Looking Back on 2018 and Ahead to Our 10th Anniversary
January 02, 2019
10 Years of North St. Bags
10 years ago, we needed a bike bag that didn't exist. Something rugged, waterproof, and adaptable - something made locally, that supported an active and environmentally conscious lifestyle, and looked good doing it. It wasn't out there yet, so we bought a sewing machine and made it. That was the beginning of the North St. that you know today - a problem to solve, an idea, and a sewing machine.
In the 10 years since founding North St., our look has evolved, we've upgraded our fabrics and debuted a ton of new gear. Through all that, we've stayed true to the spirit of that first bag. We make bags to improve your life, to enable a healthy, happy commute, to encourage adventure and connection with the world around us, and to support a lifestyle of owning fewer, better things in an age of excess.
2018 Highlights
2018 saw incredible change for us. Early in the year we moved to a bigger space in Portland's historic Hawthorne district. With more freedom to grow, production became more agile, and we expanded our custom color options exponentially. We launched the Weekender line, and it was quickly picked up by every day carry experts atCNET,The Manual, andBicycling. The Scouts joined our Pioneers with VX fabric options to critical acclaim.
Our new space - full of potential back in March, now full of sewing machines and bags.
The Weekender Backpack and Meeting Bag featured on CNET's best travel laptop bags of 2018
Newly launched VX fabrics exploded in popularity for the Scouts and Pioneers
Over 10,000 bags and accessories, handmade in our PDX shop
Looking Ahead.
2019 is already shaping up to be our best year yet. New bags, new events, and a ton of cool new patterns and colors are coming your way.
Thank you for supporting North St. Bags into our 10th year! We can't wait to see where you'll take us next. Until then, Take Care, Travel Well, and Adventure Right.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond to our feedback survey earlier this summer. We were blown away by your kind words and excellent ideas. Thank you! Read up on the results from the survey and what folks are saying about North St. Bags.
“The North St. The Weekender Backpack checks all the boxes for me and is one of my favorite backpacks for most trips in the five-plus day category,” writes Zeke Kamm. “I LOVE the visual style of the bag and if I had to bring a bunch of stuff around with me to work or school, this would be my top pick for best everyday bag, too.”
Even though it feels like summer just began, students are heading back to school soon.Whether you’re hyped for classes to start or still grasping to every last summer moment, we want you to return to campus in style with these staff picks from our crew in Portland.