The story behind that viral, terrifying ski lift malfunction video you’ll see posted across social media all winter long Chalk up: Get comfortable chalking while you’re climbing as you’ll want to keep your palms as blister-free as possible. Practice dunking each hand into the bag, leaving the other hand available for stability. I used to be in that second group. I thought boot bags were a waste of money, and besides, carrying around my ski boots announced to everyone at the Denver airport, ski area parking lot, or ski area hotel lobby that I am, obviously, a skier (just in case they couldn’t tell by my ski brand logo shirt and awkwardly long ski bag). The ski bag they made assumed the namesake of the company, and The Douchebag (now called Snow Snowroller) became the most celebrated ski luggage in modern history. They then began developing other innovative, celebrated products. I’d love to tell you that I’m taking the bag to Ski Portillo next month for testing, but, thanks to Covid restrictions, I will have to wait a bit longer before I can test the Db Duplex’s performance on a long haul flight and in the field. But I do plan to use it for some car camping trips this summer as it’s versatile enough for that, too.

OK, I'll admit it, I've become a powder snob. I realized this the other week when I was questioning whether to get on the bus to the hill. It hadn't snowed, so why bother? Well, the reason to bother was twofold. First, I was there on holiday to snowboard, and the alternative was to sit in our budget accommodation that closely resembled a shed. Second — and more importantly — it wasn't exactly bad conditions for snowboarding. OK, so there were some patches of ice, but so what? Douchebags even created Hugger Roller Bag 90L, roller bag that was protected with their patented Rib Cage construction and its little brother, Hugger Roller Bag 60L Roller Bag. Rest: Rest is key, especially when you start to take on longer routes that involve 30, 50, or 100 or more holds. Take advantage of spots on said routes where you can relax at least most of your body either by balancing or wedging yourself in position. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!Then Jon Olsson realized he had something that could help them — an audience. Jon asked his fans on Youtube, “What should we call our new bag company?” They received scores of responses, but one name kept coming up...Douchebags. To fulfil these needs, the two had to develop new technology. By involving ski bum and award-winning product designer Per Finne and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the team developed a patented technology that made all of their travelling dreams come true. The products were especially popular in Scandinavian countries, where Jon Olsson had most of his audience and where Douchebags was headquartered (Oslo). It also helped that the word douchebag didn’t have the same connotation with Norwegians and Swedes as it did with native English speakers, who liked the bags but not the name. In 2009, Norwegian engineering student Truls Brataas and Swedish freeski legend Jon Olsson met while surfing in the village of Hoddevik, Norway. Both were passionate about action sports. Both were travelers. Both thought that the luggage available on the market — to carry their surfboards, snowboards and skis — needed a lot of work. Together, they felt they could solve this problem.

The Duplex does incorporate Db’s signature Hook Up system, making it easy to attach to a Db Snow Roller or other Db wheeled luggage option. This makes the Duplex a mandatory addition to anyone who has already joined Db’s expansive luggage universe.Related: Meet the Brand That’s Bagging Ocean Microplastics, One Duffel at a Time Michelle Parker loading up her Db Duplex in Alaska. Photo: Jay Dash/Courtesy of Db. After a lot of tinkering, Truls and Jon developed a ski bag that was unlike anything the world had ever seen. It was length adjustable, collapsable, lightweight and strong. Perfect, but they needed a name. One night, after a few drinks, one of them mentioned the name “Douchebags.” They laughed it off and kept brainstorming. But they were having trouble thinking of a name that was edgy and irreverent. This was their one shot at launching a truly revolutionary product, and they had to have something memorable Thanks to the reinforcements built into the exterior lining in critical locations, the bag is still utilitarian and comfortable when only carrying ski boots on one side with nothing else inside. As Douchebags grew from side-project to a truly global brand, the name became the elephant in the room, and communications increasingly used the shortened version of “Db” instead of the full name, Douchebags. It was clear that if the company wanted to reach more people, particularly in native English speaking countries like the United States, UK and Australia, they’d have to change the name.