K3 Frame Replacement
Common Questions
How do I know if I need a replacement frame?
While the inconsistencies in the K3 frames have been rare, and the vast majority of K3 frames will continue to perform exceptionally well, we are offering to replace all K3 frames shipped prior to January 15, 2020. The cost to replace these frames is significant for us, but ensuring you have a reliable frame is priceless to us.
If you qualify for a frame replacement, please contact us.
When will replacement frames be shipped?
We have been working hard to prepare the Titanium replacements for shipping and are expecting to begin shipping replacements in February. As you can imagine, shipping such a high number of replacements will not happen overnight. We will do everything we can to ship replacements as soon as possible, in the order that requests are received. If you have an immediate issue with your frame, please contact us directly.
Estimated lead time for new replacement requests: 2-4 WEEKS
Do I need to send my current frame material back after I have replaced it with the Titanium replacement?
No, your current frame does not need to be sent back to us.
Will my current frame extensions work with the new frame material?
Yes, the inner diameter of the two different frame materials are the same, allowing you to reuse your original K3 frame extensions.
Is there a weight difference between my current frame and the new replacement frame?
The new Titanium frames will be slightly heavier than the current frame material.
Will the replacement frame be the same as the previous K2 Titanium frame?
The replacement frames will be Titanium, as our K2 frames were, but the replacements will include the K3 enhancements of specific frame heights (Short and Tall) and reversible frame extensions, which are features that our K2 frames did not have.
Frame Replacement Announcement
January 27, 2020
We are reaching out today to let you know about a small issue we have seen over the last several months and are currently addressing. 99+% of the K3 Frames have been performing extraordinarily well and doing exactly what they were designed to do. We have, however, seen a very small amount — less than 1% — of the actual metal portion of the frame break. Most of the frames that had an issue did not break under load; in some cases the frame cracked while just picking the pack up off the ground.
When we heard of the first frame failure, we were shocked to say the least. We spent over a year torture-testing the new material before the K3 launch. And during all of our testing, there was never a single issue. We had 100% confidence in the new frame material. Although this new material was more expensive than the Titanium we had used previously, the 25% weight reduction was worth the cost to us.
We have discovered that small, almost invisible, cracks can happen during the CNC bending process. Roughly 1-in-150 frames experienced this issue. It is such a small percentage that it did not show up in any of our testing and prototyping. While 99+% of frames are performing exactly as they should, having even a single frame failure is completely unacceptable to us.
Because the cracks can be nearly impossible to see, even upon close inspection, we have decided to do the right thing for our customers and replace every single K3 Frame bought to date with Titanium material. Rather than risk any failure the next time you use the pack, we just want to replace your frame now and avoid any possible issue.
As a proud and small USA company, we want you to know that we will always do the right thing by addressing issues if they come up, and by always taking care of you. We will never hide from problems, and in this case, that means letting you know about this possible issue ahead of time, and replacing your frame. Most likely, you have one of the 99% of frames that will continue to perform exceptionally well; but no matter how small the chance, we will not put you at risk of experiencing any issues with your frame.
There is a link below to a short form to request your replacement frame. By completing this form, we will ensure that we have your up-to-date shipping information to deliver the replacement frame to the correct address.
We are expecting that it will take 4-6 weeks from now to get all replacements shipped. The replacement Titanium material is currently being bent at our CNC tube bender, and will then be going through finishing. From there, it will take some time to have all replacements boxed-up, addressed, and shipped.
All open and future K3 orders will be shipped with Titanium. We used Titanium in our previous generations of packs for 5+ years and have the utmost confidence that Titanium will perform incredibly well for everyone.
If you will be using the pack in the coming weeks and find any issues with your current frame, please let us know and we will do what we can to expedite a new Titanium frame to you.