Over the past few months, we’ve been working with the Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team to design a custom pack capable of carrying their vacuum mattress out into the fells.
Founded in 1953, the team is made up entirely of unpaid volunteers, ready to respond at any time, in any weather, across Lorton, Loweswater, Buttermere and Ennerdale areas. It’s serious work and the gear they rely on has to match that.
Towards the end of 2025, they got in touch looking for a solution to carry their vacuum mattress - a piece of equipment used to stabilise and immobilise patients with suspected spinal injuries or broken limbs and to help move them safely off the fell.
The brief was clear: the pack needed to be tough, comfortable to carry and adaptable for every callout. What we landed on is a pack of around 150L capacity, but only a little heavier than our Prospector EP60.
Vacuum mattresses are bulky and awkward to carry, but relatively light. That gave us the opportunity to keep the overall pack weight down, while still leaving space for casualty kit, extra layers and other essentials the team might need.
Some of the design details came directly from the team's experience. They specifically asked for haul loops at the top to keep the pack vertical when hoisted into a helicopter or up a crag. From there, we took it a step further and made the roll-top with two opposing ends, so it can only clip at the sides, not across the top - this means that the roll top can’t create a weak loop which could accidentally be clipped into when hauling.
The team also uses a colour-code system across their equipment. Blue is reserved for “packaging” - anything used to secure and move a casualty. This pack follows that system, making it immediately recognisable in a time-critical situation.
Another standout feature is the extra thick webbing on the hipbelt with added stabilisation, built to handle the load and improve comfort over rough ground. Alongside that, the pack still includes familiar Atom Packs features like a capacious front pocket and ice axe loops, so it remains versatile when the vacuum mattress isn’t in use.
We’re really proud of how it turned out. But in many ways, it’s a pack we hope you never have to come across on the fells.
A big thanks to the Cockermouth Mountain Rescue team for trusting us with this project. It means a lot to be able to support a local team and play a small part in the work they do.
