What if the best gear is the kind you never want to replace.
What if it feels better each time you use it.
That question started Barnaby Outdoor.
We looked for a material that rewards care, shrugs off weather, and invites a life of use. Waxed canvas kept showing up with the right answers. Practical. Quiet. Honest. It does not ask for attention. It earns it.
Most waterproofing is a layer waiting to peel. When it goes, the whole thing goes. With waxed canvas you renew the proofing and carry on. Same cloth, more life. That simple difference changes everything. You do not bin it. You look after it. You pass it on.
Made for where we live
Aotearoa keeps you on your toes. A southerly at breakfast, bright sun by lunch, a downpour over the bach by dinner. On boats, in the paddock, up the track, down at the beach, people need gear that just gets on with it. Waxed canvas fits that rhythm. It looks right in a woolshed. It looks right in the city. It bridges work and weekend without fuss.
You may have heard the term oilskin. In New Zealand that usually means heavy cotton canvas treated to shed water. Historically the treatment was linseed oil on sailcloth. Over time makers moved to wax blends because they were less brittle, less smelly, and easier to maintain. In everyday language people still say oilskin, though most coats on Kiwi farms today are made from waxed cotton rather than true oiled cloth. The idea is the same, natural fibre with a renewable proofing that can be brought back to life.
On the farm oilskin was not a fashion choice, it was uniform. Long riding coats by the stable door. A row of heavy jackets on hooks in the woolshed. Early starts, dogs on the ute, a fence to mend before the next squall. You wear it because it works. That honesty is the standard we design to.
Designed to earn its keep
Before Barnaby Outdoor I worked as an Industrial Designer across consumer tech, marine hardware, and appliances. Most days the spreadsheet chose the material. Lowest cost that passed the test. If a more sustainable option cost more, it was parked or watered down. You know the drill. A nice message in the campaign, a token ingredient, not much impact. Call it what it is, greenwashing.
So I changed the brief. Start with a material that earns a long life. Explain why it is worth paying for. Design for years of use, not just a product cycle. That led me to waxed canvas.
Price is part of the conversation. Yes, it sits above disposable options. It also carries a promise. You can repair it. You can reproof it. You keep one piece in service for years, not seasons. Buy once, buy right is not a slogan, it is a choice we make together.
We design the way we live. We sketch, prototype, then take things outside. Onto wet grass, into sand, in and out of the ute. We give it the berries and put it through the wringer. Those answers set the silhouette and the small decisions you feel when you use our products. The patina that builds on the wax is feedback. It tells us the product is settling to you, and it guides the next iteration.
Some might call this slow design. We call it healthy design. Fewer, better things. Built with care. Used hard. Looked after.
Memories you can carry
Good gear invites small rituals, the kind that keep it ready for the next outing. Shake off sand, hang it to dry, give it a seasonal reproof, then head back out. Over time the canvas softens, the colour settles, and the hand feel becomes familiar. The surface starts to tell its story, a scuff from the car park, a faint ring from a hot mug, a crease from that windy day above the dunes.
The best part is not the patina, it is what it holds. Birthday lunches on the grass. A quiet cuppa while the kids dig for pipis. Wet socks after a passing shower, everyone laughing anyway. The same mat, the same tote, the same mug, showing up for family and friends again and again. That continuity matters. You bring the gear, the memories do the rest.
We design for that life. Practical, low fuss, easy to renew, made to be shared. Fewer purchases, less waste, more time outside with the people who matter. Keep one piece in service for years, not seasons, and let it gather your stories as it goes.
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