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Setting up a tent in the dark when your hands are cold is hard enough. Add limited dexterity, a prosthetic, or a wheelchair to the picture and most typical camping gear becomes fully unusable. Zippers catch. Doorway sills turn into obstacles. Sleeping bags require a two-handed shimmy. The North Face’s new Universal Collection includes a zipperless sleeping bag, a redesigned three-person Wawona tent, a free-standing daypack, a convertible brimmer hat, and interchangeable camp slippers. All of these products were developed with the brand’s adaptive athletes in order to make them more broadly usable.
Universal One Bag: a sleeping bag that ditches the zipper entirely
The North Face Universal One Bag Sleeping Bag $270
The Universal One Bag replaces the full-length zipper with two magnetic FIDLOCK closures, the same magnetic mechanism you’ll find on helmet buckles and high-end bike accessories. Pull the two halves together and magnets snap them into place. A small lever releases them with a one-hand-friendly motion. The system avoids typical issues like caught fiber and misaligned teeth. The bag is rated down to 20°F, weighs around four to five pounds depending on size, and uses synthetic insulation.
Zippers are the single part most likely to fail over the life of the bag and this new closure system avoids disaster. The One Bag also uses two insulated “wings” that can be layered or opened depending on conditions, which gives it a useful temperature range in a single product rather than forcing a seasonal swap.
Universal Wawona 3: A tent you can actually roll into
The North Face Universal Wawona 3 Tent $435
The standard Wawona is already one of The North Face’s most popular car-camping tents. The Universal version rebuilds it around wheelchair access. The doorway is wider for easier access. The threshold is lower, and the sill has both added contrast for visibility in low light and some deliberate “give” so the frame doesn’t fight a wheel rolling over it.
The North Face has simplified the setup process as well. The Universal Wawona 3 uses three equal-length poles (no sorting by size in the dark) with highly visible pole sleeves and easy-catch mounts so you’re not blindly feeling for a grommet. The rain fly is built in. Zipper pulls throughout get oversized loops so they’re easy to operate with a closed fist or prosthetic. Fiddling with a tiny zipper pull in the wild is a universal experience for most hikers.
U-Camp Daypack 20L: it stands up
The North Face U-Camp Daypack 20L $140
The U-Camp Daypack is the collection’s 20-liter pack, and it stands upright on its own when you set it on the ground. That sounds minor until you think about packing from a seated position, or loading a bag that doesn’t have a clean flat surface to lean against. A pack that tips over every time you reach for something in it is a real source of friction. The front uses a magnetic opening instead of a buckle or zipper, and the harness adjusts across a wide torso range to ride comfortably on different body types and mobility setups, including over a wheelchair backrest.
Mule Slip-ons: Universal fit
The North Face Universal Design Traction Mules
The Universal Design Traction Mules ($65) don’t have a right or left foot. They’re built on a symmetric last so either shoe fits either side, with a foldable heel that lets you wear them as a slip-on mule or pull the back up for a full slipper. Contrasting colors on the upper and lining make it easier to tell inside from outside, and pull loops on the heel and vamp help get them on and off without reaching down.
Who built it, and why it matters
The collection came out of direct work with adaptive athletes on The North Face’s roster, including skier and filmmaker Vasu Sojitra and climber Maureen Beck, along with time spent at events like the Adaptive Climbers Fest. That’s a different development process than the industry norm of designing for a nominal average user and bolting on accessibility after the fact.
“This is the first time we’re seeing accessibility innovations starting with the adaptive community and flowing up to everyone else, rather than the other way around,” Beck said in the launch materials.
A magnetic closure that helps someone with limited grip also helps someone wearing mittens. The tent threshold low enough for a wheelchair? Also easier to step over with an armload of firewood. And a self-standing daypack is useful whether or not you’re packing from a seated position. These features weren’t compromises to accommodate a smaller audience. They’re just better design that started from a sharper set of constraints than the usual brief.
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