In news articles and Instagram feeds, the dangers of hobbies like rock climbing, backcountry skiing, and long distance hiking are all the same: injury and death. In reality, the most common risk is the rapid accumulation of too much gear—and the degradation of one's living conditions due to it. A collection of harnesses, technical fleece jackets, bicycles, helmets, and backpacks can go from modest to disastrous in a snap; suddenly you've got a commercial kitchen shelf in your living room and it's loaded with bins of gear and most of your relationship issues are about how many pairs of trail running shoes you actually need (correct answer: all of them).
Enter Kitworks, a new PNW-based company that aims to help us all avoid the perils of disorganization with their creative Gear Management System. At the core of that system is the 75-liter Gear Box, 35- and 55-liter Gear Totes, and 60- and 90-liter Adventure Duffels (coming early 2025). Prices range from $159 up to $289.
Helping to organize these organizers, Kitworks also offers a large collection of modular dividers, cubes, and pockets (ranging from $9-$59) that thoughtfully integrate into each bin, tote, and box to provide seemingly endless ways to ensure every item is in its rightful place.
Kitworks' founder Greg Mills knows the pitfalls of gear disorganization firsthand. He notes how, in addition to causing clutter, it can take away from the joy of doing things outside—how a wet mitten at the bottom of a bag can ruin a six-year-old's day or how it's annoying to stuff dirty boots in the same bag as an expensive pair of goggles. Outdoors-goers are all familiar with these issues and for decades the solution was often, simply enough, a big plastic bin from a big box store. Before starting Kitworks, Mills stashed his kids' ski gear in one, too. Though as he told us, it wasn't an ideal solution: "Even after getting it organized prior to a trip, it always ended up a chaotic mess."
In more recent years though, a handful of companies have begun creating purpose-built gear storage bins specifically to solve this problem for outdoor enthusiasts, effectively creating a new product category in the process. Kitworks aims to evolve the category even further.
Mills pulled inspiration from beyond the bin as well: "The second piece that really got me thinking about how we could tackle this was a DeWalt tool bag with a doctor's bag-style opening that I used for my mountain bike gear for several years. I liked that it had a wide opening so I could see my gear without having to dig through layers of stuff. But, it really only worked for trail rides and not park days or destination trips."
Designed from the ground up, an outdoors-specific collection could offer more, like durable and weatherproof TPU-laminated shells and rugged handles and straps, which Kitworks used for its three core system products. Each one also has MOLLE strapping and hook-and-loop details (AKA Velcro) so they can work not just with Kitworks' accessories but also those made by other companies.
When we asked which of the new pieces is his favorite, Mills objected to the premise of the question. "This is why I wanted to develop a system of products—every activity needs a slightly different setup based on how you're traveling and what the plans are for the day." When pressed, he revealed that he's gotten the most mileage out of the Kitworks Gear Tote 55 ($189).
"I love that it stands up on its own and I can see everything inside, and my ski boots and bike shoes live in the wet and dirty gear bag tucked into the side of the tote, not getting everything else filthy." Mills tells us. "It just makes it easy to grab the kit and go."
Going, after all, is the point of all these outdoor pursuits. Staying organized simply makes getting there—and coming back again—a whole lot simpler.
Published 12-17-2024
