If you’re wearing one of our bags at the moment, chances are high that your bag is kept in place safely by a pair of Kong carabiners - the M-CLIP SET A. Our newest range of clips comes detailed with our 'PACKBAGS' logo engraved.
Made by climbers for climbers in Italy, KONG supplies us with these high-quality carabiners to assemble our bags and guarantee you the highest quality. That way we aim to offer you a longer-lasting product instead of asking you to buy a new one.
Kong's story begins in 1830 when the first traces of the Bonaiti founder family’s factories for drawing mills can be found in local Italian records. Things went well and the business grew quickly, enabling Bonaiti to expand into other fields of metal processing. In the 1950s, “Giuseppe e Fratelli Bonaiti S.p.a.” first started producing steel carabiners used for mountaineering. At this time, also the first D-shaped carabiner for climbing was created with Giuseppe e Fratelli Bonaiti S.p.a. remaining the only domestic producer in the sector until 1986. The growing demand for carabiners and enthusiasm for mountaineering then led to the birth of Kong. In 1977, the Bonaitis restructured their company’s focus and changed the name to “Kong” to create a recognizable brand. Ever since, their expertise in creating durable, high-quality equipment enabling people to follow their passion for exploring and roaming the mountains only grew and many new products have been introduced to their palette. And while many things changed in the long history of Bonaiti and Kong, three things remained: The quality of product, Kong’s ties to its birthplace in the Italian Alps, and their pride to be “Made in Italy”.
To give you a better idea of what the company supplying your favorite bag with the M-CLIP SET A is all about, we had a chat with our spokesperson at Kong, Enrico, about working together with PACKBAGS. When asked what made PACKBAGS stand out to them, Enrico, quickly described how they “loved PACKBAGS’ products and their circular design! At Kong, we pay great attention to environmental issues and we like to find partners with the same approach”.
Similar to PACKBAGS, Kong stands by its European roots. And just as proud as we are to mostly produce in our studio in Amsterdam, NL, Enrico explained to us what made Kong stick to its Italian roots in Monte Marenzo throughout the years: "Our President Marco Bonaiti made the right decision to keep production in Italy more than 30 years ago. Obviously, for years we have had to face the competition with more competitive prices but in the long run, this has paid off. Today, with the supply crisis from non-EU countries, we are even more convinced that it was a far-sighted choice that makes us very competitive in such an uncertain market".
As a follow-up question on what it means for Kong to be “Made in Europe”, he replied that (even) “more than “Made in Europe”, at Kong they are proud to say “Made in Italy”! “Almost all of our products are made in Italy with the use of local raw materials. This is also a form of ecology, less transport means less pollution. Despite having a global approach, we are strongly linked to our roots in Monte Marenzo, Italy, and try to enhance this as much as possible”.
Enrico left our chat by again underlining that what stood out to Kong was PACKBAGS’ simple but refined, modular design and circular use of materials from the outdoor field, resulting in a shared passion for our environment. That made it an easy choice for Kong to work together with PACKBAGS!
This has been the story of Kong Italy x PACKBAGS, and what resonates the most with us after speaking to Enrico is that Kong, just like us, is trying to ensure sustainability through the quality and longevity of its products. Sourced regional, production ways are kept short and workers are treated with fair conditions. The identification with our origins and a shared passion for what we do connects Kong with PACKBAGS and we think it stands as a great example of how each company can play a part in rethinking and reshaping our current consumer culture for the better.
No one is perfect but being aware of the issues in production flows and consumption is an important first step for us! We believe that by sharing our story with you, we can create an honest dialogue about where your product is coming from, what is going well, and what still needs improvement!
Thank you for your attention - Get excited about our next “PACKBAGS x FIELD TRIP” where we look to introduce to you another great partner of ours. Because we know that you care.
Until next time, stay modular, and enjoy your PACKBAGS item everywhere you go!
PS: If you liked this piece and want more information on where your PACKBAGS item is coming from, stay in the loop for further Blog Posts and News on our partnering companies! We'd love to keep you informed on our progress to rethink consumer culture & become more and more circular.
Sign up for our PACK-LETTERS here.