When the mountains are on your mind, make your gear easier to find. Mountain Tote for the W-I-N! Hart Van Denburg, is the sewer/maker behind Missoula-based Oso Y Oro Goods. He is also a telemark skier with a penchant for upcycling and a cute dog. Match made in heaven? We thought so! Designed and sewn out of retired TREW outerwear, and repurposed for a next life out on snow, we could not be more excited to debut Hart's first collection for the TREW Afterlife.... Meet, THE MOUNTAIN TOTE Coming in at ~35 Liters the Mountain Tote is your go to companion to carry gear for a day on the mountain, stocking up on groceries for the week, and everything in between. Gone are the days of fumbling ski boots, helmets, layers and snacks on your way out the door. The Mountain Tote consolidates all the gear into one, all while styling a one-of-a-kind design built with recycled TREW Afterlife gear! Each Mountain Tote features unique external stash pockets for snacks and smaller items. Along with the upcycled Afterlife garments, the Mountain Tote is built with a burly 1680 Ballistic bottom for durability and bright 200D lining for visual clarity, both constructed with recycled materials. Throw it all in the tote and go! Meet Hart.... Tell us about yourself! I've always been interested in creating and building things, after opting out of engineering and getting a degree in graphic design I came to the realization that staring at a computer isn’t for me but I wanted to incorporate my design skills into something functional. I discovered sewing in 2019 while working for a van conversion company. I apprenticed under a former employee of Dana Designs and Mystery Ranch, and quickly discovered making gear is what I wanted to pursue. Life right now is in Missoula, a town with great access to all that Montana has to offer. Mountain biking, rafting, hiking with my dog Bear in the summer, backcountry skiing in the winter, and making gear in between! What was the most fun thing about making a product out of recycled TREW gear….. The pockets! It was really fun to incorporate pockets from jackets and pants into usable pockets on the Mountain Totes. The Afterlife is something I really admire that TREW is doing. Not only is it a great way to upcycle worn gear, it also gives the maker an extra aspect of creativity. Deciding how to chop up the outerwear, what parts to use, what colors to incorporate. It was a fun process. Preferred mode of mountain travel? Telemark Skiing. Go-To Mountain Snack? Cheese.
