SALKAN x ILLWOOKIE
July 23, 2022
Check out our collab with Brighton-based artist, Will Richards A.K.A ILLWOOKIE and buy the one-of-a-kind backpack that he made for us.
2019 – A Big Year for us
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As we are looking ahead and putting 2020’s plans into action, we’ve taken a look back at what a big year 2019 was for us.
January: Time to hit the road...
Factory finding was at the top our agenda and Will’s first time in China saw us head to factories on the southern coast in search of a manufacturing partner. Then on to Vietnam to visit more factories which is where we found some success. Vietnam is one of our favourite places to visit and it was so good to get some travelling done as we had spent so much of 2018 refining the design of The Backpacker in the UK.
March: The Campervan
Dreams of summer camping and adventures got our juices flowing and we decided to buy an old camper so we could get out there and explore, needless to say, it was a bit of a ‘fixer-upper’. We had so much going on with all the samples we had to wait until we had a spare week or two to give the van a lick of paint and some TLC. Didn’t stop us taking it up to The Isle of Mull or the South Downs for a few long weekends exploring.
May - Sample, Sample and more Samples
Our first samples arriving from Vietnam was an exciting time. The feeling of getting our hands on the product that we’d been designing for so long was a special moment. The work didn’t stop there though – we needed to test, develop and make changes. After many weeks of sampling, back and forth with the factory, we edged closer to our final sample and design. The Backpacker was almost born.
July - The Final Sample
Choosing fabric colour was always going to be a big decision as we were releasing the product with one colour-way option. When our final sample arrived with the stone grey colour contrasting with our burnt orange lining we couldn’t have been happier with the outcome.
August - All in the details
Our final sample arrived at the end of July but a few details were missing before production could begin. All of our final trims, fixtures and labels had to be decided before we gave the factory the ok to start production. Details are so important to us as they take a good product to a great one. Once this was done – production in Vietnam began.
September - Van Life
After giving the factory the ok to start production it gave us a little time to get out of the office and give the van a little Salkan makeover. We have some big plans for the van in 2020 – watch this space to see where we will be taking the van on its next adventure
October - Lights, Camera ...
Our final production samples arrived and it was time to get our creative juices flowing. Learning the ropes of photo-shoots, both in the field and the studio. We gathered a great team of friends to help us out. We even managed to squeeze in a three-day trip to Vietnam to do our final a quality control check before the bags left the factory before heading back to get ready for what November held. October was a busy one.
November - Salkan Launch Party
It was time to let our hair down (including Tom). Canopy beer sent us some drink and joined us for our pre-sale launch and we had such a great turn-out. Our mates Gorn and Teg’s spun some tunes and it was the first time our friends, family and Salkan followers could get their hands on the bag and celebrate the beginning of Salkan.
December - Finishing on a high
We finished the year off on a high, our products arriving in the container was a real milestone for us. Great to see so many orders go out for all the customers who had pre-ordered. Now we can’t wait to see where all the bags end up and what adventures they go on. Exciting things to come in the year ahead.
The Scuba Guide
July 12, 2022
Dive into our Co-founder, Tom’s Guide to his top scuba spots around the world.
The Craft of Travel
March 2, 2022
Travel doesn’t have to stop when you make it home, there is always room in your bag to bring that something special to remind you of your last trip.
