TROUBLESHOOTING - BŌNDRY ISN'T WORKING
Recently I went to Jacksonville, North Carolina to demonstrate BōnDry. Something very odd happened after one of my demonstrations. BōnDry did not appear to be working correctly. This was confusing because it always worked really well at home in all my tests, our reviews showed that it was working for our customers, and it has been tested by several 3rd parties who loved it. Nonetheless, there was quite a bit of moisture remaining in the bladder the next morning after the demonstration.
I examined the bladder noting the way the moisture was positioned. I examined the BōnDry. It appeared normal, but it had failed me. I have to admit I had a bit of resentment toward these inanimate objects. How could they fail me like this? Especially now. The chances that the BōnDry was a dud was unlikely, so there had to be another answer.
I examined the variables which were different than what I experienced back home in Arizona. The biggest difference - Humidity. Phoenix is a desert, and my exhibition tent was in a North Carolina wetland. It was humid, real humid. Humidity couldn’t be the only issue though, we have a lot of customers in humid areas of the country. The State of Florida actually is our 5th highest selling State. What else? Temperature.
The exhibition was outside. The temperature was in the eighties that day, and again very humid. While not the extreme heat that you would experience in Arizona the difference was being outside. Back in Arizona my hydration gear was always inside a home that is being heated or cooled to around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. This would probably be the same temperature as our customers in humid areas.
The final difference between my experience and the experience that day was where the bladder was located after I demonstrated it. I just tossed it down on the table and left it till the following morning. At home, I would have put it back into my backpack with the zipper slightly open around the BōnDry.
Noting the factors of humidity, temperature, and storage location I believed I had my “Why it isn’t working” answered. What was the solution?
Understanding fluid dynamics, I knew the three factors were causing the system to evaporate while still inside the bladder, rather than outside the bladder. This was being caused by an excessive amount of humidity as well as the temperature of the bladder being equal to or greater than outside. I was not able to change the amount of humidity, but I realized the location of storage could solve the temperature problem. By putting the bladder back inside the backpack I could provide insulation and keep the bladder slightly cooler than the ambient air.
The conditions were about the same as the previous day, so I gave it another shot. I put the bladder back in the pack and left the pack on the table.
The next morning I nervously opened the backpack - eureka! It was dry, the physics experiment worked in my favor.
Coincidentally I had a customer reach out to me saying that her BōnDry was not working. I shared that putting the bladder back in the packs is an important step and asked her to give them another try, and asked her to report back. She did as was requested and happily reported that they were working correctly!
We are constantly working to improve this product and try and make it easier for you and your family to enjoy adventures or make your job easier. If you notice something we can improve please share with us at connect@fossiloutdoor.com or our website’s chat.
Best,
Everett
Founder - Fossil Outdoor Inc.