Why I Created My Own Backpack (and Accidentally Started a Company)

You ever go shopping for a new backpack, find the one, and then nearly choke when you see the price tag? Yeah, that was me. The pack I wanted was over $450. Four hundred and fifty dollars for something that carries my socks, snacks, and maybe a rain jacket. I couldn’t justify it. I mean, for that price it should carry me up the mountain, cook dinner, and sing me a campfire song.

So instead of forking over half a paycheck, I did something that makes absolutely no sense unless you’re a little stubborn (or just mildly obsessed). I decided to design my own.

Of course, “designing my own” quickly spiraled into me sinking thousands of dollars into fabrics, prototypes, testing, and tweaking. VX21 fabric here, reinforced stitching there, MOLLE panels because… well, why not? If I was going to do this, I wanted something that could survive both a thru-hike and a bear that mistook it for a picnic basket.

At first, it was just for me. I wanted a bag that was tough, lightweight, and functional without the ridiculous price tag. But then something happened. Every time I hit the trail, friends and even complete strangers started asking about it:
“Where’d you get that pack?”
“Man, I’d buy one of those.”
“You should sell these.”

And here we are. What started as me refusing to drop $450 on a backpack has turned into Throughike, a company built on the idea that top-tier gear shouldn’t require taking out a second mortgage.

So if you’re like me, someone who loves the outdoors but rolls their eyes at price tags that look like car payments, you’re in the right place. I built this backpack for me, but now it’s here for you, too.