If not, make it yourself. KanazawaPACKS is a garage brand that makes BC backpacks.

I love playing in nature and want to enjoy it even more. These thoughts and ideas create new products and value. Here too, there is a passionate skier who makes his own backpacks by hand because "I couldn't find anything that suited me." This is KanazawaPACKS, a garage brand from Kanazawa

If not, make it yourself

KanazawaPACKS was born towards the end of 2017. Akihiko Uchida, a telemark skier based in Kanazawa, had this idea in mind

"Backpacks on the market are heavy and bulky. This backpack is lightweight, allowing you to take out exactly what you want, and is highly expandable. It's designed so that it doesn't restrict movement around the waist, and when worn, the center of gravity is slightly higher. That's the kind of backpack I want."

When it comes to a backpack that meets all of these requirements, your options are quite limited. It's not easy to find such a convenient product.

"I've always loved making things, so I thought, 'If it's not available, I'll make it myself.' There were already some pioneers at the time who made their own garage brands that made backpacks.
But I felt they weren't quite what I wanted. Most of the products only allowed access to the inside from the top. Being able to take things out of the top is very inconvenient on a snowy mountain. In terms of design, many of the bags were rectangular, which I wasn't very interested in.

That's what made me want to make my own backpack for backcountry use. I thought that if I made one, I'd get a sense of whether it was possible or not, so I started by making one. I made various modifications to that one, and before I knew it, I had about 10 prototypes lying on the floor."

Uchida looks back on it this way

Making sacoche bags started with almost no sewing experience

Uchida's bag making started with a small sacoche called "CLICK PACK." So, what was the brand name? Since it was being produced in Kanazawa, where he has lived for 30 years, and Kanazawa is also a city of craftsmanship and manufacturing, he named the brand "KanazawaPACKS."
That was in 2017.

When the brand was launched, there was no website for sales, so instead, they posted their sacoche designs on social media and people who were interested in them bought them. They also started making their designs using a household sewing machine

"I have almost no experience in sewing (laughs). I'm self-taught. But when it comes to simple sewing, I think anyone can do it if they just learn how to use a sewing machine.
I looked at the backs of various products for reference and observed them carefully, but rather than having any preconceived ideas about sewing, I found my own way of making things through trial and error."

During this process, Uchida came across a certain book

"At the time, I was searching for information, mainly on the Internet, about how I could make my own backpack. One day, a fishing buddy recommended a book to me, so I read it and found a book about long trails in America and ultralight hiking. In it, I found an idea for UL (ultralight) gear called 'make my own gear' (MYOG)

When I started reading the book, I had already made a few prototype backpacks myself, so I knew the specific steps involved, but MYOG was very helpful in understanding the more fundamental aspects of how to design the bag I wanted

I also discovered that various materials could be easily ordered from overseas through personal online shopping. Around this time, I began helping out a garage brand in Tokyo by making and delivering products, and I finally bought a professional sewing machine and began making things on a full-scale basis

To make a backpack, you need to get hold of a lightweight fabric with strong tear strength. If the timing hadn't come together just right, I might never have been able to start making the backpacks."

That commitment

It's easy to imagine that Uchida is quite particular about things, given that he came up with the idea of ​​handcrafting a backpack that is so complex and technical at first glance. What are his particularities?

"Simply put, I want to create something that is functional and also satisfies the design. First of all, in terms of design, a simple square bag is easy to make, but I don't think it's very interesting. Personally, I prefer designs that incorporate curves, even though it takes a bit more effort in the ideation and production stages

The backpack as a whole is shaped to taper towards the bottom. This is not only for design reasons, but also for functionality, as it raises the center of gravity of the items placed inside a little higher

In terms of functionality, the most important thing is that the contents can be easily accessed. When hiking in the mountains in summer or fishing in mountain streams, it may be inconvenient to have to access the contents from the top, but when hiking in snowy mountains, I think that ease of access is an important feature in order to avoid risks

To achieve this, not only is the opening at the top of the backpack large, but the surface that you wear on your back also opens up wide. This back access is also used by many manufacturers' BC backpacks.
Naturally, avalanche gear can also be stored in a location where it can be easily accessed. In addition, daisy chain loops have been added to allow for external attachment of skis, helmets, ice axes, etc., allowing for expansion.

Also, the backpacks I make don't have waist harnesses. This is because I don't want to restrict movement around the waist. This is often surprising, but not having a waist harness makes them more comfortable to use than you might expect

The idea behind lightweight is that it is better to make something lighter as a result of satisfying functionality. There are pros and cons to lightweight mountain gear, but I think there is no room for disagreement that if it has the same performance, it is better to be lighter. It has a simple structure using fabric with high tear strength

In other words, the concept is to create something that strikes a good balance between design, functionality, and weight. I think it would be interesting to have one outstanding feature, but I think an average finish in all aspects will ultimately result in something that people will love and use for a long time

However, the reason we are able to turn these particular ideas into reality is thanks to the abundance of information available on the internet about the types of fabrics available, and the environment in which we can obtain materials in the same way as if we were in the city, even if we are based in the countryside. This would have been unthinkable not long ago."

Uchida's passion has spread all over the world

Strengths of the garage brand

As Uchida says, the strength of garage brands is that they can pursue the creator's preferences and give it form as they wish. At the same time, another strength of garage brands is that they can listen to the user's requests for "I wish it was like this" and freely arrange it into a form that is easy for that person to use. When
the thoughts of the creator and the user overlap, special works that are only available at "Kanazawa Packs" are born.

Its beauty attracts experts, and photographer Nakata Hiroya is one of them. Nakata, a familiar face on STEEP, is from Ishikawa Prefecture and is a fan of KanazawaPACKS. In fact, it was Nakata who told the STEEP editorial team about KanazawaPACKS. All of the photos of the studio featured in this issue were also taken by Nakata.
Nakata had this to say:

Nakata: "In 2018, when I returned to my hometown of Ishikawa Prefecture from Tokyo, it was a snowy winter. I was having fun skiing in the powder on a local slope when a local telemarker called out to me. There have been many telemarkers skiing in the mountains around here for a long time, and that was what inspired me to start telemarking as well

I often saw pouches and backpacks with the "KanazawaPACKS" logo on the gear my friends were using in the snowy mountains. They used X-pac fabric, and it had a very UL-style garage brand feel to it. The fine details conveyed the intentions and passion of the maker. As the name suggests, the fact that it was being sent out from "Kanazawa" overlapped with my own circumstances, and I felt a strong sense of affinity and significance

I use the KanazawaPACKS Axis40, a 40L backpack for backcountry use. It's made of lightweight X-pac fabric with a roll-top design. It's lightweight and has a simple two-chamber structure. The back opens wide, and there are loops on the left and right sides of the interior for securing a probe and shovel handle, which are designed to form the frame of the backpack. I ordered it thinking I could use it as a camera backpack for early spring photography

At that time, I was being selfish and decided to have them add ski loops so that I could quickly put on my skis while wearing the backpack, like on a skimo backpack. Originally, it came with left and right ski straps that let you wear your skis in an A-shape. However, you can also add various parts to expand its functionality, so you can also attach an ice axe or choose to attach a waist strap. Also, considering that I'll be carrying a heavy object like a camera, I decided to add a waist strap

In early spring, I ski in lightweight ski touring wear, so a backpack of this size is perfect. The 40L capacity is also convenient as a camera backpack for spring mountaineering. I felt it was most convenient when shooting in a tent. I usually pack my belongings into a 100L backpack, but I can just crumple the Axis40 up in there and carry it as a camera backpack for attacks. Every time I go to the mountains to shoot, I think to myself how glad I am that I got it

And before using it at the base camp, the Axis40 was also a big help when skiing on the slopes with my family. Even in a parking lot far from the slopes, if I put my child and my skis in the backpack, I can walk around with both hands free, and with a capacity of 40L, I can easily fit snacks, diapers, a change of clothes, and my child's boots. On top of that, the backpack itself is light and perfect

After listening to this, you might be wondering if you can also make custom orders. The answer is..

"Since we make it to order after receiving an order, we need to discuss it, but we can generally do it. For example, sacoche bags usually have a zipper on the left side, but we once received a request to make a sacoche bag with a zipper on the right side, as it would be easier to use on the opposite side due to the customer's dominant hand and would be less likely to interfere with the beacon holder

Backpacks can also be customized. There's nothing more exciting than the idea that close communication between the maker and the user can lead to the creation of a one-of-a-kind piece

To those who understand your feelings

What kind of people does Uchida think KanazawaPacks should be used by?

"It's people who go into the mountains to do my hobbies, like backcountry skiing and fly fishing. I think that the products I want in the genres and fields I know best will match the needs of similar players, and I think that I can convey my thoughts to them, so I think there's meaning in me, as a player, making them

I made it with the idea that it would be great to use it for niche hobbies like backcountry skiing and fishing, but I felt like it would be a waste to use it just for that. I also wanted it to have a design that would make people want to use it on a daily basis."

At the same time, he also seems interested in pursuing more cutting-edge, localized functionality

"I was once swept away by an avalanche...
I only lost one of my poles, but nothing serious happened. That experience motivated me to buy a backpack with an airbag. After doing some research, I found out that you can buy just the airbag unit. It's not cheap, though.

So I've been daydreaming about whether I could make a backpack that's designed to accommodate this unit. I've been researching various types of units and cartridges, how to increase the cargo capacity outside of the unit, and how much carrying an airbag would increase your chances of survival in an avalanche

Whenever an idea comes to mind, I'll just think, "Let's give it a try," and I'll make prototypes one after another. I test them out on the snow. When I slide or walk, new ideas come to mind. The joy of turning my ideas into reality is what gives me the strength to keep creating."

As long as Uchida keeps on skiing, he will surely continue to create interesting backpacks and rare items that are "made by himself." If you would like to consult with Uchida or place a custom order, please feel free to contact him

Kanazawa Packs

URL: https://www.kanazawapacks.com/