Announcing Helium-Filled Backpacks for Extreme Lightweight Hiking
Our team at Gossamer Gear is constantly innovating to create products that are simple, light, and essential. We want to lower the barriers to getting started with lightweight backpacking. That’s why we’re so excited to announce our latest product: The LTA (“lighter than air”) 40-Liter Backpack.
The LTA 40—affectionately referred to as “The Floaty”—began when a pretty epic Valentine’s Day display of flowers and balloons was accidentally delivered to the front steps of our warehouse. Unfortunately, we were unable to track down the true recipient of the gift. We’ll never know if Shelia found out that her best friend Ted has been quietly in love with her for the last ten years. But what we do know is that we took one look at those heart-shaped mylar balloons floating so effortlessly in the air and had a real ah-ha moment!
For the last 20+ years, we’ve been looking at lightweight backpacking through the eyes of minimalism. How can we eliminate what’s unnecessary to lighten our load? Where can we cut grams for a more comfortable trek in the wilderness?
But, what if our quest to go lighter doesn’t have to be done through such mindful intention? What if we can just engineer the weight away? What if we, too, can float so leisurely in the air like those shiny pink balloons? We called our fabric manufacturers immediately.
After multiple rounds of testing, we finally landed on a design so light that it will lift our customers right off the trail and up to that mountain peak!
The Floaty is at the cutting-edge of ultralight travel. We’ve employed the latest helium-filled fabrics to create a pack that literally floats. That’s right: While other hikers are busy cutting grams, you won’t even feel the weight of your pack as you butterfly stroke your way through the air. The Floaty will keep you buoyant, even on the toughest trails.
We know you’ll love this pack. Plus, if you ever find that you need a little extra lift, you can simply swing by your local florist and have them pump you up with more of that helium magic.
Take more helium. Float more.
The new company slogan has a nice ring to it, eh?
We’ll be rolling out this helium-filled fabric technology in some of our classic favorites like the Mariposa 60, Kumo 36, and G4-20.
And we’ll keep innovating, looking for functional new designs and color waves that meet the needs of our hiking community, like we recently did with our Loris 25 in Tropical Mist and the Fast Kumo.
Whether you’re hitting the trail in The Floaty or another one of our packs, we’d love to see the fun you get into! Share your adventures with us by tagging Gossamer Gear on social media (@gossamergear) and using the hashtag #takelessdomore.