At GROUNDTRUTH, one of the most important things we take into consideration when developing a new textile or product is field testing. To really know a product's durability, we have to put them to the test in really challenging conditions. Survivalist, explorer and TV host, Ed Stafford, has spent most of his life in extreme locations around the world and has a wealth of travel experience.
Ed joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 1998 and was promoted to Captain in February 2002, before leaving the British Army. In 2010, Ed became the first person to have walked the entire length of the Amazon River, documented in the 2011 TV series Walking the Amazon.
Pictured above: Ed Stafford and 38L Backpack
Since then, Ed has been travelling the world in some of the most difficult environments - he is a true explorer at heart. His latest TV series First Man Out sees Ed compete with some of the world's top survival experts in a real-life race to get out of some of the planets most hostile environments. Ed is passionate about encouraging others. He is honest and real about the challenges he faced: snakes, severe floods, electric eels, jaguars and the hostility of local tribes confronted with a tall foreign man in their midst. Ed's story has powerful lessons about motivation, resilience, working with others, respect for other culture and staying positive when things are relentlessly tough. Messages about success in the face of adversity, the determination to achieve targets and riding out tough times are delivered in a very entertaining way with a large dollop of self-deprecating humour.
We have joined forces with Ed Stafford to design the ultimate 38L Hybrid Duffle Pack, a perfect companion for long weekend trips no matter where your jounrey takes you. Over the course of two years we have created a collaborative capsule with Ed that draws on our shared experience of decades of extreme travel, and inspired by our shared belief of having nature and workers rights at the heart of everything we do. Seven prototypes have been built and field- tested by Ed in extreme locations around the world, making the 38L Hybrid Duffel Pack a robust design able to withstand all environments.
GROUNDTRUTH... A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A NEW GENERATION OF COMPANIES SET UP WITH MORALS. SURE IT WANTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL - BUT AT WHAT COST? NO. THESE SISTERS WANT TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY, AND IF EVERY COMPANY DID THAT, WE REALLY WOULD BE GOING A LONG WAY TO SOLVING THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS.
Ed Stafford
Built from 123 recycled plastic bottles, the 38L Hybrid Duffle Pack is the perfect weekend bag - featuring a three way carry system; hand carry mode, duffle mode and backpack mode and a 16" laptop compartment. This hybrid design is constructed using vegan, eco-friendly materials and ethical manufacturing practices.
