Five years ago with a pending patent and a whole lotta hope, we launched Lifepack on Kickstarter. The goal was to finally have a backpack built for remote work / laptop on-the-go life.
I desperately wanted to prove that you could make a product that was cool - and also did something great for the planet.
Feb 2016 - Lifepack Prototype #1 - The prototype that sold $1mm worth of backpacks and started it all
At first, this was through using solar energy to charge your phone. I knew it wouldn't be the biggest impact on the energy grid, but everyone's gotta start somewhere! A year later, when attempting to surf in Bali, I was shocked by how much plastic was in the waves and on the beach. Right then I knew - preventing ocean plastic was a goal I could really sync my teeth into and would become my life's work.
My love for the ocean runs deep. As a kid I would spend weekends on a small sailboat off the coast of Vancouver Canada, and in the summers I'd be back in Norway with my grandfather sailing around the craggy coastline of southern Norway. Having family halfway across the world, I always knew that the ocean is what connected us - and all humanity around the world.
Then I learned how bad the ocean plastic problem is - 17 billion pounds of plastic entering her each year. Then learning that our oceans provide us with 70% of our oxygen - I knew something had to be done.
Carry-On Closet Prototype 0.1
Digging into it I learned we could turn the plastic into fabric - polyester fabric commonly used in bags is actually made from the same plastic used in water bottles!
That's our core - our purpose. We want to explore the world, find good solutions - and never stop. With this - we present our new slogan.
EXPLORING FOR GOOD
Why yes, it is a double entendre thanks for noticing - we want to find great solutions in the world, and we also never want to stop exploring. It's always both.
Some highlights over the last 5 years
Feb 29th 2016 - Kickstarter launch of Lifepack!
Sept. 2016 - Hit our first $1 million in sales!
March 2017 - began setting up supply chain for ocean-bound plastic
Nov. 2017 - launched v1 carry-on closet and hexwatch
Sept. 2018 - first product launch ft. ocean-bound plastic
Nov 2018 - Carry-On Closet wins TIME Magazine Best Inventions
March 2019 - all products now contain Shore-Tex fabric made from ocean-bound plastic
March 2020 - Fast Company Best Inventions
June 2020 - Launch of the HomeBase Ecosystem on Kickstarter
I want to take a special moment to honor Chris Cavill, our designer. Without whom, none of this would have been possible. Through thick and thin we've been in this together since day one. Chris, you're a legend.
Finally - Thank you for being a part of our journey. Whether you've backed 1 project on Kickstarter or you have a garage full of our suitcases - thank you for your trust in us. We're working hard to change the world - and in the next 5 years we hope to be a driving force in cutting ocean plastic in half.
-Adrian Solgaard
