NEW CANYONEERING PACK

[harness man]

First look at the ICE CUBE CANYON PACK by Canyon Werks

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[harness man]

Desi and I are FINALLY field testing the ICE CUBE canyoneering pack.
Thank you to all who have contributed suggestions and requests!
Some of the features:
Four different lengths (sizes) to choose from. Yes, there is now a canyoneering pack to fit WOMEN (and shorter people in general).
Sized to fit (NOT one size fits all)
State of the art suspension (comfortable memory foam, anatomically curved/customizable internal frame)
Canyon specific shape facilitates down climbing.
Internal hydration pocket
Zillions of holes for instant drainage
Built from the same tough materials as our Vinyl Rope Bags
Made by us in Las Vegas, USA
Capacity: 37 liters size MEDIUM as shown.
Note: as the pack body is shorter on the x-small and small sizes (to fit smaller back lengths) we have adjusted the pack dimensions to keep volume close to the same. So you can still fit all your stuff! The shorter sizes DO NOT become teeny weeny packs!
Weight: 4 lb. 6 oz.
Price: $214
Available when? this fall at http://canyonwerks.com
Best, Todd and Desiree

[hipporump]

Looks good guys! Thanks for continuing to come up with new options for us to use. Can't wait to hear how the field testing turns out.

[harness man]

Thanks Hippo:mrgreen:
We will post results

[whansen]

The bag looks strong. Does the top pocket drain underneath the lid?

[Byron]

Yeah, that top pocket looks like a hat! I like it, I think it's groovy looking. As long as it proves to be durable then it looks awesome. I'll wait for the reviews, if it proves to be tough then I'll buy one for sure. I hope the large pack doesn't weigh more than 5 pounds.

[harness man]

Yes the bottom of the top pocket is vinyl mesh.
Glad you like the look of it- I was going for Darth Vader's helmet...
we are working on the other sizes and will have more specs soon
Thanks for your comments

[Deathcricket]

Interesting design. My personal pref is that you have too many drainage holes. I think as long as it empties in like 30-60 seconds after leaving water, you are fine. IMO that many holes might compromise the durability of said backpack, or maybe that's an improper perception. Also, slower drainage also means that it sinks a lot slower when you chuck it in to a lower pool or a pothole before a spicy downclimb. Last thing I want is to be diving around fishing my pack out :) Other than that, I really like the design, the color, the functionality, the fit looks very adjustable (I see straps in all the right places).

Wishing you good luck in this venture! I think you have a positive attitude, are non abrasive, don't live alone in misery, or piss people off "in general", this gives you a huge "leg up" on your competition. :)

[oldno7]

Wishing you good luck in this venture! I think you have a positive attitude, are non abrasive, don't live alone in misery, or piss people off "in general", this gives you a huge "leg up" on your competition. :)

:roflol::roflol::roflol:

[whansen]

I would think a dry bag would keep the bag floating. But the holes might compromise the durability.

[harness man]

Thanks all for your comments and suggestions!
We spent a bunch of R+D time analyzing hole size vs wear vs drainage speed for our vinyl rope bags, and came up with an 'optimal' combo with the emphasis on durability.
The ICE CUBE pack has a LOT of flotation foam built in. So even when you fill it with just rope (no dry bags) it still floats.
With dry bagged gear inside it floats like a cork.
Desi and I just did Old Bill canyon at Red Rock Las Vegas yesterday (for our 15th wedding anniversary!) and was swimming with a loaded ICE CUBE pack -not wearing a wet suit- and it floated me very nicely also.
Best, Todd and Desiree

[nelsonccc]

Wishing you good luck in this venture! I think you have a positive attitude, are non abrasive, don't live alone in misery, or piss people off "in general", this gives you a huge "leg up" on your competition. :)

I see what you did there.....

[harness man]

ICE CUBE in OLD BILL CANYON

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[Canyonater]

I like all the holes and don't think it will compromise durability.....for me the faster it drains the better and the more places it can drain the better....packs can end up in any orientation so drainage on all sides is a plus.

[harness man]

Our goal with the drainage is to have water dump so fast that you can hardly feel extra weight when you stand up from a swim
or 'beach whale' out of a pothole....
and so far, so good!:haha:

[jman]

Our goal with the drainage is to have water dump so fast that you can hardly feel extra weight when you stand up from a swim
or 'beach whale' out of a pothole....
and so far, so good!:haha:

I think myself (and many others) find that very important. It's tiresome when you are pothole escaping and your bag which now ways 30lbs+ heavier due to the water, so hopefully it can drain very quickly. Even 15seconds is getting too long (1st world problems, I know). And having more than just a few or only the bottom holes for drainage, adding them to the sides is important too.

Looks good!

[harness man]

Took the ICE CUBE thru Heaps on Saturday with Parker, Carl, Brandon, and Desiree.
Awesome trip with a STRONG group.

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Loved the ICE CUBE, and through the process of canyoneering with really smart friends have cooked up a solution for packing those darned helmet and rope bags!
Pattern revisions in progress, 2nd ICE CUBE prototype coming up.
Best, Todd and Desi

[whansen]

Sounds great, can't wait to see ICE CUBE 2!

[Kuya]

Took the ICE CUBE thru Heaps on Saturday with Parker, Carl, Brandon, and Desiree.
Awesome trip with a STRONG group.

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76065

Loved the ICE CUBE, and through the process of canyoneering with really smart friends have cooked up a solution for packing those darned helmet and rope bags!
Pattern revisions in progress, 2nd ICE CUBE prototype coming up.
Best, Todd and Desi

Glad to hear you and Ice Cube had a good time in Heaps! REALLY HOPING for a pack by Sept 20th haha.... I need one for my Imlay trip! :)

[harness man]

A quick update for those interested in the ICE CUBE pack:
We have created a system where the carry strap on our Canyon Werk's rope bags will buckle directly to the ICE CUBE pack.
One (or two!) rope bags can be carried attached to the back or carried in front.
This allows you to quickly stow or deploy a rope without blocking access to the top of the pack.
We have also added a dedicated helmet storage pouch on top of the top pocket.
Again, so you can easily stash or pull out your helmet without having to fiddle with the rest of the pack.
Here is the prototype in action on a two day trip thru Right Fork/Direct in Zion this weekend

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[harness man]

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Production packs coming soon...
Best, Todd and Desi

[harness man]

Uhh, did we mention that the Ice Cube is really comfortable?

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[jman]

Have to say....that blue is pretty perty!

[Kuya]

I needed this two weeks ago.... :cry1:

[whansen]

It would be great to have one by Thursday JK. Cube modification looking good. Can't wait.

[Taylor]

Awesome! Might be ordering a new canyoneering pack soon. Its just so difficult to wear out my Imlay packs. I have been happy with my new orange crittr. Keep up the good work guys.

[harness man]

Ice Cube Canyon Pack update:
Desiree (5' 2" tall) wearing the X-SMALL

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Apologies to those who have been waiting (a while now!)
but we are finally getting closer.

X-SMALL Ice Cube

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[harness man]

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The Ice Cube has a helmet pouch (also good for a sweater) on top of the top pocket.
Here is the pouch with the helmet loaded

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Next week we will be finishing production samples in all four sizes, then start building components while we wait for our custom foam lamination.
thank you very much for all the feed back and suggestions.
We will keep you posted on release date.
Best,
Todd and Desi
http://canyonwerks.com

[Canyonater]

Looks great!

[jman]

Looks great!

X2.

I love the Red. That's a sharp looking red too.

Thanks for the update Todd and Desi. I am anxious to get one!

[oldno7]

Very nice looking pack.
What do you have for padding on the back?

[harness man]

Hi Oldno7!
The part of the pack against your back has a removable closed cell eva-foam pad, 1/4" thick and triple folded (total 3/4" thickness) then backed with a frame sheet stiffened by two aircraft aluminum rods.
We are pre-bending the rods so they have some curve to match your back, or you can customize with a bench vise.
The frame is very stiff to transfer load to the hips.
The foam chosen for the back is pretty soft and has some memory to help conform to your back.
Foam for the shoulder straps and hipband is a dual density lamination that is cushy yet supportive and designed to resist crushing over time.
All foams and most of the materials have extremely low water retention so the Ice Cube won't get heavier in water canyons.
Plus the pack by itself has a LOT of flotation.
Thanks for asking!:mrgreen:
Best, Todd and Desi

[oldno7]

WOW--a canyoneering pack with a designed support system, rather than 2 straps over your shoulders and a faux hip belt.

Kudos.

[whansen]

With all the excitement I hope your making a big batch.

[harness man]

We will be keeping the first production run small to "work out the kinks".
Targeting about 120 packs (30 each of the four sizes for different back lengths).

[Bo_Beck]

We will be keeping the first production run small to "work out the kinks".
Targeting about 120 packs (30 each of the four sizes for different back lengths).

Hope to see them soon! (Hint, hint) :-).
PS: Could use 24 more Crittr's (8 ea.) Thanks,
Bo

[whansen]

We will be keeping the first production run small to "work out the kinks".
Targeting about 120 packs (30 each of the four sizes for different back lengths).
That makes sense for keeping your quality assurance high. All of us that have been waiting to get one will just have to be fast on the draw

[harness man]

Thanks Bo!
CRITRS on the way.
And thanks Whansen- after the first run, Ice Cube pack supply should be consistent...
not a flood, but a steady flow (1 CFS?) will get us there :mrgreen:
Best
Todd and Desi

[Kuya]

Thanks Bo!
CRITRS on the way.

Can we expect to see these in Out N Back on Orem Utah? I know they are interested and have emailed you a few times. I know they would love to stock them, and It would be nice to have a local shop to pick some up at a moments notice; for those last minute moments when USPS shipping might be to slow...

[whansen]

Harness man i just noticed the red pack does not have the webbing loops down the back center like the older blue pack had. Did the gear loops get designed out? :(

[Bootboy]

That exposed mesh collar will die a quick death when it sees anything outside of the wide Zion canyons...

[harness man]

Hi Boot boy
So far, we are very happy with the vinyl coated mesh at the top of the Ice Cube packs we have been testing.
It is the same mesh at the top of our Canyon Werks rope bags and has performed very well in that application also.
This Vinyl coated mesh is very rub resistant and shares a key feature with the vinyl fabric:
It is easily repaired with HH-66 vinyl cement.
HH-66 virtually 'welds' vinyl to vinyl without stitching.
Knowing that all canyon packs eventually SHRED, and that duct tape only gets you so far, we have designed the Ice Cube so you can 'rebuild' the pack with our $15 repair kit (which includes an entire new bottom for the pack!).
With the ability to repair/replace it's parts, the Ice Cube will be there for you a long time.
Best,
Todd and Desi

[Skeeter]

The pack looks really cool. Not saying you want to use others design ideas, but have you seen Ospreys new helmet holding design? It's pretty genius.

One of my buddies I guess visited your facility down in vegas the other day. Says it's top notch and had a good time talking with Dessi. Sounds like he's coming home with a couple critrs. No longer will I have his jealous eye on my descender. Keep up the awesome work.
Skye

[harness man]

Thanks Skeeter!
the helmet holding design is cool- but it is actually a rehash of a Black Diamond Pack helmet holding design from a few years back (I love the pack and have it in my closet) - probably designed by our very own Tom Jones!
...It is a lot of work getting one up on Tom...:mrgreen:

[dug]

Just an observation: doing the dry and very sharp canyons of Death Valley, I believe that many holes will have a tendency to snag and hang up on sharp obstacles. But looks very nice otherwise.

[harness man]

Thanks Dug
We have followed the 'classic' canyon pack convention of perforating the vinyl on the Ice Cube (then backing it with mesh).
Thing is, we were very careful about determining the best SIZE for all the holes- too large and they DO start to snag; too small and they
do not drain effectively. We went for a smaller size (and more of them) to avoid the 'snaggy-ness'.
One of the Ice Cube prototypes has been thru a half dozen Death Valley canyons and is holding up well so far-
As you point out, Death Valley is a 'meat grinder' for packs.

[harness man]

Hey Bootboy and Whansen
Extended the top pocket skirt a bit to help cover the mesh collar at the top of the Ice Cube- thanks for pointing out the weakness!
Yeah the 'gear daisy' down the back and bottom of the pack got eaten from down climbing and butt-slides- now it is just vinyl...
Best :mrgreen:
Todd and Desi

[harness man]

Thanks to everyone who has been waiting.
Production of the first 100 Ice Cube packs (25 of each back length) started today.

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[Kuya]

Awesome! Finally! :D

[Krrristi]

Will they be coming in pink to match my butt protector? :P

[harness man]

Umm, no...
but we were able to source our high-tech pack laminate in a great red color (which was a challenge).
It should coordinate with your pink butt protector:mrgreen:
Best
Todd and Desi

[harness man]

Ice Cube progress...
waistband adjuster straps
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[harness man]

Cutting Ice Cubes

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[harness man]

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH CANYON WERKS PACKS ??????!!!!!!!!! ( and CRITRs?)
Well....it is not our fault (sort of)
Our 'day job' (that pays for all the goofing off) has gone completely bonkers and we have been trying to keep up.
So we are hiring additional help, reorganizing our production lines, bringing on another canyon expert (our friend Carl)
and working the week ends to get Ice Cube packs and CRITR2s out to you all.
In stock date looks like May 30th.
Good news is that feedback from the field has been very positive.
Thank you for your patience
Best :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Todd and Desiree

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Yvonne putting the Ice Cube to good use.

[whansen]

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH CANYON WERKS PACKS ??????!!!!!!!!! ( and CRITRs?)
Well....it is not our fault (sort of)
Our 'day job' (that pays for all the goofing off) has gone completely bonkers and we have been trying to keep up.
So we are hiring additional help, reorganizing our production lines, bringing on another canyon expert (our friend Carl)
and working the week ends to get Ice Cube packs and CRITR2s out to you all.
In stock date looks like May 30th.
Good news is that feedback from the field has been very positive.
Thank you for your patience
Best :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Todd and Desiree

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Yvonne putting the Ice Cube to good use.
Harness Man, in your update you spelled CRITRs with a 2 at the end. Is this a hint of something to come?

[Bo_Beck]

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH CANYON WERKS PACKS ??????!!!!!!!!! ( and CRITRs?)

In stock date looks like May 30th.

Best :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Todd and Desiree



Any chance of a couple critrs by May 20th for my friends/customers arriving from GB and Suisse?

Regards
Bo

[harness man]

Hi Whansen and Bo
We will do everything we can to get the first batch of CRITR2s out in time for you!
And yes, the CRITR2 is the 'new CRITR'.
Thank you VERY much for helpful feedback from you all, we have made some small improvements:
CRITR2 has:
Larger head opening which lowers the initial friction setting (makes CRITR2 friendlier for small people/ fatter ropes).
Slightly increased edge radius (more rounded edges makes it run smoother without need for 'break-in').
Slightly larger gap between upper arms and head to accommodate fatter ropes.
Weight is slightly lighter.
As a result of these adjustments the CRITR2 seems to have slightly wider 'sweet spots' and runs a little smoother for all weight classes,
especially for small people.
Larger folks may find themselves adding a little extra friction on skinny ropes but we find this change offset by the improved performance on larger rope sizes.
CRITR2s in production now:

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Best, Todd and Desi