Our Backpacks on the World's Highest Peaks: The 2026 Season

Sometimes it's fascinating to watch airplanes on Flightradar—seeing them cross continents, fly over oceans, and move toward new destinations on the map.

We do something similar. Only instead of tracking airplanes, we follow our backpacks as they travel to different corners of the world, become part of expeditions, and reach some of the highest mountains on Earth.

The first half of 2026 has been especially memorable for us.

Four of our backpacks made it to Everest: three Everest models and one Guide DCF. Two more accompanied climbers on Denali. This year, our gear also reached Vinson, Kanchenjunga, Makalu, and Dhaulagiri.

Behind each of these mountains are months of preparation, complex logistics, acclimatization, long approaches, summit pushes, and decisions that sometimes have to be made in a matter of seconds. At high altitude, there is no room for error—every piece of equipment must perform flawlessly.

A backpack is one of those pieces of gear you should hardly notice during a climb. It has to remain comfortable under heavy loads, allow unrestricted movement on technical terrain, withstand constant abrasion from rock, ice, and climbing equipment, and keep performing in snow, rain, and strong winds. That kind of quiet reliability is the highest compliment any gear manufacturer can receive.

What makes this season particularly meaningful to us is seeing our backpacks perform in such a wide range of environments. Denali means Arctic temperatures, glaciers, and hauling heavy loads. Vinson brings the harsh conditions of Antarctica and the complete self-sufficiency required of every expedition. And the Himalayan 8,000-meter peaks—Everest, Kanchenjunga, Makalu, and Dhaulagiri—push both climbers and equipment to their limits with extreme altitude, freezing temperatures, powerful winds, and prolonged exposure to the death zone.

For us, this is far more than a list of famous mountains. It is proof that the gear we design stands up to the only test that truly matters: real expeditions. We don't build backpacks for store shelves or trade shows. We build them for people who venture into places where reliability is essential and where the cost of failure can be incredibly high.

Every expedition also teaches us something new. We stay in close contact with climbers after their trips, collecting feedback on how our gear performs in different environments, what can be improved, and what already works exactly as intended. That feedback is one of the most valuable tools we have for refining and developing our products.

We are sincerely grateful to everyone who chooses our backpacks for their expeditions. It is a privilege to be part of your journeys and to know that, when it matters most, you trust our gear.

Ahead lie new routes, new expeditions, and new summits. And we'll be watching with excitement as our backpacks leave new marks on the map of the world.