Ski touring backpacks · Test magazine 2022
Tech talk with Tobias Maletz, ORTOVOX
Product Manager Backpacks · Print page 29
Who is Tobias Maletz? Product Manager Backpacks at ORTOVOX
In the BACKLINE 2022 test magazine, Tobias Maletz discusses ski touring backpacks as Product Manager Backpacks at ORTOVOX. He started skiing at the age of three and raced until he was 16. Ski cross and freeriding led him to ski touring. In the years before the interview, he had been travelling almost exclusively on climbing skins to find untracked descents.
In the interview, Maletz identifies sustainability and durability as key development goals. He explains that ORTOVOX uses recycled materials where they make sense without compromising durability. Functionality, carrying comfort and features tailored to the respective target group are equally important.
For airbag backpacks, Maletz stresses ease of use alongside low weight, including securing the deployment handle and fastening the leg loop. According to him, the production sites for the complete LiTRIC airbag system, including testing, are within a maximum radius of 100 kilometres of the company headquarters in Taufkirchen near Munich. This proximity is intended to bring production expertise and quality control closer to the company. He plans to use the AVABAG LiTRIC Freerider the following winter; for longer multi-day tours, he names the HAUTE ROUTE 40 for its carrying comfort and load transfer to the hips.
What priorities is Ortovox currently setting in the development of new ski touring backpacks and why?
Sustainability and, above all, longevity are always the focus of new developments. We have set these goals as part of our sustainability strategy. We always use recycled materials when it makes sense and does not compromise the longevity of the backpack. For new ski touring backpack developments, functionality, carrying comfort, and the appropriate feature set for the respective target group are also at the top of the agenda.
What growth has Ortovox seen in the backpack sector in recent years, and to what do you attribute this?
Backpacks play an important role in our collection, which has intensified in recent years. The ski touring boom and the fact that we have rather good backpacks in our portfolio, precisely tailored to the needs of ski tourers, also help here. But we also see increasing demand in summer, as more and more people discovered the mountains during the recent pandemic summers, and our backpacks are very well received in this context.
Ortovox and Deuter both belong to the Schwan Stabilo Group. Are there synergies in product development for ski touring backpacks with airbags?
No, both brands work with their own systems.
In which area do you see the most potential for the future when it comes to the quality and functionality of ski touring backpacks with airbags?
For a high-priced product like an airbag backpack, users expect the highest quality. Our production sites for the complete LiTRIC airbag system – from the electronics to the fan and the airbag, and even the testing process – are located within a maximum radius of 100 kilometers from our company headquarters in Taufkirchen near Munich. This brings supply chains, production know-how, and quality control directly to our vicinity. Besides low weight, the functionality of an airbag backpack must be characterized much more strongly by high ease of use, so that tourers and freeriders always use the backpack and are perfectly familiar with its functions in an emergency. Details make a big difference, such as an extremely simple and quick handle locking mechanism or the easy and quick attachment of the safety-relevant leg loop.
Which backpack do you use in winter and why?
If the avalanche situation requires it, then I'm certainly out with one of our AVABAGS. This coming winter, due to its intuitive handling and lightweight electronic system, the AVABAG LiTRIC Freerider will be my constant companion. For multi-day ski tours, I'll simply combine the Freeride Base with a touring-specific Zip-on Bag. For larger undertakings – meaning multi-day tours – I then take a HAUTE ROUTE 40, because it's simply super comfortable and transfers the load very well to the hips.
