A new collab between Flylow and Freerange Studios brings new life to your old ski jacket.
At some point, even the best made ski jackets and pants come to the end of their life. You can repair and patch and re-waterproof for years to keep them going strong, but eventually, the day will come when it’s time to say goodbye, old friend. (When that day comes, we’ll take your old stuff! Check out our Leftover Land to learn more.)
When a skier, mountain biker, and sewing enthusiast from Quebec, Canada, named Gabrielle St-Arnaud set out to sew her own mountain bike hip pack, she started by buying new fabric. But when a friend gave her a ripped Flylow jacket, she thought, I should use this instead. “There are enough new things in the world,” St-Arnaud says. “And this saves that fabric from ending up in the trash.”
We heard about what she was doing and sent St-Arnaud a box of used gear and discarded fabric samples to get crafty with. Now, St-Arnaud runs an Etsy shop called Freerange Studio, where she sells small-batch, handmade mountain bike hip packs stitched from upcycled Flylow fabric. Because it comes from ski jackets and pants, the fabric is durable and waterproof but light enough to carry on a long ride. A portion of the sales of each pack goes to benefit Little Bellas, a Vermont-based nonprofit organization that provides access to mountain biking for young girls all over the country.
Old ski jacket, now reincarnated as your new favorite MTB hip belt. (Photo credit: Ian Prescott Smith)
“I had tried a ton of hip belt bags on,” she says. “They’re always black or tan and boring. There’s not enough room for all my stuff. And they’re really expensive. I figured I could make my own to solve those problems.”
St-Arnaud designed the pattern for her hip pack herself. She made it big enough to store all the gear—tools, layers, snacks—she needs for long rides, including a water bottle on each side. It’s got a sturdy adjustable waist belt, a clasping buckle, and interior pockets. The pack stays put and doesn’t ride up. Each pack looks unique—no two are the same.
When she’s not working her day job as a product developer in the tech industry or out skiing or biking, St-Arnaud loves to sew. Her dad was a sailor and used to sew his own sails, so when she was 10, he gifted her a sewing machine and taught her how to use it. She’s been making her own clothes and outdoor gear ever since. “It’s a flow state activity for me,” she says. “It’s nice to make something real when you spend all day on the computer making things that aren’t real.”
Gabrielle St-Arnaud in her happy places.
We love the idea that old jackets and bibs that have lived a good, long life in the winter are now getting a second life as a mountain bike essential. St-Arnaud says she often thinks about where the fabric has been and what its story is. “The fabric is sometimes ripped and damaged and I wonder, who traded this in? Where did they ski with this? What was their best day in this gear?” she says. “It’s like a rescue dog—you just want their backstory.”
This product is part of Flylow's Good Lab program, unique collaborations with organizations and individuals that aim to give back to our communities and environments. You can shop for the bags on Freerange Studio's Etsy shop.