6286
When I was growing up in middle-middle class suburbia of Southern New Jersey, we would spend Christmas Eve at my Grandmother's house every year. There'd be a fine dinner (too delicious for a ten-year old to appreciate) featuring turkey, goose, boar, or moose as the main dish--at least that's what my uncle convinced me it was.
Just like every kid since pretty much forever, I loved Lego. It was, and arguably still is, the perfect toy. But I will never forget the Christmas Eve where I received my Red Rider BB Gun of Christmas gifts: Set #6286 The Skull's Eye Schooner. When ten year-old me tore into that wrapping paper I could not believe the treasure in my hands. The box was half the size of me!
I think I spent the rest of that evening leering under the colorful cardboard flap to steal a glance at the minifigures, carefully studying the elaborate display scenes on the back of the box. I loved that Lego Set. It was, for a long time, my prized possession.
But I grew up, as tends to happen with ten year-olds--and my gallant ship spent increasingly more time gathering dust on a shelf, and less time sailing for adventures on the high seas of imagination.
When we moved a few years later, I disassembled 6286 and laid her to rest in the original box and tucked it away in the attic. She had sailed her last voyage under our roof.
The letters CIS stand for the "Commonwealth of Independent States"--it's a shorthand nomenclature that generally refers to the governments and countries that comprise the former Soviet Union…and that's where my next adventure took me: planes, trains, ferries, and buses--in search of adventure and treasure--first to Azerbaijan, then Georgia, Belarus and finally Ukraine.
Ukraine. Homeland of my wife and children; a country from which I have very recently become an unlikely refugee!
I met my wife online in 2013 while I was still living in Minsk and she in Kyiv. We met in person for the first time only a month before Euro-Maidan: just as revolution blossomed, so did romance! We were engaged a year later and married in the spring of 2015.
Together my new wife and I began writing our next chapter together. Living and working, making ends meet and trying to figure out what's next.
We made plans in 2018 to visit my family in the USA for a few months: they needed to get to know my wife a little better and meet our first child. Yet it was two weeks before we arrived in Philadelphia--in October of 2018--that I discovered the Make Your Own Gear (MYOG) community on Reddit.
As a generally nomadic dreamer and having lived more/less out of a suitcase for almost two decades, I have always loved bags. I recall children's books with illustrations of a little snail, curled up in his tiny shell--sitting in a miniature armchair reading a book with a lamp in the corner.
I take immense satisfaction in assessing exactly how much space I need for the minimum possessions that I need to live comfortably in any given place. Just like the little snail, I dream of a cozy, homey little cottage that you can carry on your back: a place all your own, wherever you go, have what you need. So I bought bags--lots of them. I always kept my eyes open, looking for a newer unique one: more space on the inside while taking up less space on the outside. Slick builds, tactical aesthetics, convenient functionality. It was an insatiable hobby.
At least until I stumbled upon the MYOG community, I was awestruck to learn that there are people who actually make their own backpacks, bags, tents, tarps, and clothes…and not just simple little raggedy cotton doll clothes either--but real, heavy duty, professional-grade outdoor gear…made in their living rooms and garages.
It was then and there that I knew the path I needed to pursue and why I have never been satisfied at any desk job: I have the heart of a maker…but how could I even get started? I didn't know how to sew and I can't really draw…and I don't even have much money for equipment or materials. Nevertheless, I couldn't get this new passion out of my head.
Every moment of free time I was drawn back to the pictures and projects of the MYOG community. Browsing Reddit, envying the skills of veteran users…and then one day I see a post: "Selling MYOG starter pack - $200"
The "starter pack" was exhaustive, to say the least: It contained a Singer Classic sewing machine, cutting mats, cutting tools, rulers, zippers, elastic bands, technical fabrics of all kinds, mesh fabrics, webbings of various sizes, buckles, sliders, needles, clips, bobbins, threads and more!
Everything someone might need to get started in MYOG. Simple, straightforward--and at a massive discount.…and as luck would have it, they're located in Philly. But living on a limited income with a new kid and lots of travel ahead…where would I get $200?
Life finds a way.
After a day or so of sitting bored at my parents’ house, in search of toys for my little daughter, I blew the dust off an old box in the attic. When I opened it and looked down at set #6286 a rush of old memories came flooding back.
My old ship was exactly as I left her—in pristine condition with both her box and instruction manual—both in excellent shape. We had to part ways for good, but this time it was for a greater cause. When I placed her for sale, the bids quickly rolled in and the Skull’s Eye Schooner sold for $300 and change.
The Console Tablet Sling and Tech Organizer is the culmination of four years’ of learning, practicing, prototyping, researching and building; and if you backed this wonderful bag on Kickstarter then I sincerely hope you enjoy it! Know that you are building the foundation of what will grow into a strong and reputable EDC & travel brand.
Big things have small beginnings, but some small beginnings start from big toys.
Carry on,
David
The Carry Supply Co.
