Pika noun (2)
Definition of Pika
pi·ka | ˈpī-kə
1 : a small mountain-dwelling mammal found in Asia and North America.
2 : pouch designed to fit phone, ID, keys, accessories.
Tom designed the P.I.K.A. Pouch for his good friend Barb. Barb is a wildlife biologist, outdoorsperson, and appreciator of all things nature; her favorite animal is a pika. If you’re unfamiliar with pika, just watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8edS07_Cys
The P.I.K.A. is a pouch designed to hold your Phone (yes, even the biggest of phones), ID/wallet, Keys, and a couple of other small Accessories (chapstick, mini flashlight or utility knife, chocolate).
It can be carried over-the-shoulder or cross-body with its included lightweight and low-profile 5/8″ / 15mm shoulder strap. Or, detach the shoulder strap, and use the included 8″ Black Key Strap to clip the P.I.K.A. to an O-ring in your larger backpack/briefcase/shoulder bag.
Here’s where things get interesting: the main compartment of the P.I.K.A. is designed to fit your phone/device and only that: if you put anything else in there . . . . well, just don’t. That compartment closes with a magnet — handy for quick access to that suddenly vibrating or ringing (or pika-chirping, in Barb’s case) phone.
That magnet isn’t the only thing keeping your phone safely nestled and secure in the P.I.K.A. — the interior of that main phone compartment is fully lined with a directionally napped fabric similar to what’s used on climbing skins for skis.
Our “One-Way Fabric” feels a bit like soft corduroy (without the wales), but the “nap” or surface fibers fall in one direction, so that you can slide your hand over it one way and it feels smooth, but in the opposite direction it feels grippy and rough. As oriented inside our P.I.K.A. pouch, one’s phone or other small device will slide easily in, but resists sliding back out. You can slide your fingers inside and pinch your phone and remove it easy enough, but otherwise it’ll tend to stay put. The One-Way Fabric is further laminated to a thin layer of soft foam to protect your phone/device from bumps etc.
Does this mean you can do cartwheels while wearing your P.I.K.A. and your phone will stay put? Pretty much! However, if you turn the P.I.K.A. upside down and really shake it hard (like you’re trying to get your phone to fall out), it’ll probably fall out. So, yes to cartwheels, no to shaking your P.I.K.A. And because we know not everyone takes our advice, we added the magnetic closure at the top of the P.I.K.A. phone pocket. Just to be sure.
(This application of a one-way material is covered by our patent # 8,961,015.)
The little front zippered pocket is kinda cool because it has a bit of volume (it’s not quite flat), and will fit a more or less average set of keys (for which there is one O-ring tether point and one 8″ black key strap), and a smallish wallet (like Nik’s Wallets!). Yeah, chapstick too. The back pocket is flat and open-top, and is made of two layers stretch mesh; a hidden zipper on the inside of this pocket accesses yet a third pocket: its zipper closure lets you secure anything that needs securing. Fits a standard passport. GTK: it’s a mesh pocket and isn’t particularly weather proof.
Related products
