Pacmodo: My new favorite travel system
In yesterday’s post, I wrote about how traveling in retirement for me is different from my old days of business travel. Back then, the briefcase and garment bag were at the core of business travel. In retirement, the centerpiece has now become the backpack.
Why?
Recall that in addition to what I used to carry, I am now carrying more.
CPAP machine
Day pack for leisure activities (my briefcase was the day pack while working)
More clothing because I get cold so much easier than when I was younger
So, how do I do this now? I’ve decided to switch to Pacmodo, an innovative product invented and developed by ex-Nike people right here in Portland!
Pacmodo: a new kind of backpack system
The basic principle of Pacmodo is that it’s actually a modular system that separates the frame (the “MODO”) from the individual packs (the “PACs”). There are small, medium, and large PACs that can just zip onto the MODO.
This is what my current travel set up looks like, with the medium PAC on the left and the large PAC on the right.
My Medium PAC
Inside the medium PAC, I carry my CPAP, laptop, iPad, headphones, and cables. This PAC plays the role of being my briefcase and my CPAP carrier.
Because of all the weight in the PAC, I zipped the MODO onto it, so I can carry it as a backpack.
The straps also tuck away nicely to fit underneath an airline seat.
My Large PAC (with the Small PAC Inside)
The Pacmodo large PAC is good for clothing. I’ve packed my clothing, workout gear, toothbrush, shaver, and toiletries. Note the sealed bag area for my shoes (which I put in a plastic bag.)
The shoe compartment closes nicely.
And finally, I put down a plastic garbage bag for my dirty clothes at the end of my trip! In that plastic garbage bag, I put the small PAC.
(Pictured below is the small PAC on top of the garbage bag, so you can see what I mean. Know that I would normally put the small PAC inside the garbage bag because that small PAC is really part of the “outside world.”)
Then, I can zip up the whole thing, add the shoulder strap, and I’m ready to go!
The Small PAC as a Daypack
When I arrive at my destination, I can then unzip the MODO from the medium PAC and remove the small PAC from inside the large PAC.
By zipping the two together, I have a daypack, and I’m ready to go out touring without unpacking anything else!
Other details I like
Overall, Pacmodo is just a very well-designed system, with some very cool features.
German-made magnetic clasps for the chest strap
Japanese-made locking side-release buckles
An Apple AirTag pouch on the frame
Interior water bottle pouches on small and medium PACs
Secret pockets between the MODO and the PACs
And this stuff all looks sharp!
The secret sauce
This Substack is called “Retired Techie.” My absolute favorite part of the Pacmodo system is the digital ecosystem being built behind the scenes. Here’s a picture of me with the Pacmodo founder and CEO (David Ngene) showing the NFC tag on the bottom center of one of my PACs.
The concept is that each piece has its own unique NFC tag. There’s a mobile web app for people to maintain a “digital closet” to register and inventory the items they own, plus the ability to “check in” their PACs at different locations. The Pacmodo app will be able to maintain a history of where each PAC has been throughout its life!
This digital experience is all still evolving, but I see a lot of potential for long-term value (and fun!) here.
I’ll let you know how the journey goes with this new Pacmodo system. I think the team is really onto something here. Making an analogy to Tesla, this system is their “Model X” as a high-end flagship product. The company also intends to make a more mass-market product just as Tesla did with the “Model Y”. I think they are really onto a very cool set of concepts here.
What do you think?
As I suggested on their YouTube, I hope they consider a ventilated variation of the "modo" I have learned that I can't have a pack right against my back for more than a few minutes without dripping from sweat.