Kickstarter Project: SlingFin Honey Badger Pack

While at Outdoor Retailer earlier this month I met with the good folks from SlingFin to checkout some of the products they are currently producing and have in the pipeline. The company has some fantastic tents that are versatile, well designed and the perfect option for those traveling in environments that range from arctic to desert to alpine and beyond. At the time I remarked that they were especially great for adventure guides who needed a single shelter that could operate in a variety of environments.

While chatting with the SlingFin staff I got the clear impression that they were a talented and creative group who have more ideas on how to improve gear than they have hours in the day to actually implement them. One of the products they were showing off at the time was a new backpack that they lovingly named the Honey Badger. It didn't look like anything else I had seen at OR. It was  lightweight, waterproof and incredibly versatile. It is designed to be easily repaired by the owner, can be used in a variety of activities and can quickly go from our backs to being mounted on a bike for a long distance cycling adventure. Like it's namesake, the Honey Badger is also tough and rugged, so it can take whatever punishment we throw at it.

Fast forward a few weeks and SlingFin has launched a  Kickstarter campaign to get the Honey Badger off the ground. The pack is now out of the prototype stage and has moved into pre-production. The company is hoping to raise $175,000 to get the product off the ground and after just a few days they already have 70 backers and have raised a considerable chunk of change. Ultimately they hope to have the HB in production within about six to eight months.

If you're interested in smaller gear companies who are doing innovative things, than I'd definitely invite you take a look at the SlingFin website to see what they have to offer. I'd also encourage you to checkout the Honey Badger Kickstarter page to learn more about that product as well.