimmick. Throughout the long prototype process, we’d suggest names back and forth. None of them stuck.

Then Alex Rich, the designer assigned to this project, mistakenly stumbled upon the name via a humorous and creative intentional accident. Being that he was stuck inside during the never-ending pandemic, toiling away for hours on end, completely alone, sewing, refining, patterning this beautiful dragon. Out of frustration, to label the patterns he was working on for future identification, in pencil he wrote “No Escape” onto the cream-colored paper. We all agreed, it was a brilliant lightbulb moment. The truth of it all. And the irony: because this pack would bring anyone who wore it freedom too. 

The fire-breathing dragon would be known as the Mystery Ranch x Carryology No Escape.

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Why morale patches? Well, they’re undoubtably a part of carry culture – collected, traded and Velcro’d on backpacks worldwide. And since this is our first, we wanted to share a bit on morale patches and their origins.

The History of the Morale Patch

The first “version” can be traced back to something called a “blood chit”. This is a small note or document to be carried on one’s person, which represents a future debt to be paid. The first known blood chit was given to Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a French inventor, traveler, and pioneer in the the field of hot air balloon travel. Who gave him the article? Well it was George Washington, back in 1793.

Blanchard was demonstrating his new technology in the United States and since he could not control the direction of the balloon’s path, the blood chit stated that any United States citizen who came across him was obligated to help him return to Philadelphia. This blood chit would later be carried by soldiers, sewn into or onto their uniforms to help them with safe passage, in the case of being caught behind enemy lines.

However, what we know as the modern day morale patch continued to evolve from the blood chit. Tracing back to World War I, British soldiers would wear distinct designs on their uniforms to identify them as Allies and identify which unit they belonged to. But it was the US Army who officially popularized this idea, specifically the 81st Division Wildcats of WWI.

This unit wanted to be able to quickly distinguish themselves from other units and increase the morale of the troops, via handmade cloth patches which would be sewn onto their uniforms. Shortly after 81st’s adaptation of this concept, General Pershing made a formal order for every division to create and wear their own unique design morale patch. The rest… is history.

P01: Firefly Black

Meet the P01: Firefly Black. A classic and badass start to a long line of awesomeness to come.

And, of course, there’s more to these than just being black and orange. For the upper, we opted for a long time favorite material made by a long time favorite fabric producer of ours: laser cut 500D nylon from Cordura. It’s tough, it’s tech, it’s classic.

Now the lower… we went for the real deal Diamond Grade ‘honeycomb’ DG3 Reflective made by the scientists at 3M. It’s orange in normal lighting conditions, and then explodes like a bright orange firefly when hit with a light source. A safety feature for individuals who may commute in low light environments or just a visible flex to your fellow Carryologists when you’re out exploring the world.

Limited, one-time-only runs

And yes, there will be regular beat of patch releases. We’ve been working away in the lab and have dozens of new designs prepared for the future. However, once each colorway sells out… it will never be produced again. Never. And then it will be onto the next color/pattern/material experiment to keep things exciting and fresh.

The one thing all these patches will have in common? They’re designed to boost morale and provide safe passage on all your travels and adventures.

We hope you carry them with pride!

Carry on.

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Shipping to other countries is totally possible, but will come with an extra fee.

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