Lowe Alpine previewed their new TFX backpack system
at the Friedrichshafen OutDoor show, winning an OutDoor industry
award in the process. This system will be available on a range
of rucksack models in the shops in 2007 to mark the brand's
40th anniversary.
OM special agent Oliver Nissen reports on the new pack system
direct from Germany - think Bioflex-like mobility and, on the top-end
models, inflatable lumbar padding...
TFX stands for Torso Fit Expedition and is a suspension back
system with rotating hip fins, not dissimilar to Berghaus's
Bioflex. It still uses their now familiar Torso Fit
colour-coded strap and buckle system to adjust the back
length. So you'll be needing those holey hockey
sticks...
The TFX models also will feature a new V-shaped aluminium stave
with a box shaped cross section which provides sturdy support for little
weight. Lowe Alpine claim more lab and field tests were made on
the TFX design than any other product developed in their
history. You can be confident that the pack won't let you down
when you are relying on it most, as you lug your sack half way up to
camp three, they say.
Pump It Up...
There
are several levels of TFXness on the path to load-bearing
Nirvana, TFX 5, 7, and 9. The TFX 9 models are for high
priests of burden with the Torso Fit Micro Adjust system,
which consists of lumbar inflation unit and a squidgy nipple-type
pump located on the right hip fin. Stop slouching young man!
I took some sacrilegious photo shots, including a very blurry
nipple - right - before being beaten off by angry monks!
More details on the TFX packs in the next few months, you can see
the current Lowe Alpine range at www.lowealpine.com
