Gossamer Gear began with Glen Van Peski and his spouse, Francie, stitching backpacks of their storage greater than 20 years in the past. Whereas the corporate has grown an ideal deal since, that small, family-oriented strategy to design has lived on. Every Gossamer Gear product our clients have come to like begins with a father–daughter design workforce primarily based out of Chico, California: Greg and Carrie Fritsch.
Greg is a inventive designer, profitable entrepreneur, and bag manufacturing specialist. In his early profession, he used his background in sculpture and love of mountain climbing to kind his first firm, some of the revolutionary pack producers within the trade. His second start-up was an eco-conscious line of way of life baggage made from sustainable supplies. He’s now half proprietor, alongside together with his daughter, of Deviant 9 Studios, specializing in bag design, manufacturing companies, supplies sourcing and growth, enterprise consulting, and graphic design. Carrie is an internationally acknowledged product and graphic designer, enterprise proprietor, spouse, mother, neighborhood organizer, and CSU–Chico graduate.
We lately captured Greg and Carrie’s story in a brief movie that we’re excited to share with the Gossamer Gear neighborhood, and received to talk with them extra about their design course of. Every time a Gossamer Gear pack goes on a grand journey, you’ll be able to do not forget that it began with this household story.
To have fun the launch of our movie, we caught up with Greg and Carrie to speak extra about their historical past with out of doors gear design, what it’s like working collectively as members of the family, and naturally, what their Gossamer Gear favorites are!
Gossamer Gear: How did out of doors gear design turn into a household affair?
Greg: I based “Overland Tools” with my spouse, Wendy, in 1981 after dropping out of graduate research in artwork. We began with one machine within the storage and grew to a manufacturing unit stuffed with them 27 years later. We’re “makers” and cursed with “Do It Your self Illness.” Why purchase when you may make? Being a household enterprise, new concepts and manufacturing unit points have been at all times kitchen desk conversations.
Carrie: Effectively, I suppose it has at all times been a household affair for me. My mother was stitching collectively my dad’s designs on her lunch breaks at her industrial stitching job after I was within the womb. Scraps of material and foam have been the toys of my childhood, and as quickly as I might attain each the pedal of the stitching machine and feed cloth beneath the foot of an industrial stitching machine, I used to be making my very own creations. As a toddler, I might velocity across the 20-foot slicing desk on my pink plastic large wheel trike and take naps on the rolls of material stacked beneath the desk. The mild drone of stitching machines lulling me to sleep.
Rising up with entrepreneur mother and father, the enterprise was my different sibling, and we have been all an integral a part of its success. Whilst a child, I’ve at all times been one in every of Greg’s most crucial design testers, match mannequin, and brainstorm buddy. Fixing design issues and making stuff that appears aesthetically pleasing has been a lifelong love. I began actually getting concerned within the day-to-day enterprise in school, and now 20 years later, we’re nonetheless working collectively and my younger daughter will get to affix in on the enjoyable now.
Gossamer Gear: What are a few of your favourite tasks you’ve labored on through the years?
Greg: Constructing the Overland model, working with worldwide clients, Gossamer 2024 merchandise.
Carrie: We’ve had some wonderful alternatives by way of the years! I’ve beloved working with among the greatest names within the out of doors trade and startups with a intelligent thought. There’s a lot to study from every situation. We’ve had large conferences in fancy excessive rises, vital brainstorms on a serviette over beers, and been despatched everywhere in the world to develop and design merchandise. It’s been an ideal trip and enjoyable to see our designs in use around the globe.
Gossamer Gear: What do you get pleasure from about working collectively as father and daughter? Are there any challenges to it?
Greg: There are all kinds of them, however in the end, we predict alike, so it’s a bit like working with your self. Carrie would cry as a child if she didn’t end her homework, and has introduced that very same dedication to her work life. I’m not saying it’s wholesome, however I by no means fear that her a part of a undertaking gained’t be completed on time!
Carrie: Working collectively with my dad has been fairly cool. We’ve tackled some nice design challenges as a workforce. My favourite is getting in deep on a undertaking we thought could be doable and realizing that nothing we initially thought would work is working after which working collectively to get previous that time to one thing higher. It’s at all times a tough, irritating course of, and we have now some arguments in that despair, however neither of us quit on one another or the undertaking, and the tip result’s often fairly rewarding.
Now we have weathered many storms collectively, together with shedding our workplace, household properties, and 90% of our city within the 2018 Camp Fireplace in Paradise, California. Rebuilding our workplace and reimagining our work after that was fairly intense, however I’m glad I had my dad by my facet. Working with household is just not for everybody, however it has principally labored nice for us. Does a dad ever actually cease being embarrassing at instances? Asking for a pal! LOL.
Gossamer Gear: Is there one thing about designing merchandise with Gossamer Gear that’s particular to you?
Greg: It’s enjoyable to work with a smaller firm that’s so linked to their clients.
Carrie: It’s actually particular to have the chance to do nice work with great folks. The Gossamer crew is like household to us. With the ability to be an integral a part of a small workforce is so rewarding; everybody’s contributions are so worthwhile. I really like that they permit us the design freedom to take some dangers with design and coloration. That’s been so enjoyable! The shopper base can be nice; they’ve taught me a lot about what individuals are on the lookout for in ultralight gear. Additionally, setting loopy weight objectives for merchandise and crushing the objectives is significantly addictive! I now carry round a pocket gram scale in my work bag to obsessively weigh buckles.
Gossamer Gear: What’s your favourite Gossamer Gear product and why?
Greg: Being a designer, my favourite factor is the subsequent factor I’m going to make. Understanding one thing will be improved fuels my creativity. Other than that, I take advantage of the Vagabond on a regular basis as a result of it fits my way of life.
Carrie: I really like how the brand new Loris daypack turned out, the styling and the Tropical Mist colorway are so good. That middle lavender zipper is wonderful! I really like how we have been capable of convey the favourite Gossamer Gear DNA right into a smaller silhouette that may each day remind folks of their thru-hike or superior journey with their bigger Gossamer pack. The Gossamer pack I take advantage of probably the most is certainly the Vagabond Jet. I take advantage of it as my on a regular basis work backpack and used earlier variations as a diaper bag after we have been in that stage. It’s a nice all-around bag.
Study Extra About Gossamer Gear’s Design Group
Curious for extra behind-the-scenes seems on the Gossamer Gear design course of? Be sure that to look at our quick movie with Greg and Service at their Chico-based studio!
Need to take this story on path with you? Take a look at our line of ultralight backpacks for day journeys, weekend warrior-ing, thru-hikes, and extra.
You may also get pleasure from a few of our different posts on the Gentle Toes weblog about gear, sustainability, and past: