I wish I could start every single product review blog on this site with the same opening sentence over and over again. I don’t think anyone realizes just how many pieces of gear, tech, clothes, gels, creams, and whatever else could possibly be manufactured in the world that actually comes across my desk at Men’s Fitness. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing perk, but at the same time, I’ve got to share my honest opinion. Typically I’ll only cover something if I like it. And if it’s crap, well, I won’t do anything. And then other times it just gets lost in the sea of stuff. Or, to be completely transparent. Don’t have anything interesting to say. For example. Those are some cool shoes. I like how they look. They feel nice on my feet. And it’s cool they are new. I got nothing else.
Alright, well enough of my time wasting rants, this particular piece should be on a pretty cool brand called RAREFORM. They reached out to me in the beginning of the summer after my release of a story with surf legends Tom Carroll and Richie Lovett.
Long story short, they up cycle bags and accessories out of old billboard advertisements.
February 17, 2017 Update: Brothers and co-founders Alec and Aric Avedissian will be pitching their brand to the investors of ABC’s Shark Tank in the eighth season episode airing March 3, 2017 at 8PM.
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That urge to drop everything, pack an overnight bag and get the hell out of dodge can come on hard. And it’s an awfully tough bug to kick, unless of course, you execute. Come on, you know what we’re talking about.
Now, after you’ve finally figured out a way to fanagel an extra day or two out of work, lined up your flights perfectly to maximize your time, and have a solid internal intinerary for yourself, it’s time to pack it up. But you’re obviously not going on a business trip here, so the standard suitcase is a lame option, and one of those wheelie things, let’s not even go there. You need something with some chill factor. Something that actually makes a statement that you’re just doing you right now and there’s not a worry in the world.
This is where a RAREFORM light duffle bag comes into play. Not only are the bags lightweight, waterproof, compact, resonably priced ($39.95), and loaded with unique color options; after hearing a bit behind the story of the brand you’ll feel even better about your decision to rock it.
RAREFORM co-founder Alec Avedissian also got that urge like many of us, but his urge wasn’t just to get out of town for a while. He completely walked away from corporate America to travel through South America on a six-month surf trip to decompress and reinspire himself. In the process, and while teaming up with his brother (and co-founder Aric). The Avedissian’s seeked for a new way to do business and to find a way to reduce waste in the world. Shortly thereafter, he began heavily pursuing the concept of transforming old billboard advertisements into bags by way of “upcycling”.
Did you know that there are about 600,000 tons of billboard waste annually? Yeah, that’s a lot of ads. Well, RAREFORM takes about 10,000 pounds of it monthly, gets it to their California-based factories and begins the process of turning Honest Abe’s Used Car Dealership ads into fun, eco-friendly, and functional fashion statements. And what’s even cooler is that fact that every single piece is 100% unique. Stoked on that. You better believe RAREFORM‘s light duffle is one of our go-to’s for getting outa town.
RAREFORM is in over 250 retail locations include REI, Whole Foods, and Patagonia. And the brand isn’t just about bags, they also manufacture cool accessories such as laptop sleeves, wallets, surf bags, and more. RAREFORM is also donates 1% of it’s sale(s) to charity. Visit RAREFORM.com
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