The story of DOGPAK begins as many great stories do: with a boy and his dog. And the story of this particular duo begins about 13 years ago when I met a little hound dog at a rescue center. I named him Thunder. He was just a puppy then, and I guess I was still a pup too in a way. I never could have anticipated the bond we would develop over the years together, nor could I have fathomed even half of the epic adventures we would embark on.
So the story of DOGPAK begins with the story of Thunder the Wonder Dog. My pup. My best friend. My hero. We have traveled the world together for the last 13 years to 30 different countries and most of the US states. The bond we share is indescribable. We have been through it all: rattlesnake bites and bear attacks, barbed wire stitches and raccoon battles, two transcontinental motorcycle rallies and countless camping trips. And too many skunk incidents.
You can imagine after 13 years together, Thunder and I have a special relationship. It is one of the things I am most proud about in my life, and I wanted to find a way to help other people develop that kind of bond with their dogs.
But what are the building blocks of a bond like that? Memories. Memories are the foundation of that bond, and boy do I have memories with old Thunder.
Memories of what, though? And what makes an experience memorable? I realized that my favorite memories with Thunder came from our myriad adventures together: hiking volcanoes in Nicaragua, camping in the rain somewhere in the Swiss Alps, training mustangs in the Teton Wilderness of Wyoming, packing mules through bear country in the Sierras, old cowboy ranches spanning 40,000 acres in Arizona, discovering hidden ruins in the Huayhuash mountains of Peru.
Yes, my most endearing memories with Thunder came from those unforgettable adventures we shared together—the kinds of journeys that don’t always seem fun in the moment but have a tendency to shine in retrospect—memories built from a questionable unfolding of comedy and mishap, moonlit nights and misty mornings, missed switchbacks and rain-soaked shoes. We are purveyors of type II fun and full-belly laughs, delirious on empty stomaches after long days and many miles.
That is where the story of DOGPAK comes in.
One day the light bulb switched on and I suddenly had the idea to start a company that would make outdoor gear for dogs. I wanted to create a lifestyle brand dedicated to helping other people develop those kinds of memories with their dogs. I wanted to honor all that Thunder and I have shared together over the years, and I wanted to somehow help spread that spirit to other dog lovers and outdoor enthusiasts.
This newfound pursuit gave me a sense of purpose, so I sectioned my day into various tasks and disciplined myself as best I could to dive into research. Admittedly, I knew nothing about starting a business, especially a physical product business. I had an idea, but how does one go from concept to a physical, tangible product, let alone a whole line of products? Did I need to buy a sewing machine? Would I need to learn to sew better? Should I learn CAD or computer coding?
But I did have at least one advantage. In reflecting on some of my experiences over the years, I realized I had some insight into what makes for quality outdoor equipment, and while some great equipment does exist for dogs, I began thinking of ways to expand or improve on it.
As a parachute rigger, I had some sewing skills and a workable knowledge of a wide range of materials, their strengths and weaknesses, and the physics of building safe and redundant harnesses and anchor systems. I was also an avid climber, wingsuit BASE jumper, skydiver, skier, and mountaineer, which meant that where my knowledge fell short, I had friends in those communities who could guide and mentor me.
I soaked up any information I could, though somewhat haphazardly. Business plans, licenses, LLC’s, C-Corps, Sole-Proprietorships, Swiss Regulations, US Regulations, EU Regulations, etc. I researched the process of manufacturing a physical product, how to find and vet a factory, how to design a tech pack, how to create prototypes, and how to build a website. I even studied photography and social media marketing.
As a solo-founder, I had to learn every aspect of running and maintaining the business, and that included a lot of technical computer and design work I was unaccustomed to. I was a simple cowboy before this, a wandering nomad, a BASE jumping poet who preferred life off the grid, and now suddenly I had to learn as much as possible about SEO, website design, FB ads, google ads, analytics, email sequencing, and even some coding. I had to be a jack of all trades, and a master of many of them as well—undeniably a daunting task.
Still, we made a lot of progress in those early months. I look back on two years of learning and I see now how far I’ve come, but I also see much more clearly how much further the path ahead continues. We were able to build our first physical prototype for the Moab Lite K9 hiking harness and daypack, and from there we continued to iterate, improving on each prototype bit by bit. We have now finalized the design and are ready to move on to large-scale production—the next chapter in a seemingly unending though nevertheless enthralling series.
Ultimately, the goal is to expand to have a range of products all curtailed to outdoor enthusiasts and search and rescue teams. But we have to start somewhere, so for now, this is our first ambition: a K9 hiking harness and daypack—ultralight, waterproof, ergonomic. So stay tuned for more updates and feel free to reach out and contact us with any questions or comments.
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