ABOUT THIS SERIES: At Remote Equipment, we make gear that enables people to unplug from a hardwired world. In this series, we look deeper at those creatively redefining what it means to work remotely.

If you've had to hire somebody for a construction project recently, you know how difficult it can be to find good help. The reason is straight from an ECON 101 lecture: Demand for contractors and their services far outpaces supply.

In central Michigan, Chris Eddy knows exactly what it's like to be in high demand. The 33-year-old is the project manager for a growing company specializing in roofing, siding, gutters, and deck building. He oversees a crew that swells to about 16 people during peak building months ­– days filled with problem-solving, measuring, cutting, estimating, scheduling, and getting back to people who need to hire a contractor.

Eddy doesn't have an office in the traditional sense of the word, and for that he's thankful.

"I start the day by loading up my truck with whatever tools I'm going to need, some food and some water and then I'm out and at it," Eddy said. "As I do more project management, I'm doing more traveling, and I kind of do my it all from my truck wherever I happen to be."

BIG AMBITIONS

Despite already running practically from sunup to sundown, Eddy is planning to take on even more remote work.

"The company I work for is continuously looking to expand," he said. "We're doing decks, siding, and roofing now. We've got our fingers in a lot of things, but I'd like to see us start selling and installing insulation. That's kind of a natural progression of what we do."

He, of course, will need a backpack that enables that kind of work, and it's no surprise to find him already planning ahead for that as well.

BAGGING IT

Eddy once destroyed a work backpack, a 5.11 model that got sucked in by the tires of his truck while he was on the way to a job site and was promptly run over.

"That bag was destroyed," he said. "Every zipper was broken.

So durability is important to him. So, too, is having enough storage to meet the demands of a busy day.

"The goal for my backpack is whatever pops off I need to be ready for it," Eddy said. "I need a first-aid kit and a blowout kit ready to go in case something goes horribly wrong on the job site. I need it to hold some basic tools like a tape measure, screwdriver, and notebook. I need it to hold my rain gear and maybe a change of clothes."

Recently, Eddy's been using an ALPHA 31 from Remote Equipment, a bag big enough to carry the daily essentials with plenty of room for other items needed if the unexpected hits while on a job site.

"The other thing I like is that it looks professional," said Eddy. "It's a nice marriage between functionality and capability."

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