Imagine you’re bungee jumping and the harness around your body swings you back up, going against gravity. That’s the mechanism behind the HoverGlide Backpack, deemed by its manufacturer, Lightning Packs, as the “world’s first ‘floating’ backpack.”
At first glance, the bag does look like it’s levitating with every movement the carrier makes. It appears to be floating while the user jumps, runs, climbs, or hikes.
This is the result when you have pulleys and bungee cords built within the bag’s structure. They cushion the downward pull that heavy backpacks make when they bounce. This results in less metabolic energy used while walking, running, or climbing since the bag glides fluidly up and down. It moves in rhythm with the carrier’s body movements.
The HoverGlide Backpack is the innovative idea of Lawrence Rome, a physiologist at the University of Pennsylvania. He said his creation cuts the risk of back or spinal injury that comes from carrying a heavy load. This revolutionary pack uses Suspended Technology to reduce the stress of the weighted load, thus reducing cardiovascular strains and muscle strains on the back, neck, knees, and ankles.
Anyone can benefit from the backpack: students, climbers, hikers, the military, and even middle-aged people. It comes in four rugged styles ranging from 28 liters to 55 liters, with the 20-inch frame having the capacity to fit all three smaller packs (28-30 liters).
It offers a variety of pockets, sleeves, mesh webbing and other features for an organized interior and exterior load. This pack is made from lightweight and water-repellant fabric that has been military tested and proven for its durability under tough conditions.
Photos Courtesy of Lightning Packs