Tested in the most extreme of environments by Robert Swan, the first person to walk to both North and South Poles, the GROUNDTRUTH RIKR range of bags were declared fit for polar expeditions. “I take great care and caution when choosing my expedition equipment as at times it can mean life or death. Everything I use needs to be trustworthy, durable and tough. If recycled plastic bottles can be made into materials that for the first time in polar history performed for us on a journey on foot to the South Geographic Pole, no one can ever doubt the durability of the GROUNDTRUTH Range.”

The developer and designer of the amazing RIKR range of bags and accessories is GROUNDTRUTH Global and it has 3 sisters – Sophia, Nina and Georgia Scott – at its heart who not only believe that humanity and the environment are inextricably linked, they seriously “walk the talk.” From their commitment to fair labour practices within everything they do, to reducing and mitigating their carbon footprint, to minimizing pollution and preserving valuable natural resources, their inspiring approach has purpose and extends throughout their supply chain. The Life-cycle of each bag aims to leave our world a better place.

The RIKR bags and accessories harness a new generation of technologies to innovate, design and create a range of 100% recycled plastic from a textile called GT-RK-001. For those interested in protecting and repairing our environment, it’s a technical wonder manufactured from 100% recycled PET, using plastic waste collected from landfill sites, waterways and oceans worldwide.

The RIKR range includes the 24L Backpack, the Technical Tote, the Camera Bag, the Laptop, the Tech Pouch, a Card Holder, Key Chain and TShirt.  They are made from 100% recycled plastics with a 15 year guarantee and carbon neutral with bluesign® manufacturing. Purchasing the entire RIKR range will have removed a total of 284 bottles of plastic from the environment.

GROUNDTRUTH offsets their travels and electricity usage to produce the RIKR range with Wildlife Works through the Mai Ndombe REDD+ project based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which protects over 740,000 acres of the world’s second-largest intact rainforest and is home to an array of biodiversity, including endangered forest elephants. Their supply chain works to record and reduce the impact of the manufacturing process, and track and offset the carbon output of all their activities through the principles of the bluesign® system and the Global Recycled Standard.

Two years and two South Pole expeditions later, Robert Swan used his GROUNDTRUTH backpack while training in the mountains of California and noted, “With the convenient access points and pockets, my day hikes here are the perfect terrain to put the bag through hot weather testing. The waist straps sit comfortably on my hips whilst navigating rocks and I can conveniently adjust the sternum strap across my chest. Using this bag gives me hope that we can innovate new technologies and help clean up some of the mess we make – knowing this bag has removed 120 plastic bottles from the environment demonstrates that we can all make a difference.”

The itmustbeNOW.com team tested the RIKR 24L Backpack, Technical Tote and Camera Bag while travelling in the rugged Suisse alps, in the dunes of Holland, and in cities in Germany, France and Canada for several months, carrying a heavy load of digital devices and camera equipment on hikes, by car, train and in flights. Rain or shine and extreme weather, our items were well protected and the bags were comfortable to carry with adjustable straps and solidly built with many pockets that made organizing easy and uncomplicated. The size and multifunctional design are ideal for outdoor adventures, active business and personal use. Plus most important, the RIKR range of bags reflects the values of the NOW team who were proud to carry them.

Perfect for the adventurous traveller on the go and individuals that care about people and planet, the GROUNDTRUTH RIKR Range is stylish, mindful, durable and will most likely be the most sustainable, purpose packed, high performance bags you will ever own.

Note from NOW Founder:

itmustbeNOW.com will only test and review selected items relevant to travel from brands with similar values.  NOW reviews are featured in CLEVER STUFF or BE WELL article.  They are published in itmustbeNOW.com for two weeks and included in the NOW Editorial Archive and promoted in NOW Social.

NOW reviews are not advertorials and we do not accept any monetary payment for the review.  The NOW team test items rigorously to check on promotional claims and do not return used items. 

The NOW Community prefer brands that reflect their deeply held personal values and sustainability with accountability and transparency is on top of the list.