The Packtory

Since we stitched together our first sketchy-looking pack on a 20-year old Kenmore home sewing machine, we’ve maintained our commitment to manufacturing 100% of our backpacks in-house. There’s something so rewarding about receiving an order of fabric, webbing and buckles, all totally useless on their own, and through a complex process of developed systems, human skill, and creativity, we can produce and ship a functional, beautiful pack infused with good juju. It means that we can stand behind everything we make, and we get super, super excited when we get to fulfill an order knowing that it will go to a good home.

On that note, welcome to the Packtory! Please join us on a tour.

t-bar films showing

We needed a reason to say hi to all our friends. So we asked Tyler Wilkinson-Ray with T-Bar Films if he would show us his Banff Film selection "Out on a Limb." Super inspiring would be an understatement.

 

Tosch Roy sewing a Free Range Equipment Backpack

It takes skill, trial and error, and heck of a lot of patience. But it's sooo worth it.

 

The pattern wall. You're looking at hundreds of hours of drafting, designing, mistakes, and lattes consumed.

 

eastman brute fabric cutting

Making the first cut of a new run of Big Medicine packs with the Eastman Brute: a fabric jigsaw turned finger amputator and extension cord chomper. 

 

Free Range Equipment hardware

Sometimes, we are actually organized. Sometimes.

 

Free Range Equipment dry tooling

Most of the time we just have fun (with some product testing).