During my sophomore year at FSU, I discovered wilderness backpacking and subsequently taught myself how to make my own hiking gear from scratch. That means designing, planning, material selection and sourcing, patterning, and manufacturing with industrial sewing machines. After building these skills for a few years, I've heartily tested my products in the mountains of Boulder, Colorado (my new home) as well as with hikers who have endured over 2500 miles of thru-hiking with my equipment on America's long trails such as the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail.
Many people are completely detached from the outdoor equipment they use for backpacking trips because of the lack of variety for individual products (ie: all the same size and color) and because of their ambiguous manufacturing origins. Big box companies ship their products to the U.S. from factories overseas, which are made by a nameless worker in ethically questionable work conditions.
I offer my customers a unique experience to work directly with the person who is making the gear for your next adventure, allowing you to completely customize many aspects of your equipment. Due to this collaborative process with my customers, my designs and skills have refined into the many unique custom backpacks, fanny packs, and accessories that are offered through Red Paw Packs today.
Feel free to check out my website and Instagram if you want to follow along!
https://www.instagram.com/redpawpacks/
Matthew Evans is a 2015 CDS Graduate who went on to receive his college degree from FSU in December 2018.