One startup is aiming to create a backpack that does everything — from stashing camera gear to keeping your drinks cold. Udee is the first project by Meltpartners, and the company seems to have thought of almost everything, from a built-in battery to blinking LEDs for night visibility.
The Udee’s main compartment, with a 25-liter capacity, includes protective pockets for anything from a laptop to a pair of glasses. The aforementioned battery and USB port at the side of the backpack allow you to charge a smartphone while you use the bag — and there’s a headphone opening, too.
At the bottom of the bag is a protective compartment with removable dividers for stashing a DSLR or mirrorless camera and a lens or two. Pull the dividers out, and the padding that protects camera gear becomes an on-the-go cooler. If you just need more space, the protective liner can even be removed for additional storage for less-0fragile items.
While the extra padding and protective sleeves aim to keep cameras, laptops, and the like safe from bumps, a locking mechanism prevents pickpockets from accessing the contents by locking the zippers together, making the bag’s main compartments impossible to open quickly. A reflective strip at the back and blinking LED lights on the straps add to the bag’s safety features, designed for maintaining visibility at night.
The nylon bag is also waterproof and uses X-shaped straps for increased comfort, the designers say. Small exterior pockets are designed for easy access to items like keys, wallets, and passports. The entire bag, with the two main compartments and smaller exterior pouches, measures about 12.6 inches wide, 17.7 tall, and 7.1 deep.
The designers call the Udee the “world’s most versatile bag” — and at least 141 backers agree, with the bag’s Kickstarter campaign just shy of a $20,000 goal with over a month remaining. If the bag reaches that minimum, the startup says it will start shipping the Udee in May. Pledges for the bag start at $99.
