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StatPacks' Best Ideas Come From the Field

Atlanta – October 20, 2003 – As StatPacks introduced its 2005 product line, one thing became clear: the company that was founded by a former EMT still gets its best ideas from the field.

A prime example occurred when RJ, a firefighter based near the company’s headquarters in southern Utah, approached StatPacks with his ideas for a pack for wildland firefighters. Company founder Scott Nelson, the former EMT who still develops StatPacks products, worked with RJ to turn his conceptions into a modern, fully-engineered pack: the Spotfire.

The Spotfire’s advanced harness system focuses weight on the wearer’s waist, reducing back strain for people who spend much of the day bending over. On long, hot days, users will appreciate the bladder stash, which holds up to a 100 fluid ounce hydration bladder. When worse comes to worse, a one-handed stash bag offers instant access to both new-generation and old-style fire shelters; it’s adjustable so wearers can skip the “pack rash.”

“We’re trying to mimic the original process,” Nelson says. “I worked as a medic for 10 years, and that was long enough for me to know that we’re not carrying our equipment right. And that’s where I conceived the ideas for most of our basic packs. But the industry is changing. It’s getting more demanding, and the jobs are getting more stressful. Medics are encountering different situations, and terror has changed EMS in a lot of ways. By listening to the medics in the field, and getting their feedback, we’re able to incorporate our own changes so we can provide products that are exactly what they need.”

In order to duplicate that process, StatPacks needs input from the field. And they are experts at turning those raw ideas into advanced, professional products. The Splash, for example, is a hybrid drybag-backpack that was created in response to a specific request. It’s robust, watertight, and ergonomic. Adjustable, padded shoulder straps keep users’ hands free to perform first aid or drive the jet ski, as the situation requires.

“We got a call from Hawaii, from this medic who responds to emergency situations on a jet-ski,” says founder Scott Nelson, who still develops most new StatPacks products. “Most of our packs are water-resistant, but they have zippers so they can’t be 100-percent waterproof. I wanted to bring out a drybag that is still comfortable. You can wear it, but you can also take it out on the lake.”

Read through the company’s 2005 catalog, and you’ll find a litany of products that respond to the specific needs of medics in the field. The Tidal Volume offers a safe, convenient way to transport oxygen tanks. The Whiner is a small waist-pack built for lifeguards and beach, special event and bike medics. The Quicklook is designed to carry an Automated External Defibrillator in a comprehensive first-aid kit perfect for airports, stadiums, and other public venues. The company also incorporated detailed upgrades to its existing product line.

What all these innovations have in common is that they respond directly to the specific needs of people in the field. “We’ve received huge amounts of feedback from our users,” says Scott Nelson, who founded StatPacks in 2003. “We’re really listening to it. We’ve made upgrades to every product.”

“We love getting feedback, both positive and negative,” Nelson says. “It doesn’t hurt our feelings one bit if somebody calls up and says ‘hey you need to make a change on this.’ It means they like the product enough that they’d like to see some improvements on it. We’re a pretty flexible company, too. We can incorporate the changes quickly.”

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