We’ve spent the summer hard at work on our first product update. Right now, we’re on the second prototype of the new version of our travel backpack. We’ve settled on most of the major design issues and are now working out the final kinks with our designers and factory.
Last weekend, we held the first ever Tortuga Design Summit in beautiful Pismo Beach, CA. (Yes, that’s a joke. We’re a 2-man show.) Below are a handful of pictures we took at the house we rented on Airbnb.
Check them out and let us know what you think in the comments.
In situ, fully packed
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By the time you read this, I’ll just be touching down in London for a three week trip. On my way home to San Francisco at the end of June, I’ll be stopping on the east coast for a beach weekend slash wedding.
Why am I telling you this?
To show you how much you can pack in a carry on bag. To show that you can pack clothes for any amount of time and any situation all in one bag. And, at least partially, to show that we practice what we preach: CARRY ON ONLY.
Below is my full packing list, all of which fit into my carry-on sized Tortuga. There’s not much room to spare, but it did all fit.
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Suitcases aren't designed for world travel. Neither are the enormous, poorly-designed backpacks a lot of travelers end up using.
You don’t have to compromise any more. Now there’s a solution made for travelers, by travelers.
Learn more about the Tortuga Travel Backpack =>
We’ve had a crazy last few weeks here at Tortuga HQ. Today we have a sneak preview of a forthcoming product update, the announcement of our sweepstakes winner, and some great press to share.
On with it then…
Tortuga Backpacks V2
If you follow us on Facebook or Twitter, you may already know that we’re in the process of redesigning our flagship product.
Why are we making changes less than a year after launching?
First is appearance. While we love the Tortuga, she is a bit…well, fugly. The logo ended up larger than we intended, and the shape was dumbed down to a rectangle during a long, arduous prototyping process. This is the biggest complaint we get from prospective customers.
The new bag will have a drastically smaller logo and a more streamlined shape.
Tortuga V2's less boxy shape
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Update: This sweepstakes is now closed. Congratulations to our winner, Agnes C. To be notified about future sweepstakes, sign up for updates.
The summer travel season is almost upon us. We want to make sure you have all the gear you need to make your next trip unforgettable, so we’re giving it away.
Just follow the directions below to enter the sweepstakes.
Enter the contest using the widget in the next section. A bit further down the page, you can see all of the awesome prizes from us and our amazing sponsors: Clothing Arts, Clever Travel Companion, Gobi Gear, Vapur, and Cocoon Innovations. The total prize is valued at nearly $400. Good luck!
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Fred’s at Coachella right now, so odds are he’s very thirsty. That got me thinking about hydration and water bottles, in general, and how most of the solutions to one of the most basic human problems of quenching thirst suck.
Most water bottles are about as elegant as a concrete block. They’re hard, they take up a lot of space, they start to stink after a while and make water taste bad, thereby inherently making them bad at doing their sole job. I imagine most cavemen had the exact same problems with their water-carrying devices.
Can’t we find a better solution?
The Problem With Hard Water Bottles
I’ve tried to use Nalgene-style water bottles a few times in my life, but I’ve always been excessively disappointed from a utility standpoint alone. Let’s be honest: they’re less than ideal to drink from. The size of the opening is simply too big for a bottle that large. Unless I’m enjoying the great outdoors on a hot day, I have zero interest in pouring water all over my chest.
Hard water bottles take up a fixed amount of space. When they’re empty, they don’t become any smaller. Should we take it for granted that a water bottle should take up a fixed amount of volume in our precious luggage space?
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