Osprey has always featured high performance backpacks, and the new Osprey UNLTD pack takes advantage of the technology made possible by 3D printing design to enhance user comfort.

The 3D-printed lumbar pads in Osprey's Unltd backpacks are breathable, compressible, lightweight and have comfortable friction. Image from Osprey

Osprey Unltd is a new $700 line of backpacks designed for outdoor multi-day trips using proprietary technology from 3D-printing leader Carbon. The company's digital light synthesis method is used to create a lower back filler with a ventilated lattice structure.

Antarctic Bear learned that Carbon Digital Light Synthesis ™ (Carbon DLS ™) is a breakthrough resin-based 3D printing process, It uses digital light projection, oxygen-permeable optics, and engineering grade materials to produce polymer components with superior mechanical properties, resolution, and surface finish. The technology not only enables ultra-fast 3D printing, but also speeds up overall production by eliminating prototyping altogether, creating products that were not possible to design before. Because the traditional CNC processing is very expensive, Carbon digital optical synthesis technology has the advantages of material utilization rate close to 100% and greatly improve the production time.

Digital optical synthesis technology has many advantages in design compared with traditional CNC. Image from Google

Outdoor backpack on the basis of the original technology upgrade has basically reached the ceiling, to achieve innovation and breakthrough is not an easy thing. So some outdoor brands are trying to incorporate 3D printing into their products. The Novum 3D, a 3D-printed backpack, was recently unveiled by outdoor brand VAUDE.

Novum 3D used 3D technology and materials to print the entire backpack, while Osprey UNLTD used carbon fiber to 3D-print the support structure of the backpack, which is the ventilated liner that the backpack meets the back of the person. Osprey calls it FitscapeTM.

Osprey Unltd 3D-printed the backpacks' support structures using carbon fibre. Video by Osprey

Although the Osprey UNLTD backpack price is high at $700, and Osprey packs without new technology can cost between $140 and $400, Osprey is determined to use 3D printing regardless of the cost in the interests of innovative design and sustainability.

According to the presentation, the FitscapeTM extends from the shoulder blades to the waist, providing excellent ventilation, fine-tuned cushioning support and a non-slip surface that keeps loads firmly anchored throughout the back. With the innovative Autolift system, you can distribute the load comfortably and efficiently. In short, you can distribute the weight of the backpack over the entire back to enhance comfort. The weight of a normal backpack tends to be concentrated in a few places, so that the muscles in these places will not be sore.

The Osprey pack provides excellent ventilation that extends from the user's shoulder blades to the waist. Image from Osprey

Unltd backpacks are designed to help hikers carry heavy items. In addition to the ventilation benefits of the waist pad, the 3D-printed mat also features a non-slip texture to keep the bag from moving around in motion, etc.

Other features include:

*Antigravity metal suspension frame, aluminum if rigid and steel if elastic, so that it can be changed and adjusted in different environments;

* Designed for hiking in simpler environments, Airscape has a steel frame for better ventilation;

* For fabrics, both packages use 210D nylon, which has twice the usual amount of tear resistant fiber, and UHMWPE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) material for toughness;

* An attached rain cover can be pulled out of the pocket and turned over;

* A top that can be converted into a waist backpack for daytime hiking.