4. Own Better Things
Life is complicated enough on its own. That’s why we design simple bags, and build them as well as we can. It’s why we offer a lifetime warranty on our builds, and why we offer repairs outside of warranty.
It’s about taking a step back from an economy that encourages excess, and evaluating what you really need. We want you to own better bags, so you can own fewer bags.
5. Life is an Experiment
Successful experimenting requires failure. Back before North St. was even a thought, a guy named Curtis needed a bag. He needed something he could use as an all weather commuter living in a rainy climate - something that moved from biking to walking to hiking seamlessly.
He started experimenting with patterns, taught himself to sew, and put together the first Woodward convertible backpack pannier.
To this day over 10 years later, we still approach each day as an experiment. The gear that you put on your bike and your back every day is the result of months, sometimes years of testing and development.
6. Always Be Improving
If North St. had to pick one inspirational poster to line our walls, it would probably say “Mistakes are Opportunities”. Every point of rework that happens (and they happen - we are human!), gets us talking about what we can learn. Our goal is to operate without blame, experiment without fear of failure, and uplift our individual skills and perspectives to keep growing.
And when we don’t have any rework? That’s right, we’re still improving! We dedicate the first 15 minutes of every work day to making changes to our workspace. We’re optimizing our spaces and processes to keep us making your bags the best.
7. Give Back
For us, an important part of walking our walk means that we give back to the community that supports us. We’ve invested in our communities at different levels over the years, including exclusive color ways and bag donation drives!
8. Keep Exploring
When you’re looking to answer a tough question, the best way to do your research is with experience.
Want to make a great bike packing bag? Go bike packing!
Looking to build the ultimate travel bag? Better do some traveling!
Every bag we design comes from experience, and starts as a simple question: "what do I need?"