Introducing Station XV
I’m delighted to announce the launch of Station XV.
In this article, I’ll share part of the journey and provide some insights into the design and manufacturing process.
Quick Backstory
I’m not a bag designer. I’m a security and crisis management consultant. I’ve been based in Asia for the past 22 years and have had my own consulting company in Singapore for the past 12 years.
The initial idea to make bags started in 2020. This was one of several ‘pandemic projects’ that kept me sane during the period when I couldn’t travel (90% of my work requires travel).
My initial objective was to create a satchel for work that was discreet, lightweight, weather resistant, durable and packable. I sketched the design of the bag and built several cardboard prototypes at home. Once I was confident I had a good design, I ordered fabric, webbing, zips and components from different manufacturers and suppliers. Realising that learning to use a sewing machine was probably beyond my capabilities, I then started the process of trying to find someone to make the satchel. Not so easy in a place like Singapore. Eventually, I found a lady in a small local bag repair shop in a local market who was willing to make the bag.
I loved my first Street Satchel and carried it everywhere.
I managed to convince the local bag repair shop to make a few more Street Satchels, which I then sold on my company website. The feedback from the people that bought the satchel was overwhelmingly positive. Once I realised there was a market for this type of product, I started to work on other designs.
Fast forward to April 2024, and I’ve launched Station XV.
The first series I’ve released is the Street Series.
The Street Series
The Street Series is a set of bags designed for everyday use. Perfect bags for daily carry or travel. The series comprises the following bags:
- Street Pack
- Street Tote
- Street Satchel
- Street Belt
I’ve also produced a small range of flat accessory pouches designed to complement the bags.
You can view the Street Series bags here.
The Street Series isn’t the end of the project. Upcoming series include the Travel Series and (hopefully) the Field Series. The first bags and accessories from the Travel Series — the Travel Duffel and the Travel Folio — will be available for sale shortly. The Travel Pack is still in prototyping and testing.
Material Selection
Materials matter when it comes to making lightweight, durable and discreet bags. I tested a bunch of different materials during prototyping, carefully selecting materials based on their capability to endure adverse environments and situations.
Station XV bags are made using the some of the best materials available:
- Challenge UltraWeave 400X for the main fabric (the tote uses 200X)
- Challenge UltraStretch for elasticised pockets
- UHMWPE webbing of various weaves and thicknesses for straps, handles and slings
- Customised YKK zips with a matte PU finish
- Customised YKK sliders with a matte black oxide coating and UHMWPE zip pulls
- Acetal components
- Fidlock magnetic components
Challenge UltraWeave fabrics are very expensive in comparison to the types of materials typically used for bags (mostly nylon). However, it was very clear to me at the beginning of the project that UltraWeave fabric was the right choice for Station XV.
Design Approach
From the outset, I’ve had a very clear idea of what I wanted to achieve with Station XV bags. My approach when designing the Street Series focused on applying the following six principles.
1. The bags must be discrete
Station XV bags are designed to be ignored. There is no visible branding and nothing specific about the bags that would catch the eye.
2. The bags must be hard wearing
All of the materials used in the bags are exceptionally strong and durable for their weight. From UltraWeave 400X to UHMWPE webbing, all of the materials are designed to endure adverse environments. Even the thread we’ve chosen is specially selected for its strength. The approach to material selection ensures our bags are resistant to abrasion, cuts and tears.
3. The bags must be lightweight
Once of the challenges with designing the bags was to balance weight, strength and durability. Each fabric, strap or component is as light as it needs to be for what it does. That said, I’ve deliberately avoided using ultralight materials because the bags need to feel durable. You don’t want to be continually worrying about damaging your bag when you move around town during your commute or while travelling.
4. The bags must be resistant to weather
The materials I selected, and the approach to construction, ensures that the bags are resistant to the occasional downpour. I’ve also been careful to select materials that are highly resistant to UV, water and humidity (humidity is the destroyer of bags in SE Asia).
5. The bags must be packable
I wanted all of the bags to be packable. As such, they don’t use frames or padding. The bags are designed to be flattened, folded, rolled or otherwise unceremoniously stuffed inside other bags.
6. The bags must be extensible
All of the bags have small webbing accessory tabs, allowing you to attach straps and pouches. These webbing tabs are made from UHMWPE webbing, making them very strong and durable. I’ve developed a small ecosystem of modular accessories that extend the utility of the bags.
In addition to these six principles, there are a two other features that define my approach to designing the bags.
Convertible and reversible bags
One of the key things I set out to do when designing Station XV bags is to create bags that are convertible and reversible. A key driver for this is wanting a versatile bag that can be adapted to different scenarios.
The Street Pack is convertible. It can be worn as a pack, carried as a tote, or slung as a satchel.
The Street Tote is reversible, with a black side that has a more technical appearance and a grey side that’s more refined. The tote can also be converted to be carried as a satchel.
Reversible bags are very challenging to construct, as they need to be finished on both sides (i.e., no exposed seams). I’m working on more reversible prototypes right now that are super cool.
Replaceable components
I’ve experienced lots of issues over the years with other bags where plastic components have either broken or just got old, worn and in many cases sticky. With Station XV, I designed all of the bags so that the components are on the straps and handles (the inexpensive parts) rather than the bags themselves (the expensive part). If you have a problem with a component, you can just replace the strap without needing to repair or replace the bag.
This approach also allows people to customise their own straps if they want to try something different. It’s also a much more sustainable approach in the long term.
Manufacturing
On balance, it’s relatively easy to design a good bag. The hard part is getting the bags made. The most challenging part of this project by far was finding a manufacturer. After several false starts, in the end, I struck gold.
Station XV bags and accessories are manufactured in Vietnam by one of the world’s best bag manufacturers. These folks make bags for Osprey, Mammut, Mystery Ranch, Minaal, Pioneer and many other well-known companies. The quality of the bags is excellent.
One of the highlights of the whole experience was working at the factory with the samples team finalising the first round of factory prototypes. The experience the team has in constructing bags is extremely impressive.
Overall, Station XV has been a very difficult and committing project. But now that the first round of bags are out there in the world, I’m really proud of the result.
I hope those of you who end up buying Station XV bags love them and use (and abuse) them as much as I do.
Please take a moment to check out the Station XV website when you have a moment. You can also learn about the name ‘Station XV’, which has its own interesting back story.
If anyone reading this is considering designing and making your own bags and need some advice, please get in touch. I’m by no means an expert, but I’d be happy to help where I can.
Thanks for reading!
