The RUX product is sometimes hard to explain to people. Is it a bag? Is it a box? Why is it so much more expensive than my $15 plastic tote?
We go to great lengths to communicate RUX features and benefits via our website content, our social media posts, and much more. In the end though, ya really just have to get your hands on one, take it on a trip, and understand the value while pushing your gear to the limit.
I’m a firm believer in RUX. Not only do I work for the company, but I live and breathe the product on my adventures away from work, whether that’s ski trips with the crew, or a family camping trip to our favourite spot. Still, the naysayers get me down. Is a RUX 70L better than a plastic tote? Is it worth the extra expense? Will it really make my adventure experiences that much better?
Those nagging doubts get blown out the door when I go on trips like this one. West Coast surf trips are, if nothing else, a logistical nightmare full of multiple modes of transportation, potential for torrential rain and cold winds, and unlikely good surf conditions. Not to mention wild camping and wilder animals. Being able to trust that my gear management solution will withstand these conditions is a huge deal. Despite all that can go wrong, my RUX gear always adds an element of organization and ease of transport that allows me to focus on the more important parts of the adventure, like not being eaten by wolves, and trying to catch a few waves.
Our crew had been planning this one for a while. A remote, exposed location on the West Coast that few visit, this particular spot had been on our radar for a while. Being a bunch of dads with schedules and family, we had rolled the dice months earlier and locked in a random window of time to make this happen, weather be damned. Miraculously, all of the elements came together for this one: perfect weather, fun waves, and a great crew to hang with on a remote beach in the middle of nowhere.
It’s always eye-opening for me to test the RUX product in situations like this. I had never carried fully-loaded multiple 70Ls for a long distance, which we had to do to get from our boat drop-off over to our beach camp. The padded straps did the trick, and multiple load-carries to camp were no problem. Camp set up was a breeze too, with a designated 70L with all my tent supplies ready to go. My tent area was dialed and ready to face any West Coast weather.
Gear logistics for 12 dudes on a trip like this are pretty significant too. It was rad to see multiple 70Ls in action on this trip, being used for anything from camp supplies to dry goods storage to wetsuit change rooms. It’s always so important to know where your critical camp supplies are on a trip like this, so I always had a RUX Pocket loaded with the essentials close at hand, including a knife, cutlery, lighter, sunscreen, and a snack. I used a RUX Bag as my around-camp transport, organizing food for meals at our camp kitchen area, or stashing spare clothes for the post-surf hangs.
Gear management taken care of, we had ample time to savour the experience. We witnessed mother and baby grey whales feeding right behind the break. We ate a 19lb turkey that had been roasted on coals beneath the sand for 8hrs. It was cooked perfectly, stuffing and all. We laughed around the campfire. And we surfed. We were treated to the first south swell of the season, providing small but fun and consistent waves right out front of camp. We made the most of this swell, surfing every day for hours on end, just our crew in the water (and the whales). With perfect weather, and a dialed camp, this was a trip of a lifetime. Until the next trip of a lifetime, of course.
