Winner of the Dezeen Design Award 2020.

GroundTruth. The bag company with a noble goal to reduce plastic pollution and improve people's lives. Founded by three sisters, they shared a common belief in the power of collaboration and a drive to protect the people and care for the planet. 

Georgia, Nina, and Sophia Scott share a lifetime of travel experience and have lived and worked worldwide. With Georgia and Sophia having more than a decade of experience with their documentary film company GroundTruth Productions, taking them across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Nina has spent her career working on product development, design, and sales within the artisan textiles sector, engaging with companies and industries worldwide. They have worked for five years on developing the GroundTruth concept, which evolved through their experiences on the road, in the field, and business.

What began as the GroundTruth concept grew into what the RIKR collection is today. And we are proud to be one of their partners to bring their incredible line up to our collection. 

Today, we will be doing a deep dive with the RIKR Backpack of the collection and what makes it such a favorite among us at the office. Let's start with the finer details, shall we? 

 

Details

Price

• $373 > $318 during Exclusive Pre-Order Period

Materials

• Outer Shell: Bespoke GT-RK-001 TRISTOP Ballistic 600D 100% recycled PET
• Side Panels: Ballistic 1200D recycled PET
• Exterior base and trimmings: Recycled 600D Nylon Hypalon
• Interior Lining: Recycled PET 150D Ripstop
• Laptop compartment: Recycled PET Fleece
• Straps: Triple-layer recycled PET Airmesh
• Padding: Recycled PET Felt
• Webbing: Recycled PET
• YKK NATULON® recycled zips
• Binding, Thread & Elastic: Recycled PET
• Components: Injection-moulded recycled PET

Specs

• Height: 530 MM
• Weight: 2.2 KG
• Width: 300 MM
• Volume: 24 L
• Depth: 170 MM

 

Who is it for

New York City is a melting pot not only to people but to different environments. We tested it based on three criteria,

1. Daily usage.
2. Function.
3. Form.

Daily usage

During these COVID times, we usually work from home, but I head into the city once a week to work on things in our office because there are only things we can do there. For me, daily use is moving in and out of my car, walking across the city, office sitting, and swinging it around to get my things. The weather also has been all sorts of crazy, from hot to cold and constant rain. Luckily that's perfect weather to test our favorite new addition to the backpack lineup. 

 

Function

 

When I pull the bag from the car seat to my back, it's swift and easy. Handles on both sides and the top of the pack allow for easy and fast grabbing. They are built somewhat flush against the bag, so it takes a tiny bit more time to grab than loose handles. The back panel is comfortable and breathable. I can't say during hot weather since it's Fall/Winter now, but I often didn't have any issues when I was using this bag. The bag comes with numerous pockets that allow for a more flexible arrangement of your smaller items. Magnetic clasps connect sternum straps and adjustable shoulder straps near the shoulder and the waist to adjust the fit according to your needs. Finally, it just looks good. Minimal with subtle design aspects. No flapping straps or handles that pop out. It looks and feels like a bag that says little but does a lot. 

 

 

Form

The triangle pattern is subtle but futuristic. The EXPLORE | PROTECT mantra is imprinted on the shoulder straps so that you're reminded of the difference your making and the difference you can make. I love that it's simple, to the point, and a great reminder of what we can do for the planet. The compression straps, handles, and water bottle pockets are flush enough not to stick out to keep the pack looking balanced and minimal. Both sides are evenly built, meaning that one side does not stick out more than the other. If I inserted a water bottle into its pocket, it still looks to be compressed instead of sticking out, if that makes sense. Dress casual, arctic adventure or for work in the city, it matches almost everything. Just don't wear it to a black-tie event - or can I? 

 

Features and Space

The biggest surprise to us was the number of details in this bag. It was crazy how many features are in this bag.

1. Clamshell opening
2. Fidlock encasement
3. compression straps
4. flush water bottle pocket
5. side access pocket
6. top access pocket
7. secondary removable mesh pocket
8. luggage strap (secret pocket here too)
9. Adjustable sternum straps
10. Removable waist straps
11. Hooks for accessory attachments
12. Elevated laptop pocket (ELEVATED)
13. Spacious interior
14. Plenty of organization within
15. Soft and mesh back panel

I'm getting excited just going through the list, and this is just off the top of my head. For the first iteration, the meticulous details put into this bag's design is impressive. 

The bag is very multifunctional. I pack it with my 14 inch Zephyrus laptop, pencil case, MUJI notebook, Hobonichi Techo planner, Uniqlo packable windbreaker, water thermos, Peak Designs accessories pouch, and a bunch of other smaller items packed into the many pockets throughout the bag. 

Another day, I pack it with a change of clothes, water bottle, bento box, sweater, sneakers, and umbrella. 

So the interior is very spacious and can fit enough for a weekend trip if packed efficiently. Because with these two different setups, I still have half the bag's space empty. 

Below is another setup I have for my on the go podcast recording set up. It just holds things so well.

 

100% Recycled Materials

I mentioned briefly about their commitment to the planet, and I wasn't kidding. Each backpack removes 120 plastic bottles from our environment and is packaged in a 100% biodegradable cassava bag. How, you ask? Well, they take the plastic bottles and make bags out of them. It's that easy! Are you not convinced? Fine, here's what they mentioned.

Made from 100% recycled post-consumer plastic, including our bespoke technical GT-RK-001 textile, we have developed the RIKR Backpack's innovative features in response to the real-world travel experience.

The lightweight and durable bags are made from a fabric called GT-RK-001 that was developed by GroundTruth as a waterproof and high-performance recycled-plastic fabric.

Groundtruth developed the GT-RK-001 textile over the course of 18 months, with the aim of replicating the properties of VX21 – a three-layered fabric that has high tensile strength and abrasion resistance despite being incredibly thin and was originally made for the sails of racing boats.

While VX21 is made from virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) combined with nylon and polyester, Groundtruth's version is made from waste PET sourced from a recycling plant in Jakarta, Indonesia, 20 minutes drive from where the backpacks are manufactured.

Every component in the RIKR range is made from 100% recycled materials—from the bespoke tristop textile primary body material to the padding, linings, buckles, binding, webbing, YKK NATULON® zips, hardware, and even the thread that holds everything together.

• Ethically Manufactured: GROUNDTRUTH only works with bluesign®-certified and Global Recycled Standard manufacturers. Our products are made to the highest ethical and sustainable standards, ensuring that every RIKR backpack is fairly produced and designed to last a lifetime.
• Carbon Negative: Every GROUNDTRUTH product is carbon neutral, but if you share our drive to do better, you can opt to make your purchase carbon negative at checkout. All of our products are shipped in 100% recycled, recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable packaging, using zero plastic.

The sisters' work worldwide put them in direct contact with a range of extreme environments – from drought in East Africa to conflict in the Middle East. These experiences sparked their drive to create a company that could affect positive, meaningful change.

 

Final Verdict

The RIKR range also includes a tote, laptop and camera bags as well as a cardholder, which is made from offcuts that were created in the process of producing the other products and would otherwise have gone to waste.

The Scott sisters' ultimate aim is to create a more sustainable way for outdoor wear to achieve its high standards of performance and durability.

The RIKR backpack is worth every penny. It has everything you need in a bag and more. While there are many out there, this backpack may genuinely be the closest we've experienced to the perfect pack. But let's be real, will there ever be the perfect pack? 

 

When will you be getting them?

Expect to see them for Pre-Order in our shop for November. Keep a close watch on our Pre-Order page HERE. Also, keep tabs on our IG @urbancred_official or FB @urbancred.

Also, sign up for our newsletter, and be sure to share this post with your friends. It helps a bunch, and we're incredibly grateful for it. We look forward to seeing you again!

A HUGE thanks to GroundTruth for sending us a sample to test before we allow it into our curated collection!