JAY – A Daypack That Gives Your Body A Break
<p>This morning, after years of loyal service, I was about ready to swear off backpacks for life. Now this is both unexpected and shocking considering I’ve been a big fan since my high school days and have used them for everything from the supermarket and commuting on a bike, to climbing mountains and surviving 30-hour plane rides. But this morning, I lugged two of them across London, through the public transport system, and I think it broke me.</p>
<h4>The Struggles of Using A Backpack – Is It Worth It?</h4>
<p>My shoulders feel like they’ve had weights embedded into them, and my lower back can’t decide if it wants me to lie down forever or never sit down again, I’ve also picked up some great welts above my hips. We know that backpacks are bad for us, causing muscle fatigue, poor posture, and increasing your risk of chronic back pain. So why do we do it? Because it’s practical, and functional, and frees up your hands to do things more enjoyable than holding a bag, but at what point does it stop being worth it?</p>
<p>Why is it that 50% of the time spent wearing a backpack, is wiggling around trying to find a comfortable position for it to sit on your back? How is it that in 2018 there’s no way for my shoulders, hips and lower back to all be comfortable at the same time? Is there any way for it to be different? Well, luckily for me, you, and all of us backpack users, the people at Koala Gear in New York have put their heads together and come to the conclusion that yes, it can, and it should be different. Which is how they created JAY.</p>
<h4>JAY – The Comfort Revolution</h4>
<p>The latest of their wildly successful Kickstarter campaigns adds to the line of posture supporting backpacks that Koala Gear is known for, designed to prevent the aches and pains that unfortunately go hand in hand with long term use of traditional packs. JAY was designed through an analysis of consumer complaints and wish lists, essentially, it’s everything we – the users – want in a pack.</p>
<h4>Unparalleled Support, Inspired Design</h4>
<p>The whole idea is that it gives your body a break, rather than making you work hard and suffer for the convenience that comes with carrying a pack. Unlike traditional packs that hang limp and might as well be scuba diving weight belts, JAY is designed with a suspension system to support the body rather than weighing it down and fighting its natural shape. It’s got anatomically shaped shoulder straps which allows for a more even distribution of the weight, directing it down to your hips via three contact points (and a padded hip support), rather than the traditional model that pulls entirely on your shoulders as the weight sinks unsupported to the middle of your back. Thus, preventing the necessary shoulder roll that happens instinctively every time you take off a backpack. It also channels air multi-directionally, including underneath itself, to prevent overheating and that awkward section of back sweat. The Koala Gear team have analysed the necessary evils of wearing a backpack on a regular basis or for an extended period and used them as opportunities for innovation.</p>
<p>For those of us on the verge of losing hope, JAY combines back support, intuitive functionality, and inspired design, like nothing we’ve seen before. Because the best thing about a backpack should be the things you achieve while wearing it, not counting the moments until you can take it off.</p>