Ketzal Bags (www.ketzalbags.com) is a small company I started on the road while overlanding from California to Patagonia (currently: Colombia). Our goal is to make the best looking and rugged back of the seat organizer out there.
This is our story: My first 6 months on the road were spent constantly searching for walkie talkies or maps or other things I needed handy. Or, I was being hit by them while racing down scary mountain passes or while off-roading. Hundreds of hours later - no, actually HUNDREDS - I decided there had to be a better way to organize all those pesky items I always needed but never could seem to find. Since my glovebox was a black hole I was afraid to look in and since whatever I put on the dash usually ended up in my face or lap, I decided on the back of the seat.
As all of you know, there are a few such items out there. That's what I thought too - figuring a quick purchase and sanity restored. A quick search on amazon showed an endless supply of made in China, plastic crap. Which is fine for driving the kids to soccer practice, but not exactly great while going balls to the walls on a beach in Baja. I had also learned that plastic almost never lasts and is nearly impossible to repair. Almost everything plastic I owned had broken at some point during the journey, making me extremely plastic-averse. Also, China.
So, the only good option I really found was the Smitty Built seat organizers. These things are pretty decent, but have a few serious draw backs that made them a bad fit for me (pun intended).
1. Poor design: the organizer sags and dances a ton because the mole bags aren't incorporated into the actual bag. Rather they hang off suspended by straps and the bag is not nearly a tight enough fit to prevent them from bouncing around.
2. Unattractive - I had just spent a bunch of money on new seats. I wasn't about to put a cover over to hide them, and I find it takes too long putting them on and off to make it a realistic week-end only option.
I couldn't find anything I loved. And, at this point I was determined to figure out this organization crisis. This led me to come up with my own design. I wanted a smart design that would last through the tough conditions of daily use and occasional thrashings on my journey and still be kicking many years down the road. Oh, and it had to be a beautiful complement to my interior. Voilà - Ketzal Seat Organizers. A custom fit, rugged, and beautiful organizer solution.
Each bag is double-stitched from waxed polyester threading. There are two metal, reinforced rings which you put your headrest through. That supports the weight. There are two straps on the bottom to hook to your seat hinges. That prevents any swaying. Finally, there's an optional elastic strap that goes over the entire seat and sucks the bag in. Some people use that strap only off-roading, while personally I leave it on all the time because after 5 minutes you can't feel it and the minimalistic look doesn't bug me. Alternatively, if you have arm rests then you can tie a leather string or haywire to the metal rings instead.
Ketzals are made specifically to fit the shape of your car's individual seat. Which is why we still only offer a few different vehicles (though we're expanding). Right now our bags are available for Jeep Wranglers (all models) and new Cherokees, Toyota 4runners, and VW Vanagons. Coming soon are the Toyota Land Cruiser 80 series, Range Rovers, and the Land Rover Defender. [/B]
Bags are $199, you can order securely through my website www.ketzalbags.com // Shipping from Colombia right now is $11.99 and takes 2-3 weeks. We have a new shipment arriving state-side soon and which will bring the shipping up a lot.
Happy overlanding! Feel free to ask any questions.
