Peak Design have embarked on a Kickstarter campaign to launch their first in a planned line of bags dubbed The Everyday Messenger. Product development was started over a year ago when professional photographer Trey Ratcliff approached the company with a challenge to design a bag that accommodated photo gear, but also the implements of everyday life. The Everyday Messenger expands from 13.5L to 20.5L, utilising a system of 22 foam panels that expand and contract cleanly, without losing shape. The exterior is built from a 500D synthetic canvas with wax coating and DWR finish, which sheds water and provides rugged durabiity. The Everyday Messenger’s interior is constructed with several removable high-density compression-molded EVA foam inserts that fold to adapt to a wide range of cameras, lenses and accessories, without creating pockets of “dead space” found in typical camera bags. The new bag features a proprietary closure mechanism designed to allow blind, one-handed operation, and both semi and full lock engagement. The Everyday Messenger is finished with an internally-padded seatbelt-style shoulder strap that allows a huge range of adjustment with no hanging “tail” of extra webbing. For more information, visit the website below.

Website: Peak Design

Press Release

Peak Design Re-Thinks the Modern Messenger Bag

Launching on Kickstarter, The Everyday Messenger™ is for Cameras & Essential Carry

San Francisco, CA (July 22, 2015) — Peak Design, one of most innovative and disruptive camera accessory brands in recent years, is back to Kickstarter for the fifth time in five years to a launch their first in a planned line of bags. Partnering with professional photographer Trey Ratcliff, Peak Design set an ambitious goal to completely re-think every function and design element of the modern messenger bag. After a year of close collaboration and design, Ratcliff and Peak Design are proud to unveil The Everyday Messenger™, a complete overhaul of the classic messenger bag that meets the demands of not just photographers, but travelers, commuters and the creative class.

Product development was started over a year ago when Trey Ratcliff, an avid user of Peak Design gear, approached the team with a challenge to design a bag that accommodated photo gear, but also the implements of everyday life. “I’m sick and tired of camera bags,” Ratcliff exclaims in the Kickstarter video, “they’re bulky foam cubes with messy dividers and tons of dead space. I’m tired of switching bags when I’m not shooting – I wish I had one bag that I could use everyday.” The result of this collaboration is a bag that is of universal appeal, with camera-specific functionality, but delivered in a novel format that maximizes capacity and versatility, and with a clean, classic aesthetic.

The Everyday Messenger features the new patent-pending MagLatch™, a proprietary closure mechanism designed to allow blind, one-handed operation, and both semi and full lock engagement. The bag expands from 13.5L to 20.5L, utilizing a system of 22 foam panels that expand and contract cleanly, without losing shape. The exterior is built from a 500D synthetic canvas with wax coating and DWR finish, which sheds water and provides good-looking rugged durability. The Everyday Messenger’s interior is constructed with several removable high-density compression-molded EVA foam inserts that fold to adapt to a wide range of cameras, lenses and accessories, without creating pockets of “dead space” found in typical camera bags. The Everyday Messenger is finished with an internally-padded seatbelt-style shoulder strap that allows a huge range of adjustment with no hanging “tail” of extra webbing.

With the launch of The Everyday Messenger, Peak Design is celebrating both the company’s five-year anniversary and its fifth appearance on Kickstarter. As a company born, nurtured, and matured through crowdfunding, Peak Design has continually delivered meaningful innovation to stagnant product categories via the Kickstarter platform. To design The Everyday Messenger, Peak Design partnered with one of the world’s most acclaimed travel photographers, Trey Ratcliff, to integrate both photography and general travel expertise. “As a travel photographer, “I’ve used my fair share of bags but I’ve never found one that checks all the boxes,” Ratcliff says. Other than a camera, a bag is the most important tool a photographer brings along. This has been a major passion project — I've always wanted to build the perfect companion bag.”

Beautiful, intelligent and adaptable, The Everyday Messenger™ is more than just an innovative camera bag. It’s giant leap for all of bag-kind. Designed for photographers, creatives, travelers, urbanites and everybody in-between. Available on Kickstarter, 7/22/15.

The Everyday Messenger™ Characteristics:

• Brand new patent-pending MagLatch™ operates blindly, securely and with 1 hand.
• Origami-inspired FlexFold™ dividers are made of high-density foam, and fold/flex around camera gear, eliminating dead space found in traditional camera bags.
• Shell expands and contracts (13.5L to 20.5L) without losing shape.
• 2 dedicated Capture clip attachment points for fast exterior camera access.
• Front access panel allows fast external access to smaller accessories.
• Top zip allows latch-less access to main compartment.
• Converts from messenger bag to low-slung shoulder bag.
• Quick adjusting 2-inch padded tubular seatbelt-style strap.
• Removable waist strap for load distribution and stability.
• Optimized for all photography kits, up to a full-frame DSLR with 3 lenses and accessories.
• Equally optimized for everyday carry and use by non-photographers.
• Dedicated 13-15” laptop pocket with tablet/document sleeve.
• Color-coded internal pocket layout designed around photography workflow.
• 2 side pockets for quick access to water bottles and smartphones.
• Weather resistant waxed shell with high-density padding.
• Premium water resistant exterior zippers.
• Hypalon-reinforced and bar-tacked stress points.
• Lifetime warranty from Peak Design.

About Peak Design

Peak Design began as a professional-grade camera accessory brand dedicated to engineering thoughtful solutions to improve the way photographers transport and manage their cameras. Born out of a successful Kickstarter project in 2011, Peak Design has returned to crowdfunding 5 times to bring over 20 innovative, durable products to likeminded photographers and adventurers. The San Francisco based company now designs products not just for photographers, but also travelers, commuters and the creative class. For more information visit peakdesign.com

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