I was introduced to Ranipak in January at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) as I was flying through one of the convention halls and their luggage and bags popped out despite the speed I was traveling. One of the things that stood out for me was the sophistication of their colors, the thing that so many manufacturers miss the mark on, at least for women. The second thing that stood out was the quality of their shoulder bags and backpacks – see below for one of their slate colored shoulder bags to get an idea of what I mean. Sophistication meets design meets quality. I love the slight orange mustard accentuation to the bag with the textured detail on the right, leaving the left plain and subtle to avoid clashes with clothing, again, something else women care about.
They were showing off their Y.U.M.C. line of new backpacks, which I saw being previewed in Vegas in a tan, an olive color, a purple and standard black. They also had a host of iPad cases and smaller knapsacks, which I immediately thought of how perfect they were for the every day traveler, business, personal or otherwise.
The below is the inside of a backpack from that line…I love 2 main things here: the colors are bright, vivid and fun, not staid, tan and some other male chosen color for travel. Want to feel hip, design hip is all I’m saying. Secondly, they offer a decent number of pockets, which is also a godsend for travelers who are always looking for extra pockets to put smaller things, especially if photography is one of your passions on the road. Most people I know travel with a camera, so think about the volume of pockets you might want things for on the road: cell phone, batteries, extra batteries, memory cards, external memory drives, sunglasses, cell phones, chargers, suntan lotion, mosquito repellent, water bottle, the list goes on.
Below is what it looks like on the outside. My only wish for the bag from a traveler’s perspective is an outside water bottle holder. Leave it to Ranipak to figure out a way to do that in a way that doesn’t detract from the design and look-and-feel. I absolutely LOVE this color. It’s deep, rich and something you could bring on the road with you or a business conference. Check out the wrinkles – love love love this – they even tout it on their site referring to the feature as “wrinkles in the skin.” It works. BTW, for more on their packs and where to order, you can visit the Ranipak site.
I’m also checking out their satchel-styled bag which comes in the same colors as the Y.U.M.C. backpacks, but if you want to go a little more sophisticated for this design when on the road, opt for the natural tan colored option (below) or their wonderfully rich olive green.
Lastly, we’d only be doing a half a write-up if we didn’t include their roller bag since I remain a huge van of roller bags as an avid female traveler, who is always lugging around heavy things from country to country. My own shot of the bag presents too much glare so I’m using their version below instead which is exactly what the bag looks like when it shows up on your doorstep.
Here’s what I love about it after my first pass although I’ve yet to take a trip with it. (that’s coming soon). Notice below that while the bag itself may come across looking a little bulky, it’s because its a backpack upon a backpack, the top of which can unzip and be worn separately. This is a godsend for any traveler who knows how hard it is to navigate airports, cobblestone streets in Europe and broken up roads in other parts of the world. A combination of wheels and backpack regardless of what budget you’re on and where you’re staying remains a huge factor in great luggage design – what works and what doesn’t. It always amazes me what luggage manufacturers miss when they design: in case they’re ‘all’ listening: more pockets, more sophisticated colors and strong but light wheels. Weight is more of a factor than it’s ever been with airlines cutting down on weight and size.
We Blog the World gives Ranipak bags a 2 thumbs up. We love their design, are impressed by the quality and give them a high five for what they’ve achieved so far. And oh btw, their customer service and marketing team has also been top notch so far. So many travel bags offer you the same reds, greens and blues or standard black, so it’s refreshing to see a line that believes some of us might actually want to have a rich striking color palette on our backs when we’re on the road.
My only wish? Offer that above roller bag in the same sophisticated colors as your Y.U.M.C. line please. I’d also suggest a roller bag for carry on only, meaning not one designed for clothes and the trip itself, but for the business traveler who needs a roller bag for laptops, camera, books and other heavy items where wheels would come in handy. The inside separation would need to be different in that case.
See my original write up on their backpacks from January.
Disclosure: They provided me with some bags to play with and hang out with, but I can assure you that my opinions are my own.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
