Since 1996, Vince Longo and the team at Futures Fins have relied on the mathematical principles of physics to innovate one specific product: surfboard fins. Futures reimagined the concept of what fins contribute to the overall feel of surfing through formulas that consider flex and shape and surface area; it also developed a new system of attaching fins to the board. Recently though, Futures Fins turned its mechanical thinking to another item: the everyday backpack.
Futures Fins’s pack is called the Passport, and it facilitates a life spent transitioning in and out of the water while maintaining the looks and function necessary to make it a reliable choice for a wide range of activities. The Passport is made of weatherproof ripstop waxed canvas and uses water-resistant zippers. Its layout includes a collapsible 10-liter compartment at its base that can house a damp wetsuit or a dirty pair of hiking boots in addition to its 20-liter main compartment.
There are a surprising amount of separate smaller pockets that make sense for daily life too — one for a laptop, one for a water bottle, two for small items and one that’s large enough for notebooks and magazines. On paper, all this sounds like the Passport has a lot going on, but in execution the bag is simple and if anything, understated. It’s a combination that makes the Passport uncommonly versatile, and while Futures Fins may have designed it with traveling surfers in mind, but it’s suitable for a much wider group than that.
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