Founded on Kickstarter just 5 years ago, Langly has carved out a niche for itself in the world of high-end photography bags with products like the Simple backpack we reviewed last year. The company has since expanded to produce accessories and a limited selection of apparel, and now, it is again taking to Kickstarter to launch its latest product: The all-weather, travel-ready Langly Field Jacket.
Where Langly’s camera bags featured classic designs with understated good looks, the Field Jacket is all about modern, high-tech functionality — but it still draws inspiration from a past era. Specifically, the design was influenced by the M-65 Field Jacket, a durable military coat worn by U.S. troops in the Vietnam War who needed to stay dry during monsoons. Like its mil-spec namesake, the Langly Field Jacket features four large cargo pockets on the front. Otherwise, it looks decidedly more current and comes with features important to the modern day traveler, like RFID-blocking pocket liners and cable pass-throughs from the interior to the exterior pockets. The shell is made from a proprietary three-layer fabric that is both weatherproof and breathable, with underarm vents that can be opened on warmer days to help keep cool.
For photographers, the Field Jacket has a few key attributes. The customizable tether system allows you to easily connect a film/battery pouch, filter and lens cap holder, or any of Langly’s other accessories. The lower exterior pockets are large enough to fit “most prime lenses” and the company says they can even support up to a 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom — although, we have to imagine not comfortably.
While the Field Jacket is currently shown only in the urban-explorer-ready Graphite Black, additional colors will be available to fit the needs of your specific adventure, including Dark Forest and Geo Yellow. The jacket will retail for $399 when it ships in December, but Kickstarter Backers can take advantage of early bird specials (while available) to secure one for just $289.
As of the time of publishing, the Field Jacket has raised nearly $6,000 of its $50,000 goal after just a few hours of the project being live. Langly is offering a 100-percent pledge-back guarantee, but as always, even successful Kickstarter projects are not guarantees and it’s important to consider the risks inherent of crowdfunding before choosing to back a project.
