It's another year for the books (and book bags)
1/12/2024
By North St. Bags
We’re thrilled to finish out our 14th year of making handcrafted, durable bike bags and gear. 2023 brought a lot of exciting changes, challenges and triumphs for this bag making team. We thought we’d pause and take a moment to look back at the journey.
North Street Comes to North Portland
Back in March we moved from our former location on SE Poplar Ave up to North Portland-- fitting, right? The new space has fit our needs perfectly. After the big moving day (and post-pizza nap time) we settled right in and resumed our production efforts within just a few days.
We’ve been loving the space, the extra daylight and our new location along the N Williams / N Vancouver bike route. Any type of move is a challenge. Ours was certainly no exception, but we have been thrilled to settle into our new digs on N Flint Ave.
Come by and see us! We opened a brand new storefront just off of our sewing department. We’d love to chat about a custom project, show our selection of stock bags, or just say hey!
2134 N Flint Ave Portland, OR 97227
We’re open weekdays 1-5pm (closed weekends and holidays)
Turning Trash Into Durable Gear
Perhaps the most fulfilling project we took on this year was transforming material that was bound for the landfill into durable bags.
North St. first started working with upcycled materials in 2020 to use the odd bits of fabric and leftovers from pattern cutting, reducing waste. We’ve been selling these one-of-a-kind weirdo bags ever since! Then in 2022, we launched a larger limited-edition upcycled collection of packs and panniers, made from the donated Life Time Events and SRAM materials. We spent the last year processing just under 1 ton of material into usable fabric for bags. We still have stock on a few select items, grab them while you still can!
Check out our blog post from back in July for the full story.
In the Press
It’s an honor just to be mentioned.
Pioneer 8 was named “Best Waterproof Hip Pack" by Wired.com
Adventure Micro Pannier named among the “Best Bike Bags of 2023” by Forbes.com
Davis Daypack named “Best Made in USA Backpack" by HiConsumption.com
Pioneer 9 was named among the “Best Fanny Packs of 2024” by GearJunkie.com
The Weekender Backpack made Carryology’s Ultimate Travel Gear List That Will Change the Way You Travel
From the Fans
As always, the best part of what we do is connecting with our fans, our customers and well, you! We’ve heard stories of our bags being used for fire rescue crews, dog walking, weeks long international bike adventures, backcountry ski trips, and much much more! Here are some kind words from some of our fans.
2023 by the Numbers
Over 1/2 a ton or material saved from the landfill and turned into bags.
Thousands of bags, accessories and pockets made.
Shipments to all 50 states and over 16 countries around the world.
Thank you to our 29 retail partners in the U.S, Japan and France!
Production breakdown:
An Exciting Look at Things to Come
We’ve got some exciting things in store for you in the future. We’re working hard on improving our products in our endless quest to make the best bags that we possibly can. Look for more bikepacking bags, some flashy new color combinations, plus a brand new line of hip packs! Be sure to sign up for our email list to be the first to know when these drops happen.
Happy New Year from North St Bags!