{"id":65187,"date":"2026-02-24T13:18:53","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T02:48:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/?p=65187"},"modified":"2026-03-20T10:17:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T23:47:42","slug":"podcast-sts-design-new-gear-2026-tim-miller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/podcast-sts-design-new-gear-2026-tim-miller\/","title":{"rendered":"Ep 196 &#8211; Sea to Summit Design Process &amp; New Gear 2026 with Tim Miller"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Listen to the full episode here:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-video-popup-wrapper\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-video-popup-close\"><\/div>\n\t\t<iframe class=\"wp-video-popup-video is-hosted is-landscape is-resizable\" src=\"\" data-wp-video-popup-url=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Iy7Rc73fsnk?autoplay=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay\">\n\t\t<\/iframe>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<div id=\"buzzsprout-player-18780558\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t <script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/1259564\/18780558.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-18780558&amp;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>From the drawing board to the sleeping bag, great gear doesn&#8217;t just happen&#8230;<br><\/strong><div><span style=\"color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Roboto, Noto, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 400; background-color: rgb(40, 40, 40);\"><\/span><\/div><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8230;it takes 13 years, a children&#8217;s IKEA desk, and a whole lot of passion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this episode, Ben and Lauren sit down with Sea To Summit&#8217;s senior product designer Tim Miller &#8212; the mind behind some of the brand&#8217;s most iconic gear &#8212; for an inside look at what it really takes to design outdoor equipment that lasts. From the Xpot&#8217;s award-winning origins to the engineering upgrades behind the new Ultralite XR air mat, Tim pulls back the curtain on the design decisions, trade-offs, and material innovations that keep Sea To Summit at the pointy end of the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be it the bombproof weld construction of the updated air mat range, the clever Memory Lux pillow solving the &#8216;home pillow hogging the boot&#8217; problem, or the tantalising tease of an airbeam mozzy net on the horizon &#8212; tune in for an hour and a half of product insights straight from the source!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/body_900x600.jpg\" alt=\"Picture of Tim on a field test with sleeping bags and mats laid neatly out on a groundhseet\" class=\"wp-image-65192\" title=\"Snowys unplugged: our gear gurus go off-grid, and off-script!\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/body_900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/body_900x600-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/body_900x600-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/body_900x600-10x7.jpg 10w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Real world testing. Credit: Sea To Summit<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\">Shortcuts:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>0:00<\/strong> \u2014 Intro &amp; welcome: Ben and Lauren introduce Tim Miller, senior product designer at Sea to Summit<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1:45<\/strong> \u2014 Tim&#8217;s background: How he stumbled into Sea to Summit after university, starting unpaid at a children&#8217;s IKEA desk<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5:00<\/strong> \u2014 The design team: How the long-tenured team of six designers collaborates and avoids working in silos<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>8:40<\/strong> \u2014 Sea to Summit&#8217;s design philosophy: Ground-up original design vs the &#8220;me-too&#8221; factory approach common in the industry<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>11:00<\/strong> \u2014 Manufacturing process: Factory visits, quick prototyping, and the story of designing a machine when no existing equipment could make what they wanted<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>13:10<\/strong> \u2014 Field testing &amp; expeditions: Design team Kimberley packraft trips, testing prototypes in the wild, and the brutal feedback culture<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>17:15<\/strong> \u2014 Working 2 years ahead: The challenge of designing for 2028 while reacting to what competitors launch today<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>19:20<\/strong> \u2014 The ultralight balance: Why Sea to Summit won&#8217;t sacrifice durability for weight claims, and the lightest-isn&#8217;t-always-best debate<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>25:15<\/strong> \u2014 Sustainability: Sea to Summit&#8217;s approach \u2014 durability as the best environmental policy, solution-dyed fabrics, and replaceable buckles<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>31:45<\/strong> \u2014 2026 sleep systems: Deep dive into the new Circuit sleeping bag \u2014 the spiritual successor to the original Trek<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>37:15<\/strong> \u2014 Women&#8217;s fit sleeping bags: Lauren makes a passionate case for keeping women&#8217;s specific sizing in the range<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>39:00<\/strong> \u2014 Air mat updates: The new Ultralite XR \u2014 thermally reflective film insulation, dramatically reduced bulk, and the improved weld construction<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>45:40<\/strong> \u2014 The Comfort Deluxe mat: The 10cm car camping mat that actually folds up properly<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>51:45<\/strong> \u2014 Pillows: The upgraded Premium Pillow, Down Pillow, and Tim&#8217;s passion project \u2014 the Memory Lux adjustable pillow<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>54:40<\/strong> \u2014 Liners: Thermalite vs Coolmax fabrics explained, Tim&#8217;s controversial hot tip for the Breeze liner<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1:05:30<\/strong> \u2014 Other new products: Pack taps refresh, hydration bladders, and the X range and dinnerware updates<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1:06:50<\/strong> \u2014 Community questions: Mat longevity in humid climates, sleeping bag temperature ratings, what&#8217;s in the pipeline for 2027\/28<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1:09:10<\/strong> \u2014 The big teaser: Tim drops the airbeam sealed mozzy net passion project \u2014 Sea to Summit entering the airbeam category<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mentioned in This Episode:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Products:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/ultralight-xr-insulated-air-mat\">Ultralite XR air mat <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/search?q=ether%20light\">EtherLight mat<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/search?q=sea%20to%20summit%20comfort%20deluxe\">Comfort Deluxe car camping mat<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/search?q=circuit\">Circuit sleeping bag<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/search?q=trek%20sleeping\">Trek sleeping bag <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/search?q=spark%20sleeping\">Spark sleeping bag<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/search?q=ascent%20sleeping\">Ascent sleeping bag<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/aeros-premium-pillow\">Aeros Premium Pillow<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/aeros-down-pillow\">Aeros Down Pillow<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/memory-lux-pillow?c=Moonstruck\">Memory Lux Pil<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/memory-lux-pillow\">low<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/sleeping-gear-accessories#?pagenumber=1&amp;orderBy=0&amp;brands=6&amp;type=6\">Thermolite Reactor liner<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/breeze-sleeping-bag-liner-rectangular-pillow-sleeve\">Coolmax Breeze liner<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/search?q=sea%20to%20summit%20frontier\">Xpot\/X Kettle (now Frontier range)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/search?q=sea%20to%20summit%20horizon\">New Horizon dinnerware range<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/storage-sacks#?pagenumber=1&amp;orderBy=15&amp;brands=6&amp;type=2205,2206,2207\">Stuff sack range<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/pack-tap\">Pack Taps<\/a> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/watercell-x'\">Water cells<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Podcasts: <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ZVtWrMM1eWM\">Ep11 \u2013 Sleep System Ratings with Sea to Summit<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thanks for listening, tune in again for next week&#8217;s episode!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-3fc1e5f8-10be-4b09-998a-70c6506a24fc\">Thanks for tuning in to this week\u2019s episode of the Snowys Camping Show Podcast. Don\u2019t forget to subscribe to us on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCgpO6k-UyaYgwyLg0ESceCg\">YouTube<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0wy9b822eekXe00bAIqPbX\">Spotify<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/au\/podcast\/snowys-camping-show\/id1527530990\">iTunes<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/music.amazon.com\/podcasts\/db56692e-96e7-418d-929d-88c5fde70b1a\/Snowys-Camping-Show\">Amazon Music<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iheart.com\/podcast\/269-snowys-camping-show-79675943\/\">iHeartRadio<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pca.st\/z1mx2k64\">Pocket Casts<\/a>,&nbsp;or <a href=\"https:\/\/podcastaddict.com\/podcast\/3281467\">Podcast Addict<\/a> so you never miss an upload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-087cbd57-77e9-4533-b8fc-12f45f86e371\">If you have any questions for Ben and Lauren, make sure you head over to our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/snowys\/\">Facebook group<\/a>&nbsp;and let us know as we\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-78e4097f-2fbd-446d-a99b-9a3d09f52d17\">Catch you out there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<div class='watch-action'><div class='watch-position align-left'><div class='action-like'><a class='lbg-style1 like-65187 jlk' href='javascript:void(0)' data-task='like' data-post_id='65187' data-nonce='61a7404e14' rel='nofollow'><img class='wti-pixel' src='https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/wti-like-post\/images\/pixel.gif' title='Liked it' \/><span class='lc-65187 lc'>0<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div> <div class='status-65187 status align-left'><\/div><\/div><div class='wti-clear'><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to the full episode here: From the drawing board to the sleeping bag, great gear doesn&#8217;t just happen&#8230; &#8230;it takes 13 years, a children&#8217;s IKEA desk, and a whole &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1638,"featured_media":65193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1570,1569,1571,854],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast-4wd","category-podcast-camping","category-podcast-hiking","category-podcast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65187"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65205,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65187\/revisions\/65205"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.snowys.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}