Mountainsmith has announced the launch of the Tripster, a waist pack made from over 80% upcycled materials. The Tripster is now available exclusively at REI stores nationwide and online at REI.com.
In 2018, the REI Co-op challenged Mountainsmith to develop an offering specifically for its members. The goal was to highlight Mountainsmith’s 40-year history in waist packs and tap into the brand’s Colorado-based relationship with Green Guru, which also shares a long-standing partnership with REI Co-op stores as a source of upcycled materials from inner tubes and climbing ropes. The Tripster is the result of this project; each one designed and built in the state of Colorado.
“At its roots, Mountainsmith is a fanny pack expert that cares deeply about our environment,” says Torie Palffy, marketing manager at Mountainsmith. “Green Guru, a fellow Colorado-based brand, is arguably the best in the industry at turning upcycled goods into cool, functional gear, while REI provides consumers with locations across the country to recycle various materials. Mountainsmith handled the design aspect of this project, and together we created a truly unique, sustainably sourced product that we are incredibly proud of.”
The production process involves three steps: REI Co-op members drop off old bike tubes and climbing rope at REI, Green Guru takes those recyclables, as well as other excess materials from around the industry, and turns them into pack material. Then, Green Guru employs Mountainsmith’s expertise in waist pack design to build each pack at its manufacturing facility in Colorado. Each pack is constructed with different upcycled materials, so each piece is unique by featuring different colors, patterns and prints.
“We are honored to provide REI Co-op members with a sustainable and unique piece of gear,” says Davidson Lewis, CEO of Green Guru. “Collectively, this project keeps a lot of bicycle tubes, climbing ropes and industrial tents out of the landfill. This helps close the loop on activities we love to be a part of and makes for a greener adventure ahead.” said Davidson Lewis, founder of Green Guru Gear.”
