Field Testing Up-Cycled Product: Maui, Hawaii

ARTIFACT No. 112 Tote in Vintage Up-Cycled Awning Material

Product Field Testing: Maui, Hawaii

In celebration of our 20th Wedding Anniversary, Beth and I took our kids to West Maui, Hawaii where we: fished, snorkeled, jet-skied, rode ATV's, hiked, and were continually in and out of the ocean. It was a perfect destination to field test new ARTIFACT products made with vintage up-cycled water resistant materials. 

Up-Cycled Products:

What are "up-cycled" products? Great question! Upcycling is the sustainable reuse of discarded materials in the creation of products of higher value, quality, or utility.

The materials we source for ARTIFACT up-cycled products are remnants recovered from cutting floors and bins slated for the landfill - due to being too small for their intended purpose, or deemed obsolete for their industry. 

Here are the up-cycled ARTIFACT products we field tested on our Maui Trip:

• No. 112 Tote (pic #1) - Upper made with super durable vintage repurposed woven awning material. The bottom is made with vintage repurposed rubberized canvas awning - that gives the tote structure and extra water repellency. It's cotton webbing handles and shoulder straps are light and strong. There's also a loop to hook the bag to a grocery carousel when using as a market tote. Lastly, grommets were added for clipping a carabiner, etc. 
• No. 07 Zip Pouch (pic #3) - Made entirely out of up-cycled vintage rubberized canvas awning material. Great for a toiletry / dopp kit, and securing items you don't want to get wet.
• No. 250 Hip Pack (pic #5) - Made from vintage up-cycled rubberized awning material and mil-spec nylon webbing and hardware. The ocean spray and rain wicks right off! 
• No. 48 Bi-Fold Wallet (pic #7) -  Made from antique NOS (new old stock) repurposed "painted" awning canvas. My wallet got wet on our trip countless times and fortunately this material drys quickly. 

ATV Trek Across a Former Pineapple Plantation 

Play Hard:

Our family rode ATV's though rugged hilly terrain and had to hose everything off by the time we were done. Fortunately, our ARTIFACT up-cycled awning totes, pouches, and wallets were perfectly fine with being spray cleaned. 

  ARTIFACT No.07 Zip Pouch Made w/ Vintage Up-Cycled Rubberized Awning Material

 Snorkeling in Kapalua Bay, West Maui

Exploration of Land & Sea:

Snorkeling was a highlight of our trip. We were fortunate to observe and swim beside sea turtles, octopus, eels, and many gorgeous salt water fish.

Our ARTIFACT No.112 Tote handled our salty wet bathing suits like a champ! We'd rinse off the bag, let it air dry, then use it at the market to transport the freshest tropical fruits we've tasted in a long time! 

 ARTIFACT No.250 Hip Pouch in Vintage Up-Cycled Rubberized Awning Material

Levi Sports a Vintage Rayon Aloha Shirt in West Maui, Hawaii 

No.48 Wallet in Antique Up-Cycled Painted Awning Canvas

Going 2+ Years Strong:

This is a prototype No.48 bi-fold wallet in antique repurposed "painted" awning canvas I've been carrying daily for over two years. On our Maui trip, I appreciated how quickly it dries after getting hit by a surprise ocean waves. 

Giant African Snails in Maui, Hawaii

ARTIFACT's Green Steps:

We have a collection of sustainable products that are made using GOTS certified organic canvas and / or up-cycled materials. Our studio composts or recycled more than 90% of our waste. Our building mechanicals have been converted to high efficiency, and we continually strive to make green choices in our practices whenever possible. Our products are all small batch handmade. Consider subscribing to our newsletter so you are informed when new products are released before they sell out. Thanks for reading!