Summer update!
over 7 years ago – Fri, Aug 19, 2016 at 07:03:05 PM

Whoa, hey guys. It's been a while! 

Hopefully you all are having a fantastic summer and spending more nights sleeping outside than inside. :) Even with the new small business grind, we've been getting out there for short motorcycle trips every now and then and we're having a blast. 

We wanted to drop in and say hi, see where everyone's taking their Pack Animal goods, and let you know how much we appreciate you supporting us here at the beginning. This last year has been a whirlwind of learning and growing for us, and we couldn't have made it this far without you. 

Thanks, also, for being patient with us when our production and shipping slipped behind schedule. We're happy to say all Kickstarter backer orders have been shipped (except for you few stragglers who haven't filled out your surveys - check your email so we can send you things!).

Also...guess what? We're completely sold out of saddlebags! We manufactured a lot more than we needed to fulfill Kickstarter orders and they've all officially been sold. It's an amazing problem to have, so thanks everyone for getting the word out there. We're in the process of making a few design tweaks before we start up a second production run, so if you have any thoughts on changes you'd like to see, or feedback on how your gear is performing, give us a shout here: [email protected]

Tool rolls, camp mugs, key hooks, and t-shirts are still in stock, so if you have a friend who's interested, send them to the online shop!

We're also working on a couple of new products to roll out around the holidays, so be on the lookout for a survey — we want to know what kind of travel goods you're interested in! Stay tuned.

We'll leave you with this grid of wonderful humans who have tagged us in photos with their Pack Animal goods. Is anything cooler than having an idea, putting it out there, and then seeing it realized in photos taken by dozens of different people all over the world? We don't think so. 

You want to check this update.
almost 8 years ago – Fri, Jun 10, 2016 at 10:59:42 PM

It's been a few weeks since our last update, not because we're update-less, but because we've been so stinking busy that we can hardly find the time to write these here updates! But we love you and we've heard how much you like being filled in on Pack Animal happenings, so check it out -- 

Shipping has begun!

A few dozen of you have already received your saddlebags, but if you haven't yet, don't fret! Packaging takes some time, and we're delivering boxes to the post office as fast as we can throughout the week. 

Part of what makes packaging so time consuming is making sure each box is filled with the right color bags and the correct motorcycle mounting hardware based on the measurements you've sent us. Some of the seating hardware kits require custom pieces, so the entire process is a little more time consuming than just tossing a bag in a box and taping it up.  

Motos in Moab

A few Kickstarter backers who were headed to Motos in Moab got their saddlebags just in time for the trip, and it was pretty incredible to ride through Moab and see people already using our bags on a long distance ride. We had a blast riding out to and from Seattle. On our website we'll share more from that in a blog post, but here's a small taste of the trip:

Patches!

We had a few patches made specifically for those of you who are traveling with our goods (saddlebags, tool rolls, key hooks, mugs, or t-shirt!). If you backed us on Kickstarter and are taking a big trip, get in touch! We think you're amazing and want to send you a patch.

 Back to work!

It's time!
almost 8 years ago – Thu, May 19, 2016 at 11:53:57 PM

Manufacturing Update

Good news, folks. The last few steps of saddlebag assembly are underway as we speak, and the couple of finished bags we've seen look amazing (we'll show you photos soon!).

Starting tomorrow, we'll receive a steady stream of finished saddlebags and tool rolls every week from our manufacturer. Instead of waiting a few weeks until every last bag is finished and at our shop in Seattle, we're going to start shipping the first batch next week, and continue as more product rolls in. 

While our friends at Tacoma Manufacturing finish sewing together the saddlebags and tool rolls, we're busy at our shop in Seattle finishing the shoulder straps for the bags and motorcycle mounting hardware. 

Address Update

If you've had a change of address in the last couple of months, now's the time to let us know. We'll start printing shipping labels in a few days and we'd hate to send your reward to the wrong place!

Time to get back to work, we'll be in touch soon!

Going to Motos in Moab?
almost 8 years ago – Wed, May 04, 2016 at 03:54:29 PM

MOTOS IN MOAB!

Guys, are you going to Motos in Moab? It's the self-proclaimed worst motorcycle campout of all time, but secretly it's kind of the best. Our very own Jenny Linquist (media/marketing for Pack Animal) rode with a few of our early prototypes to the inaugural campout last year and can vouch for what a crazy good time it was. Turns out she rode the longest distance to get there, awarding her the Iron Butt prize. She wrote a post today on our blog about riding to Moab solo, which you can find here. 

The event takes place in the lower Colorado River canyon just outside of downtown Moab, Memorial Day weekend (May 27-May 30). Tickets here. A few of us from Pack Animal will be riding out this year, which leads us to the more important part of this update...

EMAIL US IF YOU'RE GOING!

Seriously. If you backed us on Kickstarter and will be attending Motos in Moab in 3 weeks, please let us know. Shoot us an email at [email protected]. We have some things to discuss, and might have something special for you! Plus, we would love to know who you are and give you a hug in Moab, if we're not too dirty from the long ride there.

Looking forward to seeing some of you out there!

Production update!
about 8 years ago – Fri, Apr 22, 2016 at 11:09:50 PM

Hey guys! It's been a few long weeks here in the shop and we wanted to give you an update about how production is going. 

Leather Work

A little over a week ago we received that big leather shipment we'd been waiting ages for. We've been super busy cutting it up into bag sized bites, finishing the edges, and doing some assembly before shipping the pieces to Tacoma to be sewn into saddlebags.

Interesting fact: 

Pack Animal is the only company in the world using this particular tan leather in this finish. Horween has never made it before, so we're glad they were happy to develop it for us!

We would be absolutely lost without the clicker press. This machine can cut a piece in 2 seconds, while would take 10 minutes to layout and cut the same piece by hand. The work is mentally exhausting as we cut different pieces from different areas of the hide based on the specific characteristics needed for the piece. The hides have variation in strength, color, and feel as you move from the shoulder to the back to the belly.

    

Canvas Cutting and Sewing

Our friends at Tacoma Manufacturing have been busy cutting out the canvas and twill pieces, sewing up dividers and pockets and now attaching leather pieces fresh out of our shop in Seattle.

Divider panels just waiting to organize all the things. These little guys may have been the most time consuming sewing job in the whole process. They are so worth it.

With the whole crew working on production we are expecting to see complete units start rolling out of the shop in a couple of weeks.  As soon as we get 'em in, we'll be shipping to all of you lovely backers! The excitement around here seeing all of the planning and preparation ending in real goods is unbelievably satisfying. We never could have done it without your help, and we can't wait to see where you'll take these products!

We'll leave you with this short video from our Manufacturer. It shows some of the process of working together to build these saddlebags and tool rolls.