Check your inbox! BackerKit surveys are SENT…
over 9 years ago – Thu, Nov 03, 2016 at 06:15:54 PM

I hope everyone had a great Halloween… my 9 month old son was a mini Totoro and I was the father character from the series so it was a lot of fun!

I also just visited the sewing house and was really impressed with the progress. In case you missed it, here was the previous post in which I talked about the cutting process for the material. Now we’ve received all of the dies which will speed up the process tremendously.

 

Another way we’re trying to make efficiency gains is to build pieces of the packs as components and then assemble them together to produce finished packs. I’ve put together some more behind the scenes photos and details about he process in this post.

 

Last but not least: Drum roll…. surveys SENT!

I just sent the survey email out which will include your special personalized link to your BackerKit survey. It is important to respond to your survey as quickly as you can since we need this information to fulfill your rewards.

When it arrives, just click on the survey link, fill it out, and you’re good to go! You don’t need to create a BackerKit account to fill out your survey. You'll be able to select your reward color choices, provide shipping information, and pledge for more “add-ons” if you'd like.

If you decide later that you want to edit your survey response, you can go back to your survey and change it any time before we lock down the surveys for processing.

If you use your Facebook login for your Kickstarter account, the BackerKit survey will be sent to the email you used for your Facebook account. If you have another email address that you would prefer to use, please contact support at https://slimpack.backerkit.com/faq and we'll get you sorted out!

Thanks for your support! 

Dave Z

Housekeeping & Update
over 9 years ago – Sun, Oct 16, 2016 at 12:51:27 AM

Hi Folks!

I just wanted to check in to give you a quick progress update... the funds from the campaign were just transferred to me yesterday, but the sewing shop has already been in full swing because I went ahead and placed the orders for all the material just before the campaign finished up. Almost all of the special order components have arrived and it’s exciting to see the beginnings of bags emerge!

So when is the survey coming anyway? If you’ve backed a Kickstarter before, you may know that the process is generally:

• Pledge for project
• Campaign ends
• Pledges collected (i.e., your credit card is charged) 
• Funds transferred to creator (2 weeks later) 
• Survey sent 
• Rewards delivered

Some creators send out surveys as soon as they can… others wait until all of the items are produced and send out the survey just before shipping. What I’m trying to do is find the sweet spot where I send it early enough to know how many of each color to make while minimizing the chances that your delivery information changes between the time you fill out the survey and the time I send out the reward.

Right now, I’m targeting the end of October for the survey to go out. Meanwhile, we’re doing a smaller production run to fine tune the production techniques.

Want a peek behind the scenes of production? 

Check out this post about my plans to create dies for almost all of the cutting.

 

Thanks for your support! 
Dave Z

New 2x Reward Tier & All Black
over 9 years ago – Sun, Oct 02, 2016 at 08:17:32 AM

tl;dr:
1) Samples are being further refined and look great 

2) New 2x Slim Pack reward added is an even better deal than FIRST MOVER

3) New Black/Black and Charcoal/Orange color options added

Howdy Backers!

Wow, we passed 1000 backers today! It’s your support with has made so many upgrades as well as the additional color combinations below possible. THANK YOU!

Yesterday I went to the sewing house to check out the latest sample and it’s looking great! We’ve figured out a way to integrate the molded handle with the straps even more smoothly and attach the webbing reinforcements in a unique and stylish way that echoes the Minimal MOLLE.

 

New 2x Slim Pack Tier

Several folks asked about backing for multiple packs so I've just added a 2x Slim Pack Combo reward. By sharing a single shipping fee, this is an even better deal than FIRST MOVER which sold out on the first day. If you were in a combo pack with the wallets and are interested in picking up a second Slim Pack, this is going to work out better since you’ll still be able to add additional wallets in the survey at the end.

To pledge for 2 Slim Packs, simply go to the project page and choose the blue "Manage" button. Then on the next page, select "Update your pledge" and choose the new reward tier. If you run into any difficulties just send me a message and I’m happy to help.

All Black Option Added

Did you back the original concept hoping for an all black pack? I know I’ve added the orange accent bottle pocket stitch which many folks asked for, but I want to honor those who really would prefer something all black like the original concept. While it’s possible to use a Sharpie to make it look pretty good, it’s still not a pure deep black. I want you to be completely satisfied with the pack so I’m going to offer a black water bottle accent stitch option as well.

For those interested in Black w/Black accents, would you prefer to have side pieces that are Black or Gray instead of Orange? Or or are the Orange side pieces good?

Charcoal/Orange Option Added

I also had a Charcoal Soft Shell sample made with orange accent top stitching, orange bottle pocket stitching, and orange interior accents. It came out really sharp so I’m adding that as a Slim Pack color option too!

 

Lastly, I was pretty happy with the Charcoal/Gold color combination which has orange interior accents. From folks I’ve shown it to so far, their impression is that the overall look of the interior and exterior is harmonious.

If you’re interested in a Charcoal pack, are you happy with these options or do you think the side panel choice of the Charcoal/Gold one should change? One note is that finding an exact match with the yellow thread is very unlikely so perhaps gray or black would work as side pieces? Or is sticking with the orange accent good?

Thanks again for all of your support and feedback along the way!

Dave

Thoughts on accent color?
over 9 years ago – Fri, Sep 30, 2016 at 02:21:42 PM

Greetings Backers!

How are things? I’m good! I was really excited to hear all the positive feedback about the Minimal MOLLE and sternum strap design. I think that’s going to make the pack even more versatile.

Now that we’re honing in on the functional elements, let’s turn back to form again. One thing I’ve heard from folks is an interest in having some kind of accent color on the bag. Well, I think I found a really good place for it: 

A bar tack stitch on the water bottle pocket. Rounding out the design element, I discovered that the seat belt webbing tab is capable of having a flat heat press logo applied to it without melting and it comes out really clean:

As a second design element, I did some experimentation and am able to add some top-stitching to the corners of the side pieces as a miter between the middle of each radius. Here’s the thing- while it’s possible to make this an accent stitch, a black/black top stitch actually adds a nice subtle detail:

Here’s what it looks like in orange/black:

For those folks interested in having a color accent, my question is whether just the orange bar tack on the water bottle pocket combined with black/black top stitching is enough for you?

And for those of you who want something predominantly black, would you mind the water bottle bar tack stitch as a design element?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! 

Dave

PS- As you may have noticed, one of the things I’ve been up to is creating videos to showcase new features. Curious what my process is to make them? 
I’ve put together this post to give you a bit of a behind the scenes look.

Into writing tools? Here's another Kickstarter project going on now to check out:

Magno -The WORLD’S FIRST Magnetically Controlled Pencil

 

 Please CLICK HERE to see why Magno is so special

New add-on: sternum straps!
over 9 years ago – Fri, Sep 30, 2016 at 07:28:36 AM

Greetings Backers! 

Thanks to all of you who have backed since the last update and welcome to the project! I appreciate all of your support and excitement. Did you see that The Next Web just came out with a review saying “Slim Pack might just be the perfect backpack”? Wow- that’s a lot to live up to! While nothing is truly perfect, I’ll do my best...

The approach I’m taking at the moment is along the lines of the “form follows function” mantra. My primary goals are: 

• Create a high quality product
• Deliver that product on time

I just visited the sewing house yesterday to review the latest sample and it’s looking great! I identified 18 small tweaks to be made for the next sample, most of them you wouldn't notice if I handed you the before and after packs and didn’t tell you what to look for.

I’m also exploring some options for accent colors, but that falls more into the form category and I'm currently more focused on finalizing the materials and mechanics of the pack.

Sternum Straps

The main new functional element I’ve developed are removable sternum straps! Some of your feedback included:

Jeffrey: "My 2 cents (1) removable sternum strap. (2) pure black with black stitching (3) no reflective panels. Thanks for listening" 
Rory: "+1 on sternum straps” and suggested some aftermarket ones with snap loops which are sold separately.
Eieio: "I actually see a DOWNSIDE to including such a sternum strap for those of us who have no use for such: even a removable one will necessarily have female clips that are "extra" on the front of the shoulder straps in order to accommodate a sternum strap. those clips are often uncomfortable and fussy. Your original design is simple and clean, and by accommodating various options, albeit removable, it will STILL necessitate these extra do-dads and clips and what not."

I hear all of you… and agree with you all too! So I created some sternum straps which are COMPLETELY removable by finding special clips which are permanently attached to the sternum strap piece and not the pack. Instead, the shoulder straps have what I’m calling “Minimal MOLLE*” that allows you to actually attach all kinds of stuff, not just sternum straps.

In order to be able to special order the minimum quantities of each high quality piece and cover costs, the sternum straps will be a $5 add-on per pair. Selection will be made in the survey after the campaign so you can wait until then to decide or go ahead and add $5 to your current pledge if you’d rather do it now.

If you’re new to Kickstarter, don’t worry about anything right now. I’ll provide detailed instructions in about 6 weeks about surveys, add-on items, and how to adjust pledges. So just hang tight and know that sternum straps will be an option for you later on if you want them.

Here’s a quick demo to show you how they work:

If you look closely, there’s a sneak peek of an accent color too ;)

Thanks again for your support!
Dave

*MOLLE (pronounced Molly, as in the female name) is an acronym for Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. It is used to define the current generation of load-bearing equipment and backpacks utilized by a number of NATO armed forces, especially the British Army and the United States Army.
__________________________________________________________________________

One of the fun things about crowdfunding is discovering other projects running campaigns… below are a few I’ve found which look pretty cool in case you want to check them out:

Pascal Press

 

Pascal Press is an integrated coffee brewer and travel mug that lets you brew high quality coffee on the go and enjoy it on your own schedule. It combines full immersion and pressure brewing techniques in a housing that isolates spent grounds to prevent over brewing. It is simple to use and clean, and allows you to enjoy multiple cups of high quality coffee over the course of your day. Pascal Press was fully funded on Kickstarter and is now available on IndieGoGo InDemand. 

Slow Labs – Redefining Privacy & Protection For Your Mobile Device

 

Our friends at Slow Labs Co. redesigned tempered glass as we know it, bringing strength, durability, & privacy to your mobile devices. You won't notice it's there, but others sure will. Check it out! Early Birds still available!

FitFactory: Custom Menswear w/ In-Person Fittings: Guaranteed Great Fit

 

Also based in San Francisco, FitFactory offers IN-PERSON FITTING via local tailors near you. The results? A WELL-FITTED SUIT & SHIRT at a GREAT PRICE at YOUR CONVENIENCE.

FitFactory’s elegant suits start at $320 and $75 for shirts, exclusively on Kickstarter!