Canteen Straw Kits are part of the Gearhandle Brands family of products. But the story behind how they came to be started long before the first Canteen Straw Kit was ever made.
In 1997, at just 21 years old, my life changed forever. I was injured by a drunk driver and became a C5-C6 quadriplegic. In an instant, I went from being independent to depending on others for almost everything.
For several years, I struggled with depression and figuring out what my life would look like. Eventually, I decided it was time to stop focusing on what I had lost and start looking at what I could still create.
So, I started designing.
With my military background, business experience, and a natural tendency to look for solutions to everyday problems, I began developing ideas and products. In 2001, I turned one of those ideas into a business.
My first product was PBWaterpod, a hydration system created for scenario paintball. After designing, prototyping, testing, and listening to customers, the product was successful, but it created another problem that needed to be solved.
PBWaterpod needed a drink tube so players could stay hydrated without lifting their paintball mask while on the field.
After adding a drink tube, I discovered another problem. In hot weather, the water inside the tube became hot. In cold weather, the tube became uncomfortably cold.
I searched for a simple solution and couldn't find one.
So I set out to make an insulated tube cover.
That idea became Hydration Tube Covers and eventually grew into Gearhandle Brands. A collection of products created around hydration, insulation, military gear, and solving problems that often go overlooked.
Today, Canteen Straw Kits are part of the Gearhandle Brands family of products. What started with one person trying to solve a problem has grown into products such as Hydration Tube Covers, Canteen Straw Kits, PBWaterpod, Drink Tube Lanyard Clips, Camo Drink Tube Sleeves, Race Car Insulation Covers, Bladder Insulators, and Military Cat Eyes.
We're still a small, hands-on business, and that's something I'm proud of. Every product starts with the same philosophy:
Identify a problem. Find a better way. Build it.
What began as a journey to rebuild my own life became a journey of creating products to make someone else's life a little easier.
That's the story behind Canteen Straw Kits and Gearhandle Brands.
