- 58 minutes 40 secondsSewing EVERYTHING For a Thru Hike
Any project is a serious undertaking—but sewing everything for your thru-hike is next level. That’s exactly what Eliza did for the CDT. She breaks down what it actually takes to design, sew, and trust a full 15-piece kit when failure isn’t really an option.
In this episode:
- Where to start when you want to make something big
- Why the failed prototype helped in the long run
- How Eliza approached fabric selection
- What she did this project for
Listen in to get inspired and see where your next build can take you.
Guest:
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www.ripstopbytheroll.com6 May 2026, 8:00 am - 1 hour 39 minutesHow to Think Like a Product Developer
The line between professional gear and great DIY gear is hard to define. Instead of guessing, we brought in a pro. A product developer with Patagonia and Yeti experience breaks down what actually matters and what makers can learn from the big companies.
In This Episode, We Cover:
- The real difference between product design and product development—and why it matters for makers / cottage companies
- How big companies turn rough ideas into finished products (and what you can steal from that process)
- Simple ways to define your project upfront so you don’t get stuck, overbuild, or lose direction
- How to handle feedback, check your ego, and iterate like a pro without burning out your creativity
Listen in and start building with more clarity, confidence, and intention before you even sit down at the machine.
Guest:
Kyle Rogers - Project Waterloo, LinkedIn
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www.ripstopbytheroll.com22 April 2026, 8:00 am - 1 hour 14 minutesWhy Your Projects Look Worse Than They Really Are
Stop rushing your photos and start making your gear look as good as it actually is. Cinematographer and maker Chris Ellison breaks down how to think about composition, environment, and presentation so your projects hit differently the moment people see them.
In This Episode, We Cover:
- Why most maker photos fall flat—and the simple shift that instantly improves them
- How to use environment, framing, and depth to make your gear the clear focal point
- Practical tricks like stuffing, shaping, and staging your bags so they photograph clean and intentional
- How real-world use, travel, and feedback loops shape better design (and better visuals) over time
Listen in and start taking photos (and making gear) that actually do your work justice.
Explore Ellison Handmade:
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www.ripstopbytheroll.com8 April 2026, 8:00 am - 1 hour 17 minutes5 (non-sewing) Habits That Make You a Better Maker
Not every upgrade happens at the sewing machine. If you’ve ever felt stuck, burned out, or unsure why your work isn’t improving, this episode breaks down the mindset shifts that actually move you forward.
Filip Raboch joins us to share what he’s learned building custom gear at a high level. Listen so you can avoid the common traps and start making smarter, more intentional decisions in your own process.
- Why identifying a specific use is most important
- How to say no and why you have to
- The hidden reality of being a custom gear maker for a living
Guest:
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www.ripstopbytheroll.com25 March 2026, 5:00 pm - 1 hour 15 minutesYour Guide to Working with Foam
Foam might not be the flashiest material in gear making, but it’s responsible for some of the biggest performance upgrades in your packs and bags. In this episode, we break down how experienced makers actually use foam. Covering real techniques, hard-earned lessons, and the small tricks that make projects come out better.
In This Episode, We Cover:
- When and why to add foam to a project—from shoulder straps and back panels to laptop sleeves and structured bags
- How thickness, density, and foam type change comfort, structure, and sewability in real builds
- Practical techniques for cutting, shaping, ventilating, and installing foam cleanly in your projects
- Maker-tested tips for working with foam on home machines, avoiding common mistakes, and getting better results the first time
If you’ve ever struggled with straps, structure, or padding in your projects, this episode will change the way you do your next build.
Guests:
Products:
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www.ripstopbytheroll.com11 March 2026, 8:00 am - 56 minutes 52 secondsWhat makes KAI scissors so good?
If you're still using the closest scissors to your machine - you need this episode. We sit down with Kai Scissors for a deep, no-fluff breakdown of what serious makers actually need to know about cutting tools. From steel and geometry to maintenance habits that pros swear by.
Listen to the episode to get a 20% off discount for ROTR listeners.
In This Episode, We Cover:
- Why premium scissors will radicalize your cutting experience
- How to choose the right size, style, or serration for technical fabrics, tight work, or heavy-duty materials
- The secret maintenance tips you won't find on reddit
- When rotary cutters, specialty blades, or niche tools outperform traditional scissors
🛒 Shop Kai Scissors and all of our newest products
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www.ripstopbytheroll.com25 February 2026, 9:00 am - 1 hour 23 minutesHow New Fabrics Come to Life
Ever wonder what actually happens before a fabric hits the shop? In this episode, we sit down with RBTR's own Carter Holland to pull back the curtain on product decisions, failures, tradeoffs, and future releases you won’t hear about anywhere else.
- How fabric ideas really get approved or quietly killed before they ever reach your sewing table
- What goes wrong during development and testing and why some “almost launched” materials never see the light of day
- The unspoken constraints of cost, MOQ, timing, and quality that shape every product we release
- Early insight into upcoming fabrics and categories that will define what makers are building next
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www.ripstopbytheroll.com11 February 2026, 9:00 am - 1 hour 9 minutesThe Hidden Power of Tailoring in Technical Gear
Traditional tailoring might seem worlds away from technical gear—but the principles are the same. In this episode, Alasdair Leighton-Crawford of Cimoro shares how skills learned on Savile Row translate directly into better-fitting apparel, smarter pack design, and more intentional making.
We talk about:
- Why tailoring is one of the fastest ways to truly understand fit
- How athletic thinking and craft obsession shape better gear
- What most makers overlook when designing packs and apparel
- Balancing bespoke work, scalability, and running a small business
- Why making by hand still matters in an age of automation and AI
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www.ripstopbytheroll.com28 January 2026, 9:00 am - 1 hour 50 minutesWhat Factories Teach Us About Better Making | Douglas Davidson is Back!
Factories aren’t just about scale—they’re classrooms for better design, smarter workflows, and more durable products. In this episode, Douglas Davidson shares lessons from global manufacturing floors and explains how makers at any level can apply factory thinking to make better gear, whether sewing at home or building for production.
Announcements:
Guest Links:
- Douglas Davidson | Canvas Worker & The Brown Buffalo
- Holubar Mountaineering backpack
- Bruce Johnson - History of Gear
- Hiroshi fujiwara (Goodenough)
- Dan Green, Arcteryx VP of Design
- Wilson bag factory
Clarification: Douglas mentions Pungkook as having 100,000 employees in the episode. In the flow of the conversation, that number got mixed up. He meant to say 10,000 employees.
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www.ripstopbytheroll.com14 January 2026, 9:00 am - 4 minutes 37 secondsThis episode will never see the light of day...
Let us know what you want out of the podcast for 2026. Email us: [email protected]
Sadly, the episode that was planned for this week had a technical problem and was lost entirely. We're bummed because this was going to be a fun episode. After only missing one week over the 5 years we've been running the show, we suppose it was bound to happen eventually.
Don't worry, we have exciting episodes planned for 2026 and you can expect to hear from us on a regular basis once again.
Thanks for our best year of podcasting!
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www.ripstopbytheroll.com31 December 2025, 9:00 am - 1 hour 59 minutesBuilt by hand, Designed for scale
How our guest went from weekend prototypes to leading design work at The North Face, Nike, and Burton. This episode traces what it really takes to get great at designing gear. You’ll hear practical insights on materials, overseas factories, and the decisions that shape products you trust.
Guest: Douglas Davidson of Canvas Worker and The Brown Buffalo
Factories Mentioned:
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www.ripstopbytheroll.com17 December 2025, 9:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App