How a SDUPID Idea Became the Perfect Pack

Yes, the original name was SDUPID Pack. Although I thought it was one of the smartest packs ever built, maybe I got a little too creative with the name.

But there’s a story behind it—and it starts with a lawn chair on a paddleboard.

The idea that started it all

It was 2021, and I was camping on Okanagan Lake with friends and my kids. I’d had a beverage or two when inspiration struck: Why not put my lawn chair on my paddleboard?

So I did. And it was epic! I was comfortable, floating on the lake, enjoying the sunshine. I’d turned Stand Up Paddle boarding into Sit Down Paddle boarding, and I was pretty pleased with myself.

There was just one problem: all my stuff was still on the beach.

I wanted my speaker, which meant I needed my phone. And since I was heading back anyway, I might as well grab another beverage. It was hot, after all.

Getting back onto the board with my hands full—and a lawn chair already occupying most of the available space—was quite the balancing act. But ever the adventurist, I pulled it off.

Once again, it was amazing… until a surf boat came along and apparently decided I had too many things on my board.

Suddenly, I was hosting a floating yard sale.

Luckily, empty cans float and my speaker was waterproof. But clearly, the setup needed some work.

Why on earth would I call it SDUPID?

Despite the occasional chaos, sitting comfortably on my paddleboard became my favorite way to enjoy the water. People would laugh when they saw me out there with my lawn chair, but they also admitted it looked pretty awesome.

They weren’t wrong. It was pure relaxation—once I’d managed to get everything aboard.

After a few more trips, the concept started coming together. There had to be a better way to carry everything, keep it together, and enjoy the experience without the balancing act.

Then came the drawings.

One day, while explaining the idea, I said something along the lines of:

“It’s stupid that there isn’t a better way to take all your stuff with you. You’re carrying a speaker, a cooler, a beach chair, your board, and your paddle to the water. Then you have to arrange everything just right and somehow climb on without tipping it all in. Otherwise, you’re leaving everything on shore just to go Sit Down Paddle boarding—SDP-ing!”

The response?

“And some of that stupid stuff sinks!”

Think phones and keys.

We laughed, and a light bulb went off. Everyone was calling everything “smart.” Why not go the other way?

Products so smart, they make everything else look SDUPID.

Just like that, the SDUPID Pack had a name.

From SDUPID to Perfect

We considered plenty of other names, but SDUPID kept winning. It had a story, it made people laugh, and the marketing possibilities were pretty entertaining.

So I went with it.

But as the design evolved, so did the idea. What started as a way to make Sit Down Paddle Boarding better became something much more versatile: a pack built for enjoying the outdoors, with your comfort and your belongings coming along for the adventure.

When we finally got the design where I’d always wanted it, another name felt right.

Perfect Pack.

There was just one small catch: we’d already gone into production with paddleboards carrying the original SDUPID name.

So our growing pains are your gain. Those original SDUPID paddleboards are available at a discount, giving you the chance to own a little piece of our history.

And that’s how a lawn chair, a paddleboard, and one very SDUPID idea became the Perfect Pack.