We live for history and the story of our shared connection to the outdoors. It’s a simple concept with endless depth—and through this lens we’ve been fortunate to partner with Snow Peak on multiple occasions, bringing their brand’s history to life through our Snow Peak Archive. This often involves curating and acquiring secondhand pieces for activations like the KōROGI Café at Snow Peak Way Big Sur.
With any soft good—tents, tarps, shelters—usability inevitably declines. UV exposure, rain, wind, and years in storage bags all take their toll. When our 1994 Snow Peak Hexa Tarp L showed it could no longer keep us dry, we asked a simple question: what can we do with it now?
The Problem
The immediate options weren’t appealing: throw it back in its bag for who-knows-how-long, or throw it away. With over a decade in the apparel industry, we knew there were other possibilities—but finding the best use was the challenge. Recycling tent and tarp materials isn’t simple; deteriorated waterproof coatings complicate the process. Repurposing quickly became the most viable path.
“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” has always been presented as a mantra, but the order matters. Reduce what you consume. Reuse what you already have. And recycle when there are no other options. Could we reduce new production by reusing this tarp?
The Concept
We were first introduced to Daniel and Angela of Peace Cabin through Snow Peak’s first U.S. location in Long Beach, Washington, where their cushions furnished the café and camp store. Their blend of outdoor durability and indoor design standards resonated with us, so we asked: could you turn this tarp into cushions?
It wasn’t a formal RFP. We simply trusted Peace Cabin to work with the material—its multi-colored panels, stitching, and trims—and apply their creativity to it.
The Outcome
Peace Cabin worked through multiple plans, testing what was viable. “We could make a few more if we used odd patterns,” came up early, and we agreed. Scraps, discoloration, and unique stitching all became part of the story. In the end, 65% of the tarp was reused in the Peace Cabin x KōROGI Upcycled Hexa Tarp Eclipse Seat Pad, with 35% remaining as smaller scraps to be integrated into future projects.
The final result: 40 Eclipse Seat Pads, each completely unique. Some are mostly red, some mostly grey, some a mix. Original grommets became hang loops on a few; others feature repurposed Snow Peak guy line material. No two pads are alike, each carrying forward the history of the tarp in a new form.
The Peace Cabin x KōROGI Upcycled Hexa Tarp Eclipse Seat Pad collection launches September 18th.
