Camper came into our lives in December 2019 in San Diego. Same birthday as my wife Ashley. From day one, he was the third member of the household.

Trail runs. Hikes. Long road trips across the West. Camper came on all of it. I obsessed over my own gear — boots, packs, shells, the whole kit. The leash? Whatever was at the pet store.

Why doesn't my dog's gear get the same attention as mine? I asked it on a bikepacking trip across Colorado, July 4th, 2023. By the time I got home, I'd committed. I bought a sewing machine that week.

For two years I built every leash by hand — late nights in the garage, my mom clipping stitches beside me. In January 2025 I got laid off from my day job. So I went all in. Ash and I moved back to California. I can't sew every leash anymore, so I hand-pick the manufacturers who do. Same standard, every time.