Made in America | Evolving Consumer

Made in America: Ticket to Transfer

Carrying gear to a race can be tricky. It is bad enough to forget something on a training ride, but forgetting anything on race day is a disaster. The Inside Line Equipment Transfer bag, which can hold 21 liters of gear, will ensure that racers don’t have to sweat the small details because everything you might need fits in this one bag.

The bag is made in the USA of XPAC sailcloth and has seven storage compartments, with entry through the sides or the top. There is even an elastic exterior pocket for a helmet and a drawstring sleeve inside for dirty laundry and shoes while side pockets provide a place just for water bottles. This bag also offers ergonomic shoulder straps with a sternum strap.

Inside Line Equipment Transfer Bag Official Website

Made in America: Perfect Balance

Running shoe maker New Balance likes to keep things fresh by taking a step backwards. This is certainly the case with the New Balance 1300, a retro-looking running shoe that features premium leather, a mesh upper and a molded midsole. The company now employs more than 1,300 U.S. workers – and hence proudly proclaims that this line of “blast from the past” style running shoes is “Made in the USA.”

New Balance 1300 Official Website

Made in America: Upcycled Tent To Shorts

Earlier today we noted that Chrome was using old Cold War era Communist Bloc/Warsaw Pact tents and making waterproof bags. We also heard that J.Crew was marketing a line of Military Tent Shorts. These cargo shorts are made of 1940s era military tents and each was made by hand in the New York City design studios, where one tent only produced one pair of shorts.

Apparently these were so popular that J.Crew has sold out even at $220 per pair. We’ll have to watch and see if anymore should show up.

J.Crew Military Tent Shorts Official Website

Made in America: American Bags from Commie Materials

While we’ve heard of swords to plowshares, bag maker Chrome is looking to take old military tents and reutilize these as color bags. These include bags made of the Rain Camo that was originally used by Warsaw Pact nations during the Cold War. The shell is made of weatherproof, 1000-denier Cordura and this bag is big enough to hold a 17-inch laptop, while reflective straps will make the bag visible at night.

This line of bags also feature daisy-chain mounting loops for attaching carabineer or bike lights as well as the iconic quick-release seatbelt buckle with integrated bottle opener – something those commies never considered!

Chrome Citizen Salvage Military Tent Messenger Bags Official Website

Made in America: Boarded Up

While there has been a trend to make “greener” surfboards using a variety of materials, including carbon fiber, for Grain Surfboards nothing beats wood. The company noted that for more than a thousand years surfboards were made of wood and that’s good enough for them.

The makers use Northern White Cedar with a bit of Western Red Cedar along with a natural blend of traditional construction style with New England boat building craftsmanship and the result is one serious surfboard.

Grain Surfboards
[Via Wood Working Network: Wood Surfboards Make Summer’s Top 50]

Made in America: Bike Holster

With a name like Rocky Mountain Holster should we be surprised that the company is introducing a Western themed bike cup holder for cruisers? Andrew Houston reportedly makes each leather cup and beer holder by hand out of leather at his Park City, Utah workshop. He further personalizes these as well.

The Rocky Mountain bike cup holders can carry cans, water bottles, beer, phones and wallets and these attach to a basket, handlebar, pannier or belt. Basically, wherever the leather straps can be looped and snapped, thus giving the bike a western look.

Rocky Mountain Holster Official Website

Made in America: JackRabbit Swift

While any cap can work for running, the folks at California-based JackRabbit Caps have a variety of caps made for those who are fast on their feet (or not so fast as the case may be). These include wool caps for those less than warm days – which many of us are still enduring. In addition the company offers a lineup of lightweight caps for those hot summer days to come.

The winter caps feature a low profile with foldable earflaps and wool flannel to keep you warm, while the summer versions offer moisture wicking materials and SPF 30 grade protection from the sun.

JackRabbit Caps Official Website

Made in America: Wash and Go in Style

Our friends at Chamois Butt’r have been on a roll. In addition to the Her’ Chamois Butt’r, which the company recently introduced, it has looked to launched a premium cleanser for laundering of technical sportswear and delicate fabrics. The Eurostyle Sports Kit wash was developed for use across the entire spectrum of endurance sports and is purpose-built to address the specific needs of high-end technical fabrics such as those found in cycling, skiing, running or the yoga studio.

Despite its name it is actually produced in the United States, and is minimally scented and easily rinsed away. The Sports Kit Wash thus can prolong the life of garments helping to remove chlorine from bathing suits and yet is 100 percent wetsuit-safe. It is like washing in style – Eurostyle.

Chamois Butt’r Official Website

Made in America: Pack It In

There are packrats – those types of people who don’t know when too much is enough. But then there is the Packrafts from Alpacka Raft, which can transform from a small pack to the full-sized tent for those daytime water adventures. These rugged Packrafts can be used for fishing in a remote lake, or hitting the whitewater. As the company proclaims these are “made in Alaska” but are “built for the world.”

Alpacka Raft Official Website

Made in America: Headliner

Working up a sweat is one reason we work out an exercise but sweat in the eyes is never fun when on a long summer bike ride. This is where the SweatHawg comes in. It is a helmet liner that is made in Oregon of Hydo-phillic fabric from Germany and can reportedly absorb 10 times its weight in water, and which can be rung out if it gets too saturated. It can keep the sweat out of the eyes and thus help on those hot summer days!

SweatHawg Official Website

Made in Americal: Sack Out

Los Angeles-base Ignoble doesn’t do large runs on its products. What it does is deliver quality in small rungs, and this includes the Cora Classic rucksack. This model features a tough nylon construction and offers plenty of space for camping, hiking, trekking or just bugging out.

There are padded shoulder straps along with a padded airmesh back panel, while the Cora offers a large main compartment with internal hanging pocket plus laptop sleeve. There are additional storage with a zippered front stash pocket, hood stash pocket and even dual side utility pockets .The 400D nylon construction with YKK branded zipper closures will keep your worldly possessions safe and secure.

Ignoble Bags Cora Classic Rucksack Official Website

Made in America: Bud’s Bike

While many companies offer up inspiring names for their bicycles, Paul Budnitz takes a more simple approach with names like Model No. 1 and No. 2. This isn’t to say that his bikes are super plain. In fact his lineup of handmade bikes, which are made in Vermont, are sleek, simple and minimalist yet solid enough for serious riding.

Budnitz offers up a variety of steel, aluminum and even titanium bikes that ride well and look good.

Budnitz Bicycles Official Website

American Made Statement

We like the fact that the Statement Bike Rack is made in America, and unlike many sleek and simple bike racks that are little more than a couple of pegs that users stick in the wall this one offers both real form and provides functionality. Designer Daniel Sculnick sees this as a type of art that can double as a place to hang a bike. He is now looking to Kickstarter to raise funds to finish making his statement. Video after the jump