Man isn’t meant to stay indoors — our weekly “Trekking” column can attest to that. It’s a column dedicated to the adventurer inside of all of us, the one pining to ditch the office humdrum for a quick surf session or seven-week jaunt in the Grand Tetons. One day we may highlight an ultra-light stove and the next a set of handmade canoe paddles. Life doesn’t just happen inside the workplace, so get outside and live it.
The best backpacks are rarely the ones that hold the most, nor the ones that look the most style on the trail. Our favorite packs are the ones that carry form and function in equal measure, while opting for a comfortable design that you can strap to your back for hours at a time. However, what if you can add comfort and breathability to any pack within your arsenal? Well, that’s where the Ventra Mainframe ($75) comes in.
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Mike Wright, mechanical engineer and Ventra founder, didn’t start the company in order to reinvent the wheel. He began it as a way to improve upon the basic fundamentals already in place within the outdoor industry, initially opting to find a better way to thwart unwanted sweat on his morning commute to work. The result came in the form of the Ventra Mainframe, a removable device you can integrate with any pack or carried load that sports at least one shoulder strap. The patent-pending design is available in three sizes (small, medium, and large), allowing it to accommodate different torso lengths, while the nylon and polyester construction ensures its durability out on the trail. Aircraft-grade also aluminum keeps it lightweight (under 12.4 ounces), so it doesn’t add more weight than need be. After all, no one wants a frame made steel.
The lightweight design doesn’t mean it isn’t capable, though. It supports loads up to 60 pounds with ease, providing optimal support and ensuring breathability while doing so. Ventra also designed the attachment to fasten to your pack in mere seconds, meaning you can quickly equip it to your bouldering crash pad or commuter pack just before you head out the door.
Check out Ventra online for a closer look at the Mainframe, or for more information.
