Work in Progress

An inside look at the materials, the process, and the travel destinations that shape and inspire our work.
Close-up x-ray of a luxury metal zipper slider on illuminated lightbox, amber-orange outer form with cobalt blue internal mechanism visible
The Hand of It
The first time you close a Riri zipper, you notice before you can explain what you've noticed. A short essay on what the luxury zip decision actually means for carry... Read more...
Waterproof breathable membrane fabric cross-section showing layered construction and open-pore structure, x-ray view on illuminated lightbox
What Breathes
Most waterproof membranes breathe best when you're working hard. Polartec NeoShell was built on a different assumption, and the case it makes for travel outerwear still stands. Read more...
Packable travel jacket compressed into its own pocket, x-ray view showing amber-orange nylon shell and cobalt blue internal structure, on illuminated lightbox
Still In
In May the system shows its hand. What stays in the bag is a design decision you already made, or one you're still paying for. Read more...
Cross-section of waterproof fabric showing seam tape bonded to inside surface, x-ray view with amber-orange outer nylon and cobalt blue internal tape and membrane layers on an illuminated lightbox
What the Tape Says
Most buyers of waterproof gear read the membrane spec. But the seam is where performance actually gets tested, and its construction level tells you something honest about what the product... Read more...
Packable travel jacket compressed into a tight bundle, x-ray view showing amber-orange outer shell and cobalt blue internal membrane layers on an illuminated lightbox
June in the Bag
Summer trips are being planned and the bag is being repacked for them. The question of whether the jacket goes in is the wrong question. At the right weight, it... Read more...
X-Pac VX21 diagonal scrim laminate fabric construction, x-ray lightbox
The Diagonal
The crosshatch visible on an X-Pac panel is not a texture choice. It is the surface signature of a structural layer inside the laminate, and the angle of that layer... Read more...
Bar tack reinforcement stitch on nylon webbing, x-ray lightbox
Where the Load Is
The bar tacks on a product are a map. Where the maker places them tells you which junctions were stress-tested and which ones weren't. Read more...
X-ray overhead view of a structured travel backpack showing internal frame, compartments and back panel in amber-orange and cobalt blue
The Shape It Holds
Structure in a bag isn't added; it's designed in or deliberately designed out. The question is what the object needs to do when it's empty. Read more...
X-ray lightbox image of a packable jacket sleeve showing seam tape and waterproof membrane construction in amber-orange and cobalt blue
What the Test Misses
There's a gap between what a product test measures and what field use reveals. Factory tests answer the right questions about the wrong conditions. Read more...
YKK zipper slider mechanism x-ray lightbox
Read the Zip
There's a test you can do on any bag in about four seconds. Pull the main zip. What you find tells you more about the product than the hang tag... Read more...
Magnetic buckle mechanism in x-ray style on illuminated lightbox, amber-orange outer body with cobalt blue internal spring and magnetic components visible
The Invisible Fastener
A buckle that requires two hands, in the rain, with gloves on, is saying something about how it was made. Hardware is the interface between the object and the hand,... Read more...
Dressmaker's dummy in x-ray style on illuminated lightbox, amber-orange outer form with cobalt blue internal armature visible
What the Sample Teaches
The first product sample is never right. That's not a failure of the process, it's the reason to make it. What a prototype teaches about carry goods design cannot be... Read more...