Hello everyone :) Allan Henry here from Atlas Packs, hope you have been safe and well. With spring now upon us, I want to share a detailed update about the upcoming production and delivery of your pack.

The really good news is we've crossed a number of big milestones and the delivery dates have firmed-up.  To get everyone caught-up, here is a quick timeline of events.

In January 2021, I approved the BOM (Bill of Materials). Since then, tens of thousands of parts, pieces and yards of fabric have been making their way to our factory in the Philippines.  

• Currently all parts are on schedule and there are no significant delays.  
• Currently, there is a short COVID lockdown in Manila and various provinces (March 27-April 4th). This lockdown is not expected to impact the timelines.

In March 2021, the atlaspacks.com website was updated to include the final specifications for both packs.

• The Athlete Pack went live on March 16th.
• The Adventure Pack was updated on March 22nd.

There's a ton of new info including detailed photos, illustrations and descriptions. If you have not seen the updates, head over to the site and check them out.  The links are provided in the header above.

Okay now the important part, when does your pack arrive?  Here are the current delivery dates based on order waves.

Adventure Packs:

•     Early Bird: June
•     Summer Wave 1: June / July
•     Summer Wave 2: July / Aug

Athlete Packs:

•     Early Bird: July
•     Summer Wave 1: July
•     Summer Wave 2: July / Aug

If you were hoping to have your pack delivered sooner, I hear ya.  Many of you have had a pack reserved since late 2020. The reason the packs are arriving later than any of us want are delays at the Port of LA that are beyond our control.

As per FedEx, "the Port of Los Angeles has seen a 217% increase in volume, and ocean cargo costs have risen over 40% compared to this time period last year. Volume increases, shipping container shortages, and driver shortages will continue to stress the global logistics infrastructure. The result will be a continuation of port congestion, extended delivery times, and increases in freight rates. "

The Important Parts:

• FedEx has informed me to expect delays of 25-30 days.
• This time has been included in the delivery dates listed above.
• If the congestion clears by the time our containers start to arrive (May/June), then delivery will be sooner than the dates above.
• If the congestion worsens, the delivery dates will extend further out.

Crazy to think that the average wait time, from date of reservation to date of delivery, will be 7-8 months. This will be the norm for the foreseeable future and is exactly why we put the reservation program in place.

Remember, the perks and pricing are designed to offset the long wait and uncertain delivery dates. Additionally, the reservation process ensures you can cancel at any time and receive a full refund.

When I signed the BOM in January, I locked in every single detail for this order. I cannot change a stitch or ask for one more pack.  

This means back in January, I had to decide  how many of each pack, hip belt, color and size to make and to ensure we have enough of each combo for each wave. My goal is to give everyone the pack they want the first time around. As a result, the number of packs in each wave is limited.

I am sharing all these details because Atlas Packs is a really small company/ brand.  We work really hard to make sure every single customer is happy with their pack and the service we provide...100% of the time!

**As such, if the information in this email does NOT make you happy, please feel free to cancel your reservation**

Of course I don't want anyone to cancel, but I really, really don't want anyone to be unhappy with me or Atlas Packs. We totally understand if the timelines and conditions of the reservation system no longer work for you and why I'm making you aware now, many months in advance of delivery.  

Thanks again for your continued support and patience. Please expect much shorter communication emails more often, as we near the estimated delivery dates. I'm super excited to share a number of big surprises and details about both packs!

As always we love to chat, so come say hi anytime.

Cheers and thanks,
Allan

PS:  We plan to finalize order details (including the gift card perks and payment of balance), in May and June.  I want to wait until the packs are loaded on containers and on the way before moving to this step.