Backpack Rain Cover Pocket

orangeandblack5 · February 16, 2022

Just saw the update on the backpack on the WAN show and figured I'd come drop my two cents here, because there's one feature on my backpack that I genuinely don't think I would willingly choose to live without and although I'm very interested in the one you guys are working on, I'm unsure if it'd be worth the upgrade without one thing - a rain cover and dedicated pocket.

See, I've had the High Sierra Access backpack for well over a decade, and the fact that it comes with a built-in rain cover and a dedicated pocket specifically to store it in has almost certainly saved all of my tech on many an unexpected rainy day, especially as somebody who mostly gets around by biking. See the following clip:

Although I could buy a generic backpack cover and keep it in a regular pocket, the fact is that there isn't really a convenient way to store a wet rain cover in any of my other pockets without risking getting something important wet, and although I'd normally bring an umbrella that's not an option if I forgot to check the forecast or am biking. Plus, generic covers don't always fit very well, so having one that's custom-sized to be a perfect fit for my bag really helps ensure things are dry and the cover doesn't blow off in the wind while biking.

Although not every tech nerd is going to bike as much as I do, we all have days where we have to deal with unexpected rain, and having a built-in rain cover we can use to keep our bag (and the tech inside!) clean and dry would go a long ways without getting in the way of other pockets or features. In fact, because the rain cover is so light, the version of the Access I have doesn't even bother with a zipper on the pocket, instead opting for a single patch of velcro, which is more than enough when there's virtually no weight in the pouch, which will help avoid having to put another zipper on.

All in all, I just think there's not much point to a "tech backpack" if it can't protect your tech against the elements, and I'd really love to see this feature on a future revision if it's not too late.

orangeandblack5 · March 31, 2022

Semi-related - do we know how big this thing is? I'd both like to know the size for determining whether or not I purchase one, and for figuring out what the heck I'm going to do about a rain cover for it given at this point I don't suspect there's time to add that in another revision.