Our Story

Over the course of 13 years, Terra Rosa has enabled countless adventurers to move safely through difficult terrain. Today Terra Rosa produces custom gear ongoing for the Antarctica Division (AAD) and Paramedic Ambulance Victoria. But it all started with a simple idea: To make the best gear possible.

Evan left Canada for Australia at 18, working in army disposal stores and getting out into the Australian landscape whenever he could. Hiking with just a hammock and sleeping bag was about as close to this new Aussie wilderness as he could get, all he needed was a tarp. But despite the incredible and extreme outdoor environments here, there was nothing on the market built to fit. He’d have to make it himself, and thanks to his girlfriend’s sewing machine, the first hand-made Terra Rosa tarp was born.

The cottage industry for outdoor gear in North America was alive and accessible, but the Australian market left local adventurers with no choice but to source gear from the major suppliers. Mass production methods and heavy carbon footprint aside, gear from the larger outfits wasn’t constructed with the quality or custom needs Evan was after. He wanted gear that would last, and the easy way didn’t align with the kind of exploration he intended his equipment to take him on.

Just like the tests and risks of adventuring, the challenges of producing gear from his lounge room with no knowledge of sewing, was the beginning of a life changing undertaking. He taught himself to sew via YouTube, and sought advice from a parachute manufacturer. He started making gear for friends, working from back closet rooms and share house garages. But closet space left little room for the rolls of fabric needed to really produce. And in 2010 Evan took the leap to officially launch Terra Rosa, with the mission to get more quality product out to the Australian hiker. He upgraded from a little Singer to an industrial sewing machine, and moved out to the rural Melbourne based workshop where he now manufactures all of the gear himself. 

Production has since expanded to cater for a diverse range of outdoor endeavours; from hiking and traditional bushcraft, to bike-packing, ski-touring and gear for all types of overland travel, embracing the ethos of quality, handmade durability with a minimal footprint. 

Over the course of building Terra Rosa, Evan’s passion for the outdoors became an inherent part of his lifestyle. His mountaineering expertise led him to join Search and Rescue work for Victorian Emergency Services, and to navigate a team of Canadian Gold prospectors through the British Columbian wilderness for a documentary series ‘Curse of the Frozen Gold’. Countless adventures and explorations have been undertaken through remote, rugged environments both locally and beyond. 

Since that first tarp over 13 years ago, Evan’s knowledge and experience has driven the design of outdoor products Terra Rosa manufactures today. He knows first-hand the imperative of equipment built to weather the extremes. That’s why ‘to make the best gear possible’ is at the core of Terra Rosa.