NAARWHAL

The Forty

$195 founder · 300 bags

Lock $195
The Naarwhal Forty in Arctic NightArctic Night
Glacier lining printed with narwhalsTPU-lined waterproof wet pocket550 gsm tarpaulin shell, up close

Pre-production renders · photography of the first run follows production

Expedition store — item 001 / 001

The Naarwhal Forty

$195founder pricing · $225 after launch

40 liters. Cabin sized. Drawn to Nordic rules and built for the whole trip — laptop, boots, and three weeks of clothes — guaranteed for life, with 1% to the Arctic.

Voyage 001First run of 300 bags — the first 200 orders lock $195.

Free to join. Voyage 001 ships early 2027. One email, no spam. How we handle it.

  • Tusk Guarantee — repaired or replaced, for life
  • 1% of gross revenue pledged to Arctic conservation
  • Clears most major-airline sizers — see the table
  • 30-day returns when it ships — plus statutory rights
THE TUSK GUARANTEE · REPAIRED OR REPLACED · FOR LIFE ·
550 gsm tarpaulin≥ 2,000 mm HHYKK No.10−20 °C to +60 °C1.6 kg15.6″ laptop100 kg bucklesspecified, not yet measured

Field diagram — read the bag

The Naarwhal Forty, annotated
  1. 01 YKK No.10 zips
  2. 02 Wet pocket
  3. 03 Laptop 15.6″
  4. 04 EVA harness
  5. 05 Pass-through
  6. 06 Bottle ×2

Will it clear the sizer?

The Naarwhal Forty measured against airline cabin-bag limits, on the cheapest fare and on a paid upgrade
CarrierCheapest fareThe FortyIf you payThe Forty
British Airways56 × 45 × 25Clears
Lufthansa55 × 40 × 23Clears
KLM55 × 35 × 25Clears
Air France55 × 35 × 25Clears
Iberia56 × 40 × 25Clears
easyJet45 × 36 × 20under the seat10 cm too tall, 3 cm too deep56 × 45 × 25Plus, Flexi or an upfront seatClears
Wizz Air40 × 30 × 20under the seat15 cm too tall, 5 cm too wide, 3 cm too deep55 × 40 × 23WIZZ PriorityClears
Ryanair40 × 30 × 20under the seat15 cm too tall, 5 cm too wide, 3 cm too deep55 × 40 × 20Priority & 2 Cabin Bags3 cm too deep

There is no universal cabin-bag standard. IATA's own guidance cites 56 × 45 × 25 cm as the size many airlines apply; its 2015 “Cabin OK” optimum was 55 × 35 × 20 cm; carriers then set their own. So rather than claim the Forty fits everywhere, here is the arithmetic — including the carriers on this list it doesn't clear.

It clears the cheapest fare on 5 of 8. The budget carriers are the honest problem: their free allowance is a bag that goes under the seat, and no 40-litre pack fits it — the Forty needs the paid cabin bag, and on Ryanair it is three centimetres too deep even then.

Checked 2026-08-15 · each carrier links to its own page, which wins if we disagree · a soft bag under-packed closes most of a small gap · the full table

55 CM35 CM23 CM

Actual size. Actually measured.

The wet pocket
FIG. A — TPU-lined wet pocket, open

01

The wet pocket

A full side-panel zipper opens a TPU-lined, wipe-clean compartment for boots, wet swimsuits, or that cheese you bought at the market. Sealed off from everything you love.

An office in row 23
FIG. B — laptop suite, rear access

02

An office in row 23

Padded 15.6″ laptop sleeve against your back, a tablet slot beside it, and a quick-access top pocket sized for phone + passport. Security lines in one motion.

Three weeks, zero fees
FIG. C — main hold, compression engaged

03

Three weeks, zero fees

A full-depth main compartment with two internal compression straps. Packs like a suitcase, carries like a backpack, boards like a personal vendetta against baggage fees.

The crew inside
FIG. D — glacier lining, narwhal print

04

The crew inside

Nordic restraint outside, one indulgence within: open the main hold and a glacier-gray lining printed with tiny narwhals is waiting. A private joke between you and anyone who catches a glimpse at the gate.

Data plate

Model NW-40 · specificity is a promise

Design specification, not measured results. The Forty has not been manufactured. Every figure here is what the sealed sample must hit; measured figures replace them, row by row, from Q4 2026.

VOLUME
SPECIFIED
40 L — one size
DIMENSIONS
SPECIFIED
55 × 35 × 23 cm · 21.6 × 13.8 × 9.1 in
CABIN FIT
DERIVED
Clears BA · easyJet · Lufthansa · not Ryanair
MASS
SPECIFIED
1.6 kg · 3.5 lb
SHELL
SPECIFIED
550 gsm matte tarpaulin · ≥ 2,000 mm HH · UV-stable
SERVICE RANGE
SPECIFIED
−20 °C to +60 °C
LINING
SPECIFIED
Recycled taffeta · glacier gray
LAPTOP
SPECIFIED
Padded tricot suite · to 15.6″ + tablet
ZIPPERS
SPECIFIED
YKK №10 main · №5 pockets
TESTING
SPECIFIED
2,000-cycle zip test at sealed-sample stage
HARDWARE
SPECIFIED
Duraflex · 100 kg rated · 25 mm webbing
HARNESS
SPECIFIED
50 mm EVA · mesh backing · bar-tacked
CARRY
SPECIFIED
Top + side handles · luggage pass-through
DESIGN
SPECIFIED
Drawn to Nordic principles
SHIPPING
SPECIFIED
Worldwide · duties shown before checkout
GUARANTEE
SPECIFIED
Tusk Guarantee — for life

The route — waitlist to doorstep

  1. NOW

    Manifest open

    Waitlist boarding — founder pricing held for the first 200 orders.

  2. Q4 2026

    Sealed samples

    Final prototypes tested in the field. Photos to the list.

  3. Q1 2027

    Production

    First run of 300, cut and sewn in Vietnam.

  4. EARLY 2027

    First voyage

    Bags ship. The narwhal swims.

Fair questions

01When does it ship?

The first voyage is 300 bags, shipping early 2027. Waitlist members get exact dates, founder pricing, and first claim — in that order.

02Is it actually carry-on legal?

On most airlines, yes — and here is the arithmetic rather than a promise. At 55 × 35 × 23 cm the Forty clears British Airways and easyJet (56 × 45 × 25) and Lufthansa (55 × 40 × 23). It does not clear Ryanair's 55 × 40 × 20: three centimetres too deep, though a soft bag under-packed closes most of that. There is no universal standard — IATA's own guidance cites 56 × 45 × 25 as the size many airlines apply, while its 2015 'Cabin OK' optimum was 55 × 35 × 20. The full table is above.

03What does the Tusk Guarantee cover?

If a zipper, seam, strap, or buckle fails, we repair it — or replace the bag. In full: repaired or replaced for the life of the product, original owner, excluding deliberate damage, cosmetic wear, loss and theft. That is the whole scope, stated the same way everywhere, and it sits on top of your statutory rights rather than replacing them.

04Why only one design?

Because a hundred mediocre options aren't a choice, they're homework. Every hour we'd spend on variant #47 goes into making the one design better.

05Is it waterproof?

The shell is waterproof tarpaulin rated over 2,000 mm hydrostatic head — rain, snow, and boat spray are fine. It's not a dry bag: don't submerge it (the narwhal handles the diving).

06What about returns?

When the Forty ships, it comes with 30 days, no questions, full refund — on top of your statutory two-year rights, not instead of them. The full policy is published before the first order. Though we should warn you: bags this comfortable rarely come back.

07Is joining the list a commitment? When do I pay?

No commitment, and nothing to pay now. Joining is free — it holds your position and locks the $195 founder price. We'll email you when pre-orders open, and you decide then.

08What if I'm not in the first 200 orders?

You keep your place in line for Voyage 001 at $225, and you're first in the queue for Voyage 002 at founder pricing. We'd rather build a second run well than rush the first.

09Who makes it, and where do you ship?

Drawn to Nordic principles, cut and sewn in Vietnam. Vietnam makes most of the world's best technical bags, and a brand that hides its factory usually has a reason — so: the Forty has not been manufactured yet, we are working with a specialist technical-bag factory there, and we will name it and publish the audit once the first run is sealed. Naarwhal is being set up as an Estonian company; the registry details go in the footer the day it completes. We ship worldwide.

10Who pays duties and import taxes?

You do, as with any cross-border order — but you'll see the estimate before you confirm anything, not as a surprise from the courier. We intend to ship EU orders duty-paid; the exact terms are published before the first order.

11One size — will it fit a smaller torso?

The harness adjusts across a wide range, and at 55 cm tall the Forty rides shorter than most 40L packs. If it doesn't sit right on you, the 30-day return covers it — no argument.

12What happens if production slips?

You'll hear it from us first, with the new date and the reason. Nobody is charged until bags are ready to ship, and any deposit is refundable, always.

300 bags · voyage 001 · early 2027

Claim your place
on the manifest.

First run: 300 bags — the first 200 orders lock $195.

Free to join. Voyage 001 ships early 2027. One email, no spam. How we handle it.