Meet the Gear Designer Behind Some of the Best Travel Packs Out There
Photo Caption: Graeme Wagoner among his packs and luggage that he has designed. Graeme Wagoner
Skift Take
Good travel gear that does what you want without fuss can make a good trip even better. But a lot goes into designing those goods, something industrial designer Graeme Wagoner, who has worked on some of the best bags of the year, knows well.
We've all been there: you’re hiking an alpine trail and stop to take in the view on a promontory. You lean over to tie your shoe and, before you know it, your water bottle comes flying out of a pocket in your pack never to be seen again. You might call it bad luck but Graeme Wagoner would call it bad design.
“We always talked about the people who hit their own dogs with their water bottle when they're hiking,” said Wagoner. An industrial designer, he believes strongly that a pack needs to work as expected — including not allowing water bottles to fall out of pockets.
Travel gear has become a huge and growing business in recent years, and companies are constantly scouring talent for the next big thing in design and functionality, especially now that the pandemic has created legions of travelers looking to be outdoors.
[caption id="attachment_441393" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Graeme Wagoner is an industrial designer who worked on some of REI's top packs. These ar
