TUFA / Craftsmanship / Kalispell, Montana
A lifetime of learning.
In every stitch.
Every TUFA product carries the knowledge of the people I’ve learned from, the thousands of bags I’ve built, and a question that has driven me from the beginning: how much better could this get?
01 / The beginningA desire to make things
The second one was better.
I always wanted to be a craftsman. Growing up, I spent time in my friend’s grandfather’s workshop making bows, arrows, and whatever else we could dream up. I loved well-made things, and I wanted to understand how to make them myself. Eventually, that curiosity became a dream of designing outdoor gear.
After a trip to Yosemite, I made my first chalk bag. It was rough. But the second was so much better than the first, and the third was so much better than the second. That progression hooked me. Every finished piece showed me something I could improve in the next.
02 / Early mentorshipJeff Shapiro
Seeing what a small studio could do.
Early in TUFA’s life, I was mentored by Jeff Shapiro, a world-class hang glider, professional athlete, and designer who built the highest performance full-body flying harnesses in his home studio.
Walking into that space was inspiring. Jeff was creating equipment at an extraordinary level with his own hands. He helped me learn to sew properly and how to think about design. He showed me what was possible when the person using the equipment was also deeply involved in making it.
03 / The foundationMystery Ranch
Bozeman, Montana · 2013
Where I learned
to build a pack.
My most formative experience as a craftsman was working at Mystery Ranch. In 2013, I joined a thriving American production floor with decades of pack-building knowledge behind it. For someone who wanted to build exceptional backpacks, it was an extraordinary place to learn.
I did production sewing and stack cutting for both the production floor and the sample room. Much of my work involved custom military assault packs, including projects for Australian and Italian special forces.
These were products intended for environments where equipment failure could have serious consequences. Building them required discipline: tried-and-true sewing techniques, consistent execution, and an understanding of how every part of a pack contributes to the whole.
That knowledge came through the work itself. Cutting production materials. Sewing demanding assemblies. Repeating the process until good technique became habit. I was learning from an accumulated body of experience far greater than anything I could have developed alone.
Mystery Ranch gave me the foundation I still build on today. It shaped my standards for construction and my understanding of the responsibility that comes with making equipment someone will depend on.
The lessons from that production floor are present in every TUFA pack I make.
04 / Equipment with consequencesD4 Big Wall Gear
Learning from life on the wall.
At D4 Big Wall Gear, I was mentored by John Middendorf, a pioneering climbing-equipment designer whose work shaped modern expedition portaledges.
That experience deepened my understanding of suspension systems and the construction techniques used in equipment people depend on high above the ground. It demanded careful attention to how a sewn product carries load and how its individual components work together.
05 / Materials & developmentChallenge Sailcloth
Understanding the fabric.
Refining the construction.
Working at Challenge Sailcloth expanded my view of what was possible. I visited studios and designers across the country and spent time learning from Richard Siberell who worked in advanced research and development at Patagonia.
I learned from the way they developed and tested specific construction techniques and stitch patterns. Small construction details could be studied, tested, and refined. A material’s potential depended on understanding how to work with it.
That experience brought materials and craftsmanship closer together in my own work. Choosing an exceptional textile is one part of the process. Knowing how to turn it into a well-built product is another.
06 / Bringing it homeThe TUFA studio
One maker. The whole process.
Throughout this journey, I kept building TUFA. Every new experience gave me something to bring back to my own designs. Thousands of bags and backpacks later, with extensive mileage in the field, that process is still moving forward.
Today, design, patterning, cutting, and sewing come together in my Kalispell studio. When I see an opportunity to improve a product, I can work directly with the pattern, the material, and the machine. The knowledge gained while building feeds straight back into the design.
That close connection is central to TUFA. I take responsibility for both the idea and its execution, all the way to the finished piece.
What goes into the price
The value is in the work.
A TUFA product’s price reflects premium materials, skilled hands-on labor, and the time it takes to build in a small Montana studio. It also reflects the experience behind the decisions: how a design comes together, how a material is handled, and how the finished product serves its purpose.
Practiced construction
Techniques learned through military pack production, big-wall equipment, and thousands of completed pieces guide the work at the sewing machine.
Considered materials
Technical textiles and components are selected with an understanding of their properties and the construction methods needed to put them to use.
Direct accountability
The person who designs your gear also builds it. That continuity keeps decisions, improvements, and responsibility close to the finished product.
My ambition has always been to become a truly world-class craftsman and make TUFA known for the quality of its work. I keep pursuing that ambition the same way I started: building, learning, and making the next piece better.
Josh KornishFounder & Craftsman, TUFA