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The Kings of Kickstarter: Peak Design Bags and Accessories

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Peter Dering of Peak Design knows the photographer’s struggle.

Capture camera clip, peak design, camera accessories, camera bags, photography
Capture Camera Clip, $59.95 Image used with permission by copyright holder

In 2010 he set off on a 3-month around the world adventure with a DSLR camera in tow and quickly realized that hauling around a camera and its accessories and getting a great shot isn’t as easy as it should be. Upon his return to the US, Dering quit his job and spent the next ten months designing his vision for the perfect camera carrying device. In 2011, shortly after the creation of Kickstarter, Dering launched his first campaign for the Capture Camera Clip, a device that you can attach to a backpack strap or belt and easily clip your camera onto it, allowing instant access at a moment’s notice. Within weeks it became the 2nd most funded Kickstarter campaign at the time.

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Related: These Camera Bags have Raised over $750,000 in just Two Days on Kickstarter

capture camera clip, peak design, demonstration capture camera clip
Capture Camera Clip on Backpack Image used with permission by copyright holder

Following the success of the Capture Camera Clip, Dering grew his business from just one employee to dozens. After six years, Peak Design now has a line of bags and accessories, with five boasting their own successful Kickstarter campaigns.

Since that first campaign, Peak Design has increased their yearly gross revenue from a modest $692,000 to an estimated $30,000,000 for 2016—due mostly to their expanding fan and customer base who jump at the chance to support the company as both investors and consumers. Their sixth and current campaign for their new Everyday Backpack has gathered more than $1,000,000 in funding in under 24 hours, with an overall projected intake of approximately $8,000,000.
So, what’s so different about this company that people are falling over backward to throw money at them year after year? Peak Design makes “gear for creative, adventurous people.”  From everyday carry to camera bags, Dering and his team develop, design, and manufactures backpacks, messengers, side bags, and accessories to be stylish, durable, and easy to use.

The secret to their success is in their dedication to the design process and precision focus on the following four principles: access, organization, expandability, and the “pursuit of beauty and durability.”  This combination of design features formed the foundation of Peak Design’s amazing Everyday Messenger Bag, which killed it on Kickstarter.

Related: This Photography Bag Suits your Everyday Needs

flexfold divider, peak design, everyday bags, peak design bags
Flexfold Divider, $14.95 Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Everyday Messenger comes in two sizes (13 and 15 inches) and is a photographer’s dream.  Weather-resistant, with a 22-piece foam shell, this bag is padded, protective, and collapsible. The inside features an eight-pocket expanding front panel perfect for stowing all your cords, batteries, and accessories. Complete with an isolated and padded laptop compartment capable of handling a 15-inch notebook with room for an additional tablet, the Everyday Messenger is as functional as it is attractive. The bag also sports dedicated Capture attachments providing ease of access to your camera and kit. Additionally, their Flexfold divider provides tailored containment and stackability for lenses and other camera gear.

For those looking for a smaller option, Peak Design’s Wing-Bag , meets all your side bag needs.  Touted as a 3-in-1 option, the Wing-Bag can be an accessory pouch, shoulder bag, or a belt pouch-the choice is yours! While more compact, the Wing-Bag doesn’t disappoint when it comes to storage either. Its six stretchy, mesh inner pockets and incredible expansion capabilities make this little lugger a great on-the-go bag.

And now Peak Design has a new pet project, the Everyday Backpack. The Everday Backpack is just that—a bag for everyday and everyone—a bag for “adventurers, travelers, commuters, cyclists, parents, and everyone in between.” With many of the features of the Everyday Messenger, Peak Design claims this bag is “a backpack without compromises.” Promoted alongside the Everyday Backpack, Peak Design is also looking, once again, to the Kickstarter crowd to finance their two other new designs: the Everyday Tote and the Everyday Sling. Smaller and more compact, these two bags offer both form and function, wrapped in an aesthetically pleasing package.

We have to hand it to the team at Peak Design. They know the Devil is in the details. From careful consideration of space and storage, to materials, to the craftsmanship of the straps and closures, every aspect of their products are on point. As Peak Design says themselves, “This ain’t just a camera bag.”

peak designs kickstarter, everyday backpack, everyday tote, everyday sling, camera bags, photography bags, photography
Peak Design’s Current Kickstarter: The Everday Sling, Backpack, and Tote Image used with permission by copyright holder

Peak Design has won numerous awards for their bags including the Men’s Journal 2015 Gear of the Year Award and the National Geographic 2015 Gear of the Year Award. 

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Chase McPeak
Chase McPeak
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Chase McPeak is the former Lifestyle Editor. Chase regularly appeared on Beards, Booze, and Bacon: The Manual Podcast where…
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