This month we chatted with fellow OBA member Shelby Treichler, one woman show of Cactus To Pine. Cactus To Pine is an incredible company that makes upcycled ropeware and handmade goods and has since 2019. All of CtP’s products are made from upcycled and salvaged retired outdoor gear, so each product is as unique. Follow Cactus to Pine on any social media outlet to see what Shelby’s up to.
1. Can you share the story behind the founding of Cactus to Pine and what inspired you to start the company?
In 2019, I was 9 years into a career in the film industry and growing more unhappy. I started rock climbing in my off time and wanted to connect with my new community through the best way I knew how – art. So I designed a few climbing stickers and was just giving them out when (to my great surprise) someone offered me money for one. A business was born. I started making more products, anything that really caught my eye. I made a gear rack from retired bolt hangers and those started selling, poured candles with scent profiles based on the trees/flowers growing in different crags around the country. And when I saw my gym throwing away old rope, began experimenting with upcycling the rope into new products. I went full time in 2020. Moved in the my camper and took business on the road in 2021. And last year, I came home to NC and settled in Asheville.
2. You have this incredible collaboration with other Outdoor Business Alliance businesses. Tell us about this and any other benefits of being a member of the Outdoor Business Alliance.
I met Anna from Eagles Nest Outfitters (ENO) pretty early with the OBA and was already such a fan of their hammocks. When she proposed a collaboration to celebrate their 25th Anniversary I was so excited to be included. I got to visit their spot, learn about their own initiatives to minimize waste and select some of their own retired materials to incorporate into the custom pieces I created for them. We launched last week and the response has been amazing. OBA also introduced me to Joe from Wrong Way River Campground at my first Get in Gear fest and they were the first store in Asheville to carry my products.
And just last month Rhea invited me to vend at the Second Gear anniversary block party and Chris and the team now also carry CtP cozies! When I first joined the Outdoor Business Alliance I struggled quite a bit with imposter syndrome. I was attending these socials with giant companies and shipped products all around the world and I was “just” a little art company. But the OBA has taught me that it’s just people behind those big businesses – just like I’m a person behind mine. And the connections we make with other people, especially over shared love of the outdoors, runs deep.
3. What unique products do you make and what is your process?
Most of my products now are made from upcycled and salvaged retired outdoor gear, so they are as unique as all our gear is! I started working exclusively with retired climbing rope and then bolt hangers. Recently I’ve also been incorporating the webbing and buckles from climbing and ziplining harnesses. I build the products based off the materials I salvage, which can really affect how much R&D needs to go into each item, my ability to duplicate designs and is a risk that I may not have a consistent supply of that material. But it also sparks creativity where I look at something old and try to imagine something new.
4. What has been the most rewarding experience or achievement for Cactus to Pine?
There are some facts and numbers that I’m really proud of about my business. This has been my main source of income for four years. Each cozie saves 11’ of rope from the landfill and last year alone I estimate I saved over 35,000 feet of rope. Though I have no business experience or training, I’ve gotten into 83 retail locations across the country. But the most rewarding part of this journey has been the stories that I collect when people gift me their old gear and trust me to give it a new life. I get the ropes from a climber’s first trad send and or someone’s most epic whip, I got a harness from a son whose father took him climbing when he was younger, from a woman who lost her best friend and climbing partner too young, from a wife who lost her husband and asked me to create something from their last rope. We pour our heart and soul into the outdoors and our gear is part of that connection. When it’s time to retire that gear I think it can be very natural to have some emotions attached to it. I’m always honored when people trust me to give their gear another chapter in the story.
More information about Cactus To Pine check out their amazing website here.
