We automatically accept that, for certain kinds of things, there exists a premium tier of quality characterized by high-end design and high-grade materials. We accept that there are $700 mountain bikes and there are $7,000 mountain bikes, there are disposable cameras and professional DSLRs. Recently, Osprey, the Colorado-based backpack maker, asked a simple question: Why not hiking backpacks?
Not satisfied to let that question remain rhetorical, the company spent two years creating Osprey UNLTD, a limited collection of backpacking backpacks that utilizes materials and technologies that have never before made their way into outdoor bags.
Leading that ingredient list is a 3D-printed lumbar support created by a Silicon Valley unicorn called Carbon. The lumbar functions like foam to provide support, but fine-tunes and optimizes it while adding ventilation and a touch of grip. There's also the bags' ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fabric, which is wildly durable for how lightweight it is. Features like a self-adjusting strap system (Osprey calls this Fit-On-The-Fly) and automatic load balancing (Autolift) emphasize comfort and the overall wear experience.
