💥 Why Your Backpack Costs More (And Why It Should)

Let’s be real.
About 90% of the gear we’re up against comes from massive overseas factories pumping out tactical-looking packs made for photos—not for real-world survival.

You’ve probably seen it:
$89.95 for a backpack with MOLLE everywhere, too many zippers, and “tactical” in the name. It looks like a good deal.

But when your gear fails in the field, you’ll wish you asked one question sooner:

What’s it really made of—and who made it?

Here’s the breakdown.

💸 The Dirty Secret: That Cheap Pack Cost Them $18 to Make

We’re not kidding.
A pack that sells for $120–$150 probably cost the brand less than $20 to manufacture overseas.

• Stitching done at volume by underpaid labor

• Nylon that’s not Cordura, but looks close enough in photos

• Hardware that cracks under pressure

• Zero field testing—just flashy marketing

And here’s the kicker…

They can run a 50% OFF SALE—drop that $150 pack to $75—and still more than double their money.
Because when your cost is only $18, you’ve got room to pretend you’re giving customers a deal while raking in profit.

👉 That’s not a business model built around reliability or readiness.
That’s a race to the bottom, and they’re dragging the whole gear market with them.

📉 CALLOUT: Follow the Math

Description	Amount
Overseas COGS	$18
Full Retail Price	$150
50% Off Sale Price	$75
Profit Even on Sale	$57

That’s still a 317% markup.
And the buyer thinks they scored a deal.

🏟️ What It Costs to Make a Real Pack in America

Let’s take one of our mid-sized packs—like the Grassman or the Mothman. There’s no magic trick here—just good materials, honest wages, and real craftsmanship:

•  Berry-compliant Cordura sourced from U.S. mills

• 🧵 Stitchers who earn a living wage, not $2 a day

• 🛠️ Hardware rated for real-world use—not toy-grade

• 🏫 Built in small U.S. shops that still pay taxes and support local communities

• ✅ Field-tested by military, medics, and adventurers—not just photo models

Our cost to build it? $95–$265, depending on features and batch size.
Theirs? Around $18.

And here’s the wild part:
Even with added tariffs on imports, those foreign-made packs still land cheaper than anything built right here in the U.S.

We don’t pay import tariffs—that's the upside of building it at home—but even if you taxed that $18 pack at 25%, you’re still looking at a $22.50 landed cost. That’s still less than half of what it takes to build a truly durable, field-ready, American-made pack.

But let’s be clear: they’re not even in the same league when it comes to strength, comfort, or long-term performance.

📊 Why Our Price Feels Higher—But Isn’t

You might see our packs at $175 or $225 and think, “Dang, that’s a lot.”

But consider this:

	Overseas Brand	Squatch Survival Gear
COGS	$18	$95
MSRP	$139	$195
Made in USA?	❌	✅
Warrantied?	Sometimes	Always
Comfortable under load?	No	Absolutely
Will it last 10+ years?	Nope	Probably longer than your knees

We're not inflating prices for fun. We're aiming for the lowest sustainable profit, not a Silicon Valley IPO. Trust us  the target just keeps moving on us.

⚠️ Why This Matters to You

Because when the grid goes down, the trail gets rough, or you're carrying a med kit to help someone in need, your gear better not quit before you do.

• Inferior packs tear at the worst times.

• Their seams give under pressure.

• Their buckles snap when frozen.

• Their padding flattens faster than cheap boots.

When your life—or someone else’s — is on the line, do you want to find out your gear was built for Instagram, not impact?

🔧 How You Help When You Buy American-Made Gear

When you choose Squatch Survival Gear, you’re not just getting a pack that won’t quit on you. You’re making a real impact—right here at home.

Here’s what your purchase supports:

• American jobs – From the stitchers to the shippers, you're helping skilled workers earn a living wage and feed their families.

•  Small-batch U.S. manufacturing – Every pack is cut, sewn, and built in American workshops—not giant overseas factories. This work is rebuilding a near-dead infrastructure, reviving a nearly extinct industry, and breathing new life into a fading trade.

•  Fair labor, not forced labor – We don’t rely on exploited labor. We build gear the right way, even when it’s slower and more expensive.

• 🛠️ Sustainable profit, not mass markup – We’re not here to squeeze every dollar—we’re here to build gear that lasts and support people doing meaningful work.

• Veteran-owned values – Your money stays with people who’ve served and who still serve in new ways—by making gear that can save lives.

Every time you buy from us, you’re casting a vote: for American manufacturing, fair wages, field-tested gear, and a better future for the next generation of wildland medics, veterans, and adventurers.

You’re not just buying gear.
You’re keeping real people working—and real quality alive.

You’re not just buying a backpack—you’re backing a movement to bring manufacturing home, to build things that last, and to support American jobs.

🧍️ What Squatch Stands For

We're not just making gear. We're fighting back.

• Against cheap disposable survival culture

• Against brands that hide behind slick marketing

• Against the idea that "good enough" is good enough

We make gear you can trust, gear you can repair, and gear that carries your mission forward.

 

💪 Final Thought

If all you want is something that looks tactical—Amazon’s got you covered.

But if you want something built by real people, tested in real conditions, and ready for real life—
Squatch Survival Gear is your tribe.