The HOWDY! brand of durable outdoor and everyday gear is handmade for adventure
When Jared Arter worked as a Chicago bike messenger, he couldn’t always find ready-made gear to help ease the intense job’s demands. To solve the problem, he started making the necessary pieces himself—beginning with a custom hat—after a fellow messenger introduced him to the craft.
“I love art; I love making things. My dad and grandpa both had shops. This was this fusion of color, form, and functionality. I was hooked. I bought a sewing machine and started sewing,” the Travelers Rest resident says, adding that his first backpack followed, along with a special pair of gloves that slid onto the handlebars of his bike to protect his hands from frigid temperatures.
He’s brought those early ideas to HOWDY!, his brand of commuter- and outdoor-friendly bags and accessories. His reference to the pieces as “playgear” began when he started making kids’ backpacks.
Each $10 to $100-plus piece—from a simple wallet and an organizer for carrying an iPad, books, and pens to a day pack, tote, or bike bag—is handmade by Arter in his garage-turned-studio. He also offers classes and kids’ camps, where participants can create their own custom bags.
HOWDY! Design Process
Each new design usually begins with “a demand to carry a thing,” says Arter, whose process includes sketching concepts on paper or his iPad and researching vintage bags and construction techniques before doing “a volume study” to determine the right size and capacity. He then creates prototypes to field-test before ever cutting a pattern to produce multiple items.
Inspired by naturalist writers, Arter crafts each backpack, bag, or accessory with functionality, longevity, and sustainability in mind. “A thing that lasts a long time is good for the planet, but also, more importantly, allows that object to participate in more parts of your life,” he says. “It’s the material and design that dictate the quality of the bag.”
He uses military-spec materials, including recycled waterproof sailcloth and US-made zippers and straps. He carefully considers the placement of each loop, pocket, zipper, and D-ring for keys and adds hooks on some products that allow for an optional cross-body strap. He binds and double-stitches seams, which ensures they will not fray and ultimately wear down a bag.
Seeing a HOWDY! bag “in the wild,” he says, brings joy to the detailed production process. “It is a delightful product to me,” he adds. “The container I made is holding a thing and doing what you intended it to do.”
Playing Outside
Originally from the Midwest, Arter, his wife, and their four sons moved to the Upstate four years ago, after visiting and falling in love with the area’s “inexhaustible number of trails, lakes, mountains, and state parks,” he says. “We love to play outside.”
“There’s the purity of the day,” Arter says of why he enjoys outdoor adventures. “It’s about what we’re doing right now—it’s time to set up the tents; now we’re cooking dinner. Those tasks are so clear and hard. But when you finish them, you get to sit and enjoy the sunset. It’s blissful. Sublime.”
“Bags are cool because you’re reminded of those accomplishments you’ve made,” he adds.
Classic Camping
One of Arter’s favorite spots to explore is Sassafras Mountain, the highest point in South Carolina. “It’s beautiful and right on the state line,” he says. “From there, the Foothills Trail heads towards Table Rock. If you hike three-quarters of a mile on that trail, there’s the most incredible campsite in the Upstate—the old Cantrell Homestead. It’s from the early 1800s and is in ruins, but the stones have [been formed into] this fire pit with Adirondack-style recliners. The campsite can hold ten tents, and there are no reservations. You just backpack in.”
Arter sells HOWDY! gear online via shophowdy.com (email newsletters announce new releases) and at the Travelers Rest Farmers Market (Saturday mornings, May–Sept at Trailblazer Park, 235 Trailblazer Dr.). From September 12–14, he’ll exhibit at the Indie Craft Parade.
To learn more about HOWDY!, follow @howdy_playgear on Instagram.
