This is the Kasperi Black Fold-Top Backpack, it’s one of the Scandinavian company’s newer offerings, using their tried and tested design that was developed to last a lifetime (or more).
Kasperi was founded in 2011 by Janne Kasperi Suhonen, a designer and photographer who grew increasingly frustrated with the backpacks that were then on the market – many of which wouldn’t last more than 18-24 months of heavy use.
The Kasperi Fold-Top Backpack is designed for a lifetime of use, and the capacity can be increased or decreased thanks to the roll top design.
As a result of all this, Suhonen decided to see if he could design something better himself. He spent years working on different designs and experimenting with different materials, the final prototype became his own daily carry backpack, and his friends all started asking for their own.
Suhonen started selling them in small numbers and word of mouth spread, before long it became clear that there was significant demand, and requests for new designs including camera bags, DJ bags, Brompton bags and more began to pour in.
In the years since, Kasperi has grown to become a well-known brand with their own workshop in the town of Hämeenlinna in Finland, about an hour north of Oslo on the shores of Lake Vanajavesi.
They make all of their bags to be repairable, cuts and holes can be stitched by a leatherworker and patches can be applied if they’re ever needed, meaning the bags really can last a lifetime or more.
Each bag is made from a combination of SOHRE tannery vegetable-tanned bovine saddle leather and Italian Virgilio tannery vegetable-tanned bovine leather.
The Kasperi Black Fold-Top Backpack
This is the Kasperi Fold-Top Backpack in the Black colorway, and like all the bags from Kasperi it’s designed for a lifetime of use – be it hiking in the mountains, commuting to work, or some combination of the two.
The bag has six attachment points for carrying additional hiking equipment, like fishing rods, camera tripods, a cooking pan, or other items you might need on the trail. It has a front pocket to keep high-use items conveniently at hand, things like GPS units, smartphones, compasses, maps, and of course, snacks.
It also comes with a detachable laptop sleeve for laptops up to 17″ or documents, the bag has a built-in carrying handle for easy travel on buses, trains and planes, and a D-ring key loop. The capacity of the bag can be extended thanks to the roll top, allowing you to expand or shrink thew capacity has your needs dictate.
The bag also uses marine-grade stainless steel G-buckles, Swedish chromed steel roller buckles, Italian copper-plated steel rivets, and Italian waxed polyester yarn.
The bag is now available for sale online through the Kasperi online store with an MSRP of €690 and it comes with a two-year warranty. The team at Kasperi do offer extended repairs after the warranty expires if they’re needed, and they can provide quotes via email.
Images courtesy of Kasperi
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.