Greetings, Brice here from Vaucluse, giving you an update on our latest product, the Generation 2 Ultralight Backpack Ventilation Frame, which you can see right here. I'm going to give you an update on how production is going and what to expect.
Let's start with the difference between the Vaucluse Generation 1, which you can see right here, and our new Generation 2.
I’ve got a Generation 1 attached to this backpack and, as you can see, it can simply attach onto any backpack, just put the loops around the straps and it's snug. You can also add Velcro to position it wherever you want. The Generation 1 ventilation frame on a backpack, if you can see on the multi-screen, was our first model, so I'm going to start with how the frame on a Generation 1 works.
Overview of Backpack Ventilation Frame Upgrades
So as you can see the generation one, this one, we, we've shed a little bit off of this specific version. This is a little bit of an older-generation one. There are multiple versions, but for the most part, this one weighs about 9.3 ounces (note: the scale wasn’t zeroed properly). Um We eventually, this is one of the older ones that I still have. We got it down to about eight ounces. So, this frame weighs eight ounces. And if you look at the comparison of generation two, this one is sleeker and more ergonomic.
And if we just look at weight-wise, let's zero. This, this frame weighs 3.3/3.4 ounces which is phenomenal. We shed almost, you could technically say almost what over 50% of the weight of this frame um is now gone. So it's much lighter. That's one that's update number one.
Another update is we've modified how the frame uh fits on your back. As you can see in the generation one frame, there's a lot going on right on the spine if you can see. And one of the feedbacks was most people didn't mind this, but there was a group of hikers saying, you know, this is touching my spine. Can we do something? So that's what we did with the generation two frame is that if you can actually see there is a curve one, there's a whole lot less material right here. And what we've also done is curve the frame. So it actually doesn't touch your back. Let me show you what it looks like right here on camera number two. So if you can see there is a curve and that is allowed. So it doesn't touch your back and this is, this is flexible. So it's going to flex as you're hiking.
It's not hard, it's not rigid, it's super soft. It almost just feels, it almost feels like the, so the, the, the, the, the sole of a shoe and so it's very, very soft.
And so if you compare this backpack frame to other frames, of course, there are backpacks out there with ventilation frames. But if you're really trying to get that separation between you and your back, even just a small amount, usually it's a curved frame and usually it's using either steel or aluminum or some very intricate process between mesh and foam and shaping. And those types of frames can, can weigh over a pound, sometimes even 3 pounds.
So this, this weighs if I'm doing my math correctly, what a third or 1\/4 of a pound, I just looked it up. A pound is 16 ounces. So this is riding up to what, between three and four ounces? So this is 1\/4 of a pound. This weighs how much a pair of socks weighs extremely light.
0.75-inchAnother thing that we did is we integrated the spacers into the frame and I'm going to show you in camera to what I'm talking about. So before the spacers work a completely different part and what you could do is you could actually, they're snug in there, but you could actually remove the spacers and the idea was you could switch out these spacers for bigger spacers. For the most part, people were happy with the uh 0.75 inch gap. And because that was the most, I guess popular, what we simply did is we just integrated these spacers into the frame. And so what's happened is that it's no longer its own unit. Well, it's connected here but it snaps into the other side of the frame. So this spacer can never come out and that makes it lighter and more agile and just extremely much stronger.
Overview of Backpack Ventilation Frame Upgrades
Now, let me get into the status of production right now. We were hoping to release this within the next two weeks. However, there is two big difficulties that we've come across and the first difficulty is we redesign the loops. So that way there's three different options, you could say high up option, mid tier option and then low tier option. So that way you can change how the backpack um frame sits on your back if you want it higher, if you want it lower. That was one of the feedbacks that we had with customers. And because of the design change, we've, unfortunately, we're 90% of the way there. But if I can show you in camera number two, if I can show you that this fits in but not snug enough.
So one of the feedbacks was these things popping out and we're almost there. The um the loop does snap in but it does pop out a little bit. So we just have to make this the male connector just a little bit bigger. And then problem solved.
The other modification was the airflow spacers because we now have integrated them into the frame and they're not a separate unit. It had to be a complete redesign and we were doing very well though. The current status of it is that the tip of the of the spacer is a little bit too small, so similar to the loops they fit in, but they, they're not as snug as we want. And if I show you in camera two, what we're dealing with is that the spacer fits right into that hole, but unfortunately, it's not snug enough to where it will stay in there by itself and not be removed without using a considerable amount of force, which is the objective is that we don't want these things popping up unless you want to, for some reason, remove and disassemble the spacer in case maybe you don't want to use it. Let me turn off camera two in case you want to fold this and compact it because you're going to be able to do that.
So right now, the spacer just isn't snug enough. And so we've got to go in and make that slight modification as well. Now, unfortunately, the delays are impacting our preorders and we sincerely apologize.
We're trying to do everything that we possibly can to get these out ASAP, we are manufacturing here in the United States and because we're doing that, you know, there are some people on the east coast, there are some people on the west coast, everybody, the whole team is trying to come together because we're very proud to say that this product is designed and manufactured in the United States. And as you know, not a lot of things these days are manufactured in the United States. So we're going to be proud to be manufacturing in the United States. And unfortunately, because this is our first time working with people on the east coast and on the west coast and getting the whole team assembled and getting the design perfect. It's a little bit of a delay. My sincerest apologies to all our customers that have already preordered and said, definitely we want to give this a try. We can't wait to sweat less, especially in the summer. So our sincerest apologies that there is this delay. Our team is working tirelessly to get this moving forward.
So with each change just to be specific requires a review of the design on the computer, the computer aided design software that we're using to figure out. Ok. You know, we have to figure out what needs to be changing. Then we make that modification on the computer, then we have to test it again to just double check that it works. And then we have to be putting it into the manufacturing process just to double check is everything ready to go. And each one of these little changes just has, you know, something along the lines. You know, there's always one step and then another step, another step and then anything that needs modification, you got to go back to step one. So I can't stress enough. My apologies for the delay. However, we are working tirelessly to get this out. I'm going to be keeping you up to date on how things are going and that's pretty much the update. I'm very excited. It is super light.
I didn't talk about how this thing is going to be extremely strong. You can put over 150 probably 200 pounds. You can sit on this if you want to do so, you're going to be able to sit on this and just have it as a mat, maybe even for sleeping. This thing is practically going to be unbreakable. You're going to have to do a lot to break this and we're super excited about this ventilation frame.
If you have any comments, reach out to me either our website by clicking this link.
