• Innovate design solutions in new categories of materials, processes, and service: establishing TerraPax as a trusted, service oriented company dedicated to sustainable economic enterprise.

• Design and build functional, durable packs and bags, using a minimum of 90% natural materials.

• Promote sustainable development and sensible use of resources through the acquisition of our materials.

• Educate ourselves, dealers, vendors, customers, and the business community about organic resource issues and industrial ecology.

• Foster compassion in business.

• Continually evaluate our effectiveness in the above categories

At TerraPax we talk a lot about industrial ecology. It isn't a particularly beautiful term, but it has a poetry all its own. It means crafting industry to work like an ecological system - completely in balance, with no waste and total accountability. It means eliminating the hidden costs that toxins and chemicals impart to our air and water. It means doing it right the first time, where all waste must be food for other industry, or for microorganisms. Simply put: no garbage. It's inevitable that companies will be held accountable for every aspect of their products. Not only will this type of thinking become fashionable - it will be cost effective. TerraPax is practicing this concept because business is the most influential means of change; nature the most civilized model for business.

At TerraPax, all of our manufacturing “waste” is collected and is either “food” for microorganisms through composting, or “food” for Green Field Paper Company, which makes sketch books, greeting cards, and paper from the hemp fiber. We also take full responsibility for the materials that make up our finished products. We will purchase the solid brass hardware and fittings from the consumer at the end of the products lifetime for 20% off the price of a new TerraPax product. These materials are so substantial that we can reuse them in new products and eliminate obsolescence.

Synthetic materials used in most 'modern' backpacks and carry bags are derived from petrochemicals that are dyed using heavy metals and are commonly coated with polyurethane, DWR (durable water repellent), and other fabric treatments. Although many of these advances provide great laboratory performance, most are unnecessary for carrying goods and do not enhance the product owners experience. Quite the contrary; when someone purchases an inexpensive synthetic backpack and believes they have received good value, they are not considering the actual costs involved in extracting the raw materials and manufacturing the fabrics and plastics. The true costs are absorbed in our air and water to be paid by rising health risks, deteriorating resources, and quality of our environment. Consumers generally do not consider these costs when purchasing a backpack for a trip to the Sierra. The very product they bring to the wilderness is destroying what they seek to enjoy.

TerraPax materials are selected for their sustainability and minimum dependence on petrochemicals; their ability to be reaped for generations with little or no detrimental effects to the ecosystem. Essentially these are agricultural products that are produced organically. Our hemp shell fabric is as strong as many synthetic nylon fabrics, but doesn't have as many hidden costs associated with it's manufacture. In other words; it will carry your goods effectively through life without taxing the environment. Sure, it may cost a little more than a synthetic bag, but there is nothing to come between you and your outdoor experience. And if our economy is ever adjusted to reflect the true costs of resources, TerraPax products will be one of the least expensive items you can buy.

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Sustainability means taking care of our needs without sacrificing the needs of future generations. With respect to material development and production, this means not adversely effecting the soil, air, or water. The plants that produce our fiber must be grown without agrochemicals that have detrimental effects on the communities and ecosystems that come in contact with them.

Technically speaking nothing is sustainable. Entropy is at work in our environment and eventually takes its toll on every system. Some systems however, require very little in the way of input to keep them producing, or require solar input that is as close to sustainable energy as is available. Agricultural products, when produced organically with ample bio-mass returned to the soil can, in theory, be harvested continually with little long term degradation to conditions or yield. This is what we hope to achieve with respect to our selections of materials.

Because no system is 100% sustainable, additional energy must be added. Restoration is the process of restoring a system to its original state. At TerraPax this means taking responsibility for the entire life cycle of our materials and products. Any TerraPax materials that are not compostable (hence restorative to the earth) will be reused in future production. All we ask is that product owners return their hardware when they would like to retire a bag, and we will put those materials back into production. We will offer the customer a 20% discount on a new TerraPax product for the return of this hardware, essentially purchasing back these materials.

Essentially, we treat everything we are involved with as a system: from the farmers that grow the hemp that becomes our fabric, to the customer in New York who carries our briefcase. Every aspect is connected in some way, and if you want to improve or maintain the system, you must add to it. By using only natural materials we eliminate degradation to the system (sustainable). Adding to it is more subtle, and we do that by purchasing back the hardware from the consumer at the end of the products life. This takes what would be waste, and restores it into the system. The remaining hemp is sent to Green Field Paper Company and used to make paper, notebooks and greeting cards. We also compost our scrap leather and return those nutrients (biomass) to the earth. If we were using synthetic materials we would be producing garbage for the landfills of the world. A TerraPax product will never be garbage. Can you say the same for that day-pack hanging in your closet?

The word organic has taken on multiple meanings in the last several years. Technically, anything that is from the earth could be referred to as organic. Asbestos, oil, uranium, sulfuric acid all occur naturally. Recently the term has been refined to describe not just the origins or treatment of a particular material or food, but the processing and distribution as well. With respect to the food industry, this means everything that comes in contact with the food from soil to shelf.

The Organic Food Act of California established standards for the term organic with respect to food items. Basically stated, the soil for growing organic food must be free from pesticides and agrochemical for three years, or originate as un-farmed pasture. There are strict guidelines for what can be used on the crops during growing and processing. Presently, there are several organizations that offer and maintain certification for following these guidelines (third party certification). At this time there is no regulation for the term organic outside of the food industry.

At TerraPax we do not use the term organic lightly. Not just out of respect for our friends in the organic food industry, but because we feel regulation should be applied to nonfood items, and until such standards are established, we do not wish to misrepresent the term. We apply the standards of the food industry by asking our vendors not to use defoliants, bleach (other than hydrogen peroxide), or agrochemicals during the growing and processing of our materials. Unfortunately we do not have complete control over what these vendors farm as rotation crops and how those crops are treated. By encouraging sustainable harvest techniques and providing a market for organic materials, we are hopeful that this process will increase the awareness of organic agriculture and foster compassion for the land, air, water, and people in the communities we do business with.

The selection of our materials and vendors have been established under the following guidelines:

1. Does the material have any historical significance?
2. Is the origin of the material close to the earth (e.g., minimum processing?)
3. Can the material be returned to the earth (does it produce usable biomes) or continually reused without requiring re-manufacturing?
4. Does the processing of the material encourage a sustainable ecology and economy in the communities where it is developed? Is there educational value in the material production?
5. Does the material meet or exceed performance standards for its application?
6. Is the material beautiful?

Getting usable fiber from the hemp or flax plants requires several processes. The most important operation is called retting. After the plants are fully grown and pulled from the soil they are placed in thin layers over the ground and turned in intervals over time. With exposure to moisture, rain, and dew, various fungi and bacteria enter the stomata of the stems and begin to break down and separate the fibers. After sufficient retting, the fibers are broken apart in a process called scuttching, which is a mechanical smashing of the husks. Scuttching separates the usable fibers from the unusable, and prepares the fibers for carding and spinning into yarn. The yarn is then woven into fabric.

Hemp was at one time the worlds largest agricultural crop, used to produce fiber, fabric, paper, oil, and medicines. It has been speculated that hemp was the earliest known woven fabric, first appearing seven to eight years before Christ.

The Gutenberg bibles and the original American Flag were made from hemp. Hemp was considered an excellent material for artists canvas, and for ships hemp was used to produce not just the sails themselves, but virtually all the rigging, rope, nets, flags and even the sailors clothing. Hemp fabrics could withstand the strong salt air for up to three years while other textiles would start to rot in three months or less.

Linen, often thought of as only for fancy suits and Cuban vacations, is actually a very strong natural fiber that originates from the flax plant. Linen and hemp are similar in structure and can be used interchangeably. Many products originally made from hemp were historically replaced by linen when international pressures mounted in regard to hemp's illicit drug use. The plants are both very hardy with respect to farming, and both can utilize mechanical harvesting techniques and low impact processing. Why use hemp if linen is so practical and available? Well, because of the established linen trade and the politics involved (with respect to international trade), we would be small fish in a big pond with little hope of influencing farmers and processors to establish sustainable techniques. The hemp trade however, has great environmental and historical significance and is fairly nonexistent in the trade market. In short: purchasing hemp from small communities will have a much larger impact on sustainability and global greatness then purchasing linen from the mass world trade that already exists.

Many customers wonder why we use leather on our natural products. It seems that the leather carries some taboo and doesn't qualify as a natural material. Leather has been around for over 190 million years and has evolved into a material with some fantastic properties. After careful inspection we have determined that the most detrimental aspect of the leather industry is the tanning process. By using ecological tanning methods, we have eliminated the biggest problem and are encouraging the leather trade and consumers to recognize this subtle difference. After all, the leather industry isn't going away as long as carnivores walk on two legs, and when comparing the ecosystem of land grazing animals with that of a nylon or rubber factory (or other synthetic leather substitutes), we believe the former is a better alternative.

The leather we use is processed with vegetables and bark, not chrome and heavy metals as found in commercial tanning. Commercial leathers employ chemicals to clean the leather, using chrome and metal to soften it and keep it color fast. TerraPax leather is processed by traditional methods that encourage local commerce, and do not pollute rivers and the ecosystems with heavy metals. We are confident these materials are the best alternatives to synthetics available.

Many alternative product companies are using rain forest rubber and recycled tire rubber as a leather substitute. We have not found these materials to be effective, beautiful, or solve any long term environmental problems. Many of the synthetic leather substitutes require adhesives for their use - something we prefer our staff and customers not be exposed to.

Our solid brass hardware is uncoated and non-electroplated. Most commercial hardware is made from zinc or stamped steel and then electroplated with brass. Solid brass hardware cost more, but it is a beautiful material that will outlast almost all others, and we can reuse it indefinitely. When a customer would like to retire one of our products, we ask that they return the hardware so we can reuse it, and in exchange we provide 20% off a new TerraPax product. The hardware goes directly back into production with no remanufacturing. Its not recycled, it is reclaimed, and there is a difference. Recycling requires additional energy and often additional raw materials. Reclaiming mean using the material in its original form, without alteration, so very little if any energy is required.

Yes, it is true, those little horns are from the antlers of European Stag and American Elk. And no, we do not kill any animals to get their horns. Each fall the stag and elk shed their rack and they are opportunistically collected. The tips are cut from the rack, drilled, and sent to us to make our closures. The horns work very well, are extremely resistant to cracking in cold weather, and can take many direct hits from other horns. Sometimes the horns meet a car door or marble floor that cause them to break. When this happens the folks at TerraPax will be delighted to send a replacement directly to the customer. All or our horn closures are user serviceable to anyone who can tie a knot.

Many customers demand zippers to keep their goods more secure. Unfortunately, there is no ecological alternative to plastic zippers - yet. Until we find one, we will use the most durable, no-fault zippers on selected bag styles.

Why not metal zippers? Because they are often electroplated metal, or are stitched to synthetic tape, and don't work well. They also scratch your hands when you reach into pockets, and if you loose a zipper tooth your zipper will not function. Nylon coil zippers turn corners well, are smooth to the touch, and never seem to fail. So much for the classics when it comes to zippers.

Today's media and marketing are overwhelmed with the buzzword recycling. At TerraPax we try to avoid recycled materials, and recycling itself. Recycling, while a great tool for public awareness about waste issues, does very little to solve overall environmental problems. Most recycling requires remanufacturing which uses additional energy, often requires additional raw materials, and often produces other waste. While recycling does lessen the burden for primary resources, the overall energy savings aren't always that great, and the recycled material integrity is often diminished (waterfall recycling).

PCR fabric for example, is all the rage in the Outdoor industry. This fabric, made from recycled soda bottles looks and feels like the soft fleece fabric. This is not a miracle since the both the original fleece and PCR fleece are made from petrochemicals; one made from raw material, the other material that was once a soda bottle. The problem is that making fabric from the bottles ends the recycling potential of those bottles. They cannot be recycled again, into more fabric or bottles or anything. If the bottles are recycled into bottles, the process could repeat itself. Instead companies have opted for marketing over keeping (however limited) recycling benefits in action.

These issues are complex, and we at TerraPax do not think that we have solved the world's problems by using hemp and linen. Certainly we don't offer a great alternative to latex medical gloves, to plastic syringes, to plastic soda bottles or the ball point pen. There must be a balance with respect to the demands on resources and the appropriate use of those resources. We have found great natural alternatives to synthetic material for carrying your goods through life. We can produce our product in great quantities with growing positive effects on industry and economy. It makes sense to build products such as pack and bags from these materials. There is a direct benefit to their manufacture and use. We cannot say the same about many recycled products, and encourage consumers to be critical of their purchases.

When a TerraPax product reaches the end of its functional life, and the owner would like to retire the product, remove all metal hardware and place the product in active compost or bury in nitrogen rich soil. The TerraPax materials all originated from the earth and will respectively return there. Hardware can be reused by TerraPax, and we would appreciate it being returned to us. Time required for composting varies according to soil and climate conditions.