Just Another Outdoor Gear Company?

The realities of starting a fly-fishing pack brand in a maturing industry and... is novelty smart? 

I want to avoid a long opening filled with generic claims about why this company is different from others.  But, we definitely aren’t out to just recreate our take on the standard lineup of fly-fishing aligned packs and bags. 

Smart?  It could be, but we think it is our only shot.  

Every new company, especially in this industry, has to set themselves apart in some way. We get it, here are big shoes to fill.  How is it possible to create products fundamentally different from what already exists.  Fly shops are full of offerings, and high-quality gear is ubiquitous. Claims to the most “durable & functional” gear are as expected and redundant as they are necessary for companies to assert.  

Recently though, several new brands have carved out market share through innovation in their particular niches.  It makes all the difference when a new company can say they have something, well... new.  Over the past five years waders have been reengineered, net design has proliferated, and new magnet-based storage/organization options have popped up.  

But, if you head to your local fly shop, the packs and bags on the shelves haven't changed much, outside superficial design, in roughly a decade.   

So, what could a new pack brand bring to market besides its own design preferences.  Our answer to that question is simple.  We think that the way conventional packs and bag's “function” has progressed in this industry just about as far as it possibly can.  

The last decade has seen a proliferation in pack styles and design.  Especially with materials and construction techniques.  Sometimes this has resulted in great utility, and it shouldn’t be discounted.  Waterproofing using TPU welding is now a mainstay, laminated and compression molded foam has resulted in some very hydrophobic and ergonomic qualities, not to mention advances in fabrics and zippers have made it easy for manufacturers to improve durability and performance.  Obviously, there has also been a huge effort to accommodate the tailored needs of anglers in superficial product design.  With that said, we think there haven’t been any real attempts to change how these products fundamentally operate.  Hip packs still generally work just like they always have; a backpack is a backpack, a lumbar pack is a lumbar pack and so on.  All of these product categories come with a set of limitations, ones that we think can be circumvented or improved upon.   

 For example, everyone knows that hip packs are comfortable, but storing your net in the built-in net holster becomes a problem when you need to get into your pack.  No other manufacturers seem to be addressing common problems like this.  It's really all we focus on.  We know solutions to issues like this need to be simple. Nobody wants to purchase an overcomplicated “solution”, after all it's just a pack.  New can be smart but if something is too outlandish or extravagant, it can be difficult for consumers to understand what it does.  In other words, it can become a gimmick.  The divide between a “solution” and a “gimmick” can be a fine line to walk. 

Our simple solution is the InterFlo wading system.  It relies on some new technology we think is a game changer.  Most importantly, it doesn't rely on accessories such as a net keeper to work around shortcomings associated with design and function. It also is easily enhanced by accessories because the belt doesn't need to move on the user's waist to access the pack; only the pack moves.  

Our favorite so far is the OPros Rod Holder  which makes it easy to carry an extra rod and switch out between them throughout the day.  Having this option can seriously improve fishing success and flexibility. We don’t know of another system that allows an angler to carry two rods, not have to leave the river to rerig either of them, and includes a no fuss solution to the net problem.  All of this is accomplished without sacrificing comfort or stability.   

Just ask our friend Andrew Notter how intuitive this system is to use. He is as good as any to rate a waist system.  Hiking into the Sierras to undisclosed locations targeting giant wild browns and then hiking out is exactly the kind of day this system excels at.   

Given circumstances, I think new companies need to be bold and take initiative to innovate. It's really the only way, considering how much the industry has matured in the past two decades.  Going up against established brands directly can be an uphill battle for even the most seasoned industry veterans. Consumers expect a lot from their products and who can blame them.  Rising production costs, increasing overhead in payroll and benefits, and most recently tariffs have driven costs up.  These are obviously passed onto the marketplace. The entire niche is competitive, and sometimes when making a purchase decision, it can be almost difficult with all the options available. A new pack isn't something people need every season or even every two or three seasons.  It needs to be better than the one they currently have.  It needs to give them a real chance at being a more proficient angler, if they are going to give it a shot. We instinctively understood this.  

Lets be honest about something else.  We don’t have industry connections or the experience to go up against industry giants on aesthetic or fundamentals alone.  For us, novelty was necessary, and without it, we would be just another outdoor company.  So, is novelty smart?  The only answer is that it can be, or that maybe the reality is the novelty itself has to be.