Meet Red Paw Packs: The Story Behind the Gear
Small-batch. Ultralight. Handmade. Meet the maker behind Red Paw Packs and discover why this Florida cottage gear company represents exactly the kind of brand Camping Gear X was created to support.
There’s something different about using a piece of outdoor gear when you know the person who made it.
You know where it came from. You know why it was designed the way it was. And you know there’s a real person behind the sewing machine who cares about what happens to that piece of gear after it hits the trail.
That’s the story behind Red Paw Packs.
And it’s exactly the kind of story we want to tell at Camping Gear X.
Meet the Maker: Matthew Evans
Red Paw Packs was founded in 2018 by Matthew Evans, an ultralight backpacker and self-taught sewist who turned his own search for better backpacking gear into a cottage outdoor brand.
The idea didn't start in a boardroom.
It started in the mountains.
During a trip on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, Matt found himself shivering in his hammock after taking the idea of packing light a little too far.
That uncomfortable night led to an important realization: going ultralight shouldn't mean giving up comfort or carrying gear that doesn't actually work for you.
Matt returned home and started researching MYOG, or Make Your Own Gear.
That opened the door to an entirely different side of the outdoor industry.
Dyneema Composite Fabric. Ultra. X-Pac. Technical ripstop fabrics. Industrial sewing. Pack construction. Weight reduction. Durability.
What started as a desire to make better gear for himself eventually became Red Paw Packs.
Today, Matt continues to personally build Red Paw Packs gear in Tarpon Springs, Florida, one piece at a time.
WATCH: The Red Paw Packs Story
Hear directly from Matt about Red Paw Packs, how the brand got started, his approach to making gear, and what being a cottage gear maker means to him.
What Makes Red Paw Packs Different?
Red Paw Packs isn't about producing as many backpacks as possible.
It's about making thoughtful gear for people who actually use it.
Matt works with advanced ultralight materials including Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF), Ultra, X-Pac and UltraGrid to create lightweight packs and accessories designed for real use outdoors.
The lineup has grown to include ultralight backpacks, fanny packs, accessories, MYOG sewing patterns and even specialized backpacking gear for dogs.
But the philosophy has remained remarkably simple:
Make good gear. Make it carefully. Make it for people who are actually going to use it.
That's cottage gear.
From Backpacks to Trail Dogs
There's another important part of the Red Paw story.
Her name is Lucy.
Matt's golden retriever has spent years joining him on trails and backcountry trips, and those experiences helped inspire Red Paw Packs' growing line of ultralight dog gear.
Instead of simply shrinking traditional outdoor products, Red Paw approaches dog gear with the same ultralight mindset used for human backpacking equipment.
The result includes products such as ultralight dog backpacks, quilts and collapsible bowls designed around actual time spent outdoors with a dog.
It’s another example of what makes small outdoor manufacturers so interesting.
Products can come from solving incredibly specific problems.
And sometimes those ideas become something an entire community can use.
Why Camping Gear X Chose Red Paw Packs
Camping Gear X wasn't created to fill another website with thousands of products.
We created it to help people discover the makers behind great outdoor gear.
Red Paw Packs represents exactly what we believe makes the cottage outdoor industry special.
A maker sees a problem.
They experiment.
They sew prototypes.
They test them.
They change things.
They take the gear outside.
Then they come back and make it better.
Eventually, something that started at one sewing machine ends up traveling hundreds or thousands of miles with another hiker.
That's worth supporting.
It's also why CGX doesn't want the maker to disappear behind the marketplace.
We want you to know who made your gear.
The Bigger Story Behind Cottage-Made Outdoor Gear
Companies like Red Paw Packs are an important part of outdoor culture.
Many of the ideas that eventually influence the larger outdoor industry begin with hikers, backpackers, hammock campers and makers experimenting in garages, basements and small workshops.
They're willing to build products for specific problems that may be too small or specialized for a massive manufacturer to pursue.
That freedom creates innovation.
But cottage companies also face a challenge.
Making gear and growing a business are two very different jobs.
A small maker has to design products, source materials, manufacture inventory, answer customers, create content, ship orders and somehow find enough time to continue developing the next idea.
That's one of the reasons Camping Gear X exists.
Our goal is to help introduce more outdoor enthusiasts to these brands while giving cottage makers another way to put their gear in front of people who may never have discovered them otherwise.
Discover Red Paw Packs at Camping Gear X
If Matt's story resonates with you, take a look at the Red Paw Packs gear we've selected for Camping Gear X.
SHOP RED PAW PACKS AT CAMPING GEAR X →
When you purchase through CGX, you're doing more than adding another piece of gear to your kit.
You're helping us continue placing orders with independent outdoor brands and giving us the opportunity to bring more cottage-made gear into the marketplace.
Want to Go Straight to the Maker?
We also encourage you to learn more about Red Paw Packs directly from Matt.
Visit Red Paw Packs to explore the full collection, custom builds, MYOG projects, trail stories and everything else Matt is working on.
Because supporting the cottage outdoor community isn't about keeping you on Camping Gear X.
It's about helping you discover the people making great gear.
Every Piece Has a Story. Every Brand Has a Face.
Red Paw Packs started because one backpacker believed his gear could be better.
He learned how to make it himself.
Then he started making it for others.
That's the kind of story Camping Gear X exists to share.
So the next time you see a Red Paw pack on the trail, remember there isn't some anonymous production line behind it.
There's a maker.
There's a story.
And there's a whole cottage outdoor community worth keeping alive.
Meet the makers. Discover their gear. Support the people behind it.