World’s First “Floating” Backpack Lightens the Load by Carrying an Extra 12 Pounds for You

HoverGlide Backpack

Selecting the right backpack for work or play is essential. Whether you’re headed to the office or out on a trail, a good bag can ease the stress of travel. Having ample space for your things is important, but all those extra goodies can be a curse as much as a blessing—your pack is liable to become uncomfortably heavy. Lightning Packs has solved this dilemma with their HoverGlide backpack that promises to reduce the impact of a burdensome load by up to 86 percent.

So, how does this hi-tech pack work? The company is relatively mum on the specifics, opting to state that it’s a “patented double-frame and pulley system design.” Essentially, the frame operates with bungee cords that allow the load in the backpack to stay at the same height from the ground while you move. The “floating” design takes the strain off your shoulder and joints.

“For the same energetic cost,” Lawrence Rome of the University of Pennsylvania explained, “you can either carry 48 pounds in a normal backpack or 60 pounds in a suspended ergonomic backpack.” This gives you “12 extra pounds for free” while exerting the equal effort.

The HoverGlide was originally created with the military in mind and has been tested by both the US Marines and the US Army. It’s intended to endure the elements and is made from water-repellent materials as well as durable fabrics.

The HoverGlide will soon be available in four different iterations—the Trekker, Commuter, Hiker, and Tactical—on Kickstarter. Head to their information page to sign up for a launch invite.

Lightning Packs has created an ingenious lightweight backpack that “floats” as you move and takes the extra strain off your shoulders.

HoverGlide Lightweight Backpack

HoverGlide Lightweight Backpack

HoverGlide Lightweight Backpack

Called the HoverGlide, you can carry “12 pounds for free” this way. Watch it in action below:

HoverGlide: Website
Lightning Packs: Website
h/t: [Travel and Leisure]

All images via Lightning Packs.

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Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled "Embroidered Life" that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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