Brothers Wilde Designs – Missoula fabric designer thinks outside pack to innovate outdoor gear

The next time you sling a backpack over your shoulder, consider that strap in your hand.

When Carson Wilde at Brothers Wilde Designs http://www.bwildegear.com/ looks at one, he thinks about the three kinds of foam inside, secured by a stiffening layer of Mylar sailcloth, and surrounded by one layer of gripping fabric on the underside and two layers of stress-enduring material on top. All of this is cut with curves that allow the layers to bend over your shoulder without bunching while preserving the straight-line weave of the fabrics that give it strength.

"In Missoula, your testing environment is 20 minutes away," Wilde said. "So many things you can tell were made in a design studio in California where the people never go skiing. Here, I can sew a sample and run up the Bitterroot and abuse it and make changes the next day."

By Rob Chaney

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