Born and raised in Wichita Falls, Texas, I grew up chasing after horned lizards, flying off inflatable tubes pulled behind boats, and camping in triple-digit-degree summers. Family vacations were a mix of relaxing on the Galveston coast and testing my athletic abilities slalom water skiing on Lake Arrowhead.

Texas sometimes receives eye rolls and groans from the rest of the country, and I get it. We can be a little loud and braggy, and I���ve got a bone to pick with some state policies. But the thing I���ve never understood is why more people aren���t aware of the bounty of outdoor experiences here. There���s something indisputable about the diverse geography of the Lone Star State that I���ll defend time and time again. We���ve got outdoors to rival them all, y���all.

My state has some of the biggest and best landscapes in the country, filled with diverse wildlife, awe-inspiring views, and adventurous activities. I am proud to put on my braggart Texan cap to explain how to experience it all. These are my favorite places and experiences to get outside in Texas.

1. National Parks

It was hard to believe Texas had ���real��� mountains until, in the most spiritual experience I���ve ever had in a state where churches sit on every corner, I saw them rising gloriously out of the desert in Big Bend National Park. On my first visit, seven years ago, I stayed with an 80-year-old in Terlingua whom I found through couchsurfing.com. He took me to the national park for a hike and we gazed at exposed ancient pictographs, which seem to show darts or arrowheads for hunting, in red pigments on the gold limestone.

Then we soaked in the Langford Hot Springs, outdoor baths above ancient faults where Tornillo Creek enters the Rio Grande. Big Bend National Park offers float trips through canyons, horseback riding, hiking, and stargazing; it���s an International Dark Sky Park.

That night I joined Terlinguan locals and national-park visitors on an impromptu walk through old mining tunnels, followed by porch-side singing of 1990s classics, and then a swim in the Terlingua Creek. I had thought I���d spend most of my time in Big Bend hiking alone; instead I was surrounded by a host of characters with big personalities. Sometimes a trip to a Texas national park takes you on a journey you don���t expect.

You can find many of the same activities at our other national park, Guadalupe, two hours east of El Paso. Guadalupe National Park has eight of the ten highest peaks in Texas, the world���s most extensive Permian fossil reef, and 80 hiking trails through unique geological formations, like thousand-foot cliffs and rocks with dark water-ripple streaks.

2. Kayaking and Canoeing

In 2021, I paddled a folding kayak on a voyage under the downtown Dallas skyline for a 12-mile portion of the 130-mile . The serenity of the experience was only interrupted by a few car honks when I floated under bridges���and the sight of a passing gator.

Texas has located throughout the state, and with 3,700 streams, 15 major rivers, and 3,300 miles of tidal shoreline, an abundance of other places to paddle or row as well. You can kayak with dolphins in the Galveston Bay or canoe with gators through , home to one of the world���s largest cypress forests, the trees covered in Spanish moss. Autumn paddle trips are ideal for fall-foliage views and cooler temps, not to mention a chance to witness thousands of monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico over the Devil’s River in West Texas.

3. Climbing

Rock climbing has become popular in Texas���you now see just as many dating profiles with rock-climbing photos as you do of folks holding up dead fish they���ve caught. Climbers from here and elsewhere are scrambling to places like , a bouldering hub 30 miles east of El Paso featuring problems (meaning short routes done ropeless) from V0-V16, and near Austin, which offers bolted sport climbs. Some Texas property owners are opening their private lands to climbers for limited camping and use. For instance, new routes are being developed among the granite cliffs and boulders at .

4. Hiking

I���ve hiked through flat North Texas fields of bluebonnets, across dinosaur tracks at , and up hills and limestone canyons full of Uvalde bigtooth maple trees at . Even within our cities there are spectacular hiking trails: like Austin���s ; or, just an hour-and-fifteen-minute drive from Houston, the 129-mile Lone Star Hiking Trail, which winds through the , the largest national forest in Texas.

For less crowded hikes, aim for natural areas in the South Texas Plains, Pineywoods, Panhandle Plains, and Big Bend Country. I hiked about eight miles on that follows the rim of Seminole Canyon in in Big Bend Country and saw only two other people.

East Texas holds the four national forests���Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Sabine, and Angelina���with the Caddo-Lyndon B. Johnson National Grasslands, also Forest Service-managed, located in northeast Texas. All are laced with hiking trails.

Texas hiking tips: Always pack more water than you need, and then pack an extra bottle���and if you hear a rattle, move your ass. We have 15 varieties of venomous snakes, so be careful. But to keep it in perspective, more people die in Texas from lightning strikes than snake bites. So don���t chance the storms, either.

5. Cycling and Mountain Biking

You have to admire how most Texans aren���t fazed about cycling and biking in extreme temperatures in outdoor environments. Take me���I rode 100 miles in 100-degree-heat for a cycling ride aptly called in my hometown. My parents thought it���d be a ���fun��� challenge for us to do together. They took me to a cycling shop and urged me to buy a bike. ���It���s a good investment,��� my dad said. ���You���ll use it all the time.���

My mom and I completed the Hotter N��� Hell Hundred ride more handily than I expected, while my dad, who was 60 at the time, outshone us by completing the Triple Threat (a 12-mile mountain-bike ride on Friday, 100-mile road ride on Saturday, and a 12-mile trail run on Sunday).

Our big ol��� state has cycling trails of all kinds���like the 30-mile泭, which passes by historic Spanish missions in the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park. The challenging 133-mile follows the old Union Pacific and Chaparral railroad right-of-ways through small towns and over railroad bridges from northeast of Dallas to Texarkana.

Let���s not forget mountain-biking trails. Looking for steep hills, granite outcrops, and other forms of technical terrain? Hit up Hill Country State Natural Area for 40 miles of mountain-biking trails like the .

6. The Coast

The Gulf of Mexico is warmer than the Atlantic or Pacific oceans���so why suffer the cold when Texas has 367 miles of shoreline and sandy beaches. Camp on the beach at places like or the remote , made up of 56,000 acres of offshore barrier islands and bayside marshes. You can swim, parasail, surf, water ski, boat, fish, kayak, and go horseback riding.

Despite what you may think, there is surfing along Texas��� coastline, at Surfside Beach, Port Aransas, and South Padre, especially during hurricane swells. Corpus Christi has among the largest number of kite-able days in the U.S., making it a well-known kitesurfing destination.

Dying for a surf experience but can���t make the drive to the coast? Do what I did and catch waves at located between Austin and Dallas, an hour and a half from each. The two-acre surf lake makes waves for beginners, intermediates, and pros. I easily caught 10 smooth waves in an hour and had a blast cheering other surfers between the ages of 10 and 78.

7. State Parks

Years ago, my friends and I packed our tents and drove to the Texas Panhandle to stay in the United States��� second-largest canyon, . During the day, we hiked through red strata rock formations, and at night we marveled and sang:

The stars at night

Are big and bright (clap four times)

Deep in the heart of Texas

Texas has 89 state parks, natural areas, and historic sites that display its geological variety. near San Antonio is a tropical getaway with dwarf palmetto plants, while has a 70-foot waterfall and 400 underground caves. Board across sand dunes in the , see the Texas State bison herd roaming in , or jump into the world���s largest spring-fed swimming pool in .

8. Lakes, Rivers, and Springs

We���ve got every flavor of water you could want, from the picturesque swimming holes of to the crystal-blue reservoir at . I have many memories boating on Lake watching daredevil youths (and some adults) jumping off cliffs, sticking my backside in an inner tube to , and trying not to fall off paddle boards. There is scuba diving in , which has 200 artesian springs and the densest population of turtles in the country.

Come on out! Hope to see you on the trails.

泭

If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside.泭Learn more.

泭Alex Temblador was born and raised in North Texas, the traditional homeland of the Caddo, Comanche, Kiowa, Tawakoni, and Wichita peoples. She lives in the Dallas area, a short drive from hills, rivers, lakes, and springs, and continues to find beautiful places in her state to paddle, hike, and explore.泭

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In honor of Black History Month, we���re spotlighting 24 Black-owned businesses across the outdoor industry. Get to know these companies doing good work and making awesome gear of all kinds.

Owner:泭Brittany Coleman

Year founded:泭2019, started selling in 2022

What We Do

Tough Cutie is a USA-made company producing active lifestyle socks designed for women, by women. It is the first and only women-owned sock brand with a majority women-owned value chain, effectively positioning itself as one of the highest-impact brands in terms of economic equality in the outdoors industry. Our first sock, Eve, launched in 2022 after a rigorous and thoughtful design process that centered on feedback from women. The result is an innovative, dynamic, and durable sock that literally and figuratively supports women in their walk through life.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

���Tough Cutie is a woman-owned, Black-owned business that has invited women into the process of designing their own adventure and activewear apparel by centering on women’s feedback and functional needs. We continually strive to create equity in adventure and active lifestyle spaces through nonprofit partnerships and donations. Our company is structured to create opportunity and agency for communities that have historically been marginalized and neglected in the design room and the boardroom, specifically women and people of color. We are one of very few brands that can say one-hundred percent of our sales support women-owned businesses and our pledge to support equality and expand inclusivity is not simply marketing fluff or a top-down directive. When shoppers choose Tough Cutie, they truly have a chance to engage in mindful consumerism and impactful advocacy, with the added bonus of buying well designed, women-built socks.��� ��� Brittany Coleman

Owner: Nate Elsey-Williams

Year founded: 2021

What We Do

Northside Bags makes outdoor packs and fanny packs for outdoor enthusiasts. Based in Duluth, Minnesota, Northside Bags is the second Black-owned hiking backpack business in the U.S. We strive to get more Black people and people of color outdoors. ���The Survival Bag��� is our most popular bag���a hydration bag with a solar charging panel that can charge your devices while you explore the outdoors.

What Makes Us Special In The Outdoor Industry

���Northside Bags has a mission to protect public land and increase diversity in the outdoors. When you buy a fanny pack from Northside Bags, fifteen percent of our sales go to an organization called which helps the fight against sulfide-ore copper mining near the Boundary Waters area in Northern Minnesota.��� ��� Nate Elsey-Williams

Owner: Lekisha Hamilton

Year founded: 2022

What We Do

Cycling Out Loud is a women’s cycling apparel company, that specializes in outfitting cyclists of all shapes and sizes in cycling skinsuits with unique, bold patterns with personality. We help cyclists feel comfortable and confident in their cycling apparel, regardless of their experience or skill level. We don’t believe cycling apparel is unisex and aim to bring custom cuts, measurements, and designs to meet the needs of women’s bodies.

What Makes Us Special In The Outdoor Industry

���Cycling Out Loud was born in 2020, the year of COVID. Many people were discovering cycling as a sport, and seasoned cyclists were spending more time on their bikes. I was a part of the latter, and as a result, I was shopping泭for new cycling gear both online and in local stores and was extremely frustrated by the lack of options for women. Most of what I saw was majorly over-priced, lacked flavor and individuality, and simply wasn’t flattering to my body type and curves. The idea of Cycling Out Loud was born from this frustration. I wanted to bring bold, bright colors, designs, and personality to cycling apparel and ensure all cyclists had something they felt they looked great in, that was specifically designed with women’s unique physiques and curves in mind, and was available in non-traditional sizing.��� ��� Lekisha Hamilton

Owners: Tony and Belinda Jones

Year founded: 2016

What We Do

South Carolina’s Morning Glory Homestead Farm is a small, Gullah family-owned farm, that uses regenerative agricultural and animal husbandry practices to provide the best quality produce, honey, eggs, and meats for our community and guests. We teach classes about farming, gardening, and beekeeping. We also offer guided recreational experiences that range from fishing and crabbing in the local waterways, hikes along our coastal trails, and RV and tent camping spaces for guests.

What Makes Us Special In The Outdoor Industry

���We are the first Gullah Geechee agritourism business on St. Helena Island to offer historical, cultural, culinary, and recreational experiences. Our unique monthly Gullah Campfire Supper with Stories and Songs events along with our St. Helena Island History and Culture Tours offer guests the chance to learn about the Gullah/Geechee culture while spending time in the beauty of the Sea Islands in South Carolina���s Lowcountry. We have hosted Women���s Camping Weekends to teach beginning and advanced camping and foraging skills. Our George Washington Carver Events center around the life and work of Dr. Carver, being a citizen scientist, beekeeping, mycology, art, and homesteading.

Visitors look forward to experiencing our historical programs and seeing us dressed in period clothing. They enjoy camping on-site, tasting Gullah cuisine, hearing our stories and songs, seeing the beautiful moss-draped oak trees and stately magnolias, watching the birds in their rookeries, and exploring the historical locations that make this area so special.��� ��� Tony and Belinda Jones

Owner:泭Karen D. Fultz-Robinson, Esquire

Year founded: 泭2016

What We Do

ObservaM矇 manufactures and sells original designs of outdoor athletic apparel. We are the first active outdoor apparel line with a wrist opening for performance devices and watches. The product line has grown to include the signature shirts along with vests, performance pants, and a variety of accessories. The ObservaM矇 apparel line for men includes half-zip and crewneck shirts, hoodies, vests, full-zip jackets with hoods, and performance pants. Women���s athleticwear includes sports bras, half-zip and V-neck shirts, full-zip jackets with hoods, vests, hoodies, and long- and capris-style pants. Our high-quality sustainable fabrics have dry-wick properties to prevent chaffing and maintain the soft and supple feel expected by high-energy exertion performers. We offer compression designs for core support, increased endurance, and help with reducing fatigue.

What Makes Us Special In The Outdoor Industry

���In 2011, I decided to start running for my life. I was running from my overweight condition, potential diabetes, potential hypertension, and more importantly, for my mental health.泭In my health journey, I became a marathoner and ran races around the world. The ObservaM矇 design concept was born during a 15-mile training run and after constant aggravation from tugging at the sleeve of the shirt to gauge my distance, heart rate, location, pace, and time. Access to fitness tracking devices should not be a distraction or obstacle. After a year of research and development, in 2016, I launched ObservaM矇, a one-of-a-kind line of outdoor athletic apparel with a wrist opening for performance devices or watches.

ObservaM矇 focuses on giving people who are new or restarting a healthy lifestyle journey the tools needed to not quit. We take away the obstacle of measuring small wins along the way (i.e. whether its reaching the highest mountain side, running your fastest race, or walking the farthest distance) to keep you encouraged and turning motion into movement. We celebrate with people who see the positive impact of movement upon their mental health. The endorphins beat back the negative thoughts and our styles provide a positive self-reflection which is another confidence booster to help embolden our ‘whys’ for staying the course.��� ��� Karen D. Fultz-Robinson, Esquire

Owner: Jade Akintola

Year founded: 2020

What We Do

ITA is the Yoruba word for ���outside,��� and is the first POC-led outdoor leisure brand in the United States. We���re inspired by our communities��� diverse cultures and ancestral connections to nature, but we���re also aware that these beneficial links have been damaged over time. Stirred by this unbalance, we���re dedicated to re-establishing those ties with nature. We create modern outdoor leisure products���like outdoor chairs, tables, totes, throws, beach towels, and apparel���and community-driven experiences to get people ITA. We���re also developing education and outreach programs that help people of color feel more comfortable and confident outdoors.

What Makes Us Special In The Outdoor Industry

���ITA is developing product collections for beach, park & trail, garden, and camping. We���re creating meaningful experiences that reduce barriers to entry, provide skills, and foster community. With educational content and impactful advocacy, ITA aims to be a catalyst for change and a promoter of the restorative power of nature.

Too many people feel like the outdoors is not for them. When I recognized my own feelings of not belonging and not feeling comfortable in the world of outdoor leisure, I channeled years of marketing expertise into understanding not only my own absence from this arena, but the absence of other people of color in many outdoor activities. Many external and internal barriers to participation soon came into focus, and ITA���s mission���to restore bonds with nature and set people up outside in comfort and style���was born. If more people in our communities, and beyond, are seeing outdoor leisure as a regular re-charging tool that���s beneficial for everyone, then we���re moving in the right direction! We hope you���ll join this empowering movement and get outside with us.��� ��� Jade Akintola

Owner: Susan Clayton

Year founded: 2016

What We Do

WhitePaws RunMitts mittens are purpose-built to address the needs of runners, walkers, and outdoor sports enthusiasts. Our handwear features a pocket where you can stash a handwarmer packet, but the key design element is that you can flip open the top and push the mittens down over your wrist as you warm up. No need to peel them off and stuff them into a pocket. In the online shop, we offer a wide variety of running mitts, plus gaiters and face masks.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“During the course of my coaching with Back on My Feet Baltimore, I saw a real need. I could never find mittens or gloves that kept both my fingers and thumbs warm when training in cold weather, so I sat down at the sewing machine and invented one. I honed my sewing skills which has really paid off: I create and test my own prototypes, so I���m constantly improving my designs. And each pair is hand-cut and sewn in Baltimore. I guess you could call me a hands-on founder!泭 I look forward to working with specialty outdoor retailers who think WhitePaws would be a good fit in their shops.” ���Susan Clayton

Owner: Janelle Sheppard

Year founded: 2018

What We Do

Sweat and Sunshine is a nature-based wellness business that provides outdoor adventures and fitness experiences designed to maximize the restorative benefits of sunshine and natural spaces. We lead five different outdoor hiking experiences including: a 3.8-mile moderate hike into Hidden Valley, 2.4-mile challenging hike of Piestwea Peak���s Summit Trail, a 2-mile naturalist-focused hike, and two kid-friendly hikes that focus on adventure and science.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“Sweat & Sunshine is unique because each experience offers guests the opportunity to focus on both physical and mental health in the most stunning Sonoran Desert settings. No one can experience the mountains without deepening their connection to the natural world. There is no way to climb to the summit and miss your expanding chest with deep breaths; you���re always reminded that you���re alive and you���re part of the natural world. Guests nearly always learn or see something that expands their appreciation for our precious natural resources. They practice using their curiosity to see deeply and be present in the moment.” ���Janelle Sheppard

Owner: Erik Saunders

Year founded: 2019

What We Do

Memory Pilot offers mountain bike fenders (both front and rear) made of high-density polyethylene resin in its Santa Barbara, California factory. Individuals, retailers, clubs, teams, and bike brands can choose from a slew of in-house designs or create a custom design of their own.

We also make compression cycling socks! We had a finicky relationship with socks, so we designed the perfect pair. Our Awesome Bike Riding Socks come in wool and synthetic versions. They have vertical ribs along the back to support the achilles and protect from pedal pins, thinner material across the ankle to alleviate pressure from shoe straps and buckles, and an open weave front for breathability.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“First, our focus is on independent bike dealers because I believe it���s important to be at the right retailers who are a part of the scene. Second, we make high-quality products with low minimums and fast lead times, so we���re easy to work with. In the case of custom mudguards and socks, we offer retailers the chance to local-source customized goods, at low MOQs (minimum order quantity), without sacrificing quality or margin.” ���Erik Saunders

Owner: Mark Boles

Year founded: 2019

What We Do

Intrinsic Provisions is an outdoor apparel and accessories store in Hingham, Massachusetts. Our goal is to introduce customers to new brands that they otherwise might not have a chance to discover. We carry a curated selection of brands, but a wider selection of product within those brands. This allows us to tell a fuller brand story and communicate our commitment to certain brands versus others.

Intrinsic Provisions utilizes a hybrid business model akin to pop-up and traditional retail. This model enables us to have a couple of what we call ���anchor��� (somewhat mature yet emerging) brands, like Stio, which we know will draw in customers. Then we can introduce those customers to what we call ���discovery��� brands like Vermont Glove, Purist, Corbeaux Clothing, Ruggette, Reima. The anchor brands lend a halo of credibility allowing customers to have some trust in trying the discovery brands.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“We like to think of ourselves as brand storytellers, and the best stories happen outside. Intrinsic Provisions is more than just a store: it���s a place where passion lives. It���s a place where there���s a belief in community, where everyone is welcome. The items we offer are thoughtfully-curated because of a belief in those brands and the people behind them. Almost all of our brands are independently owned and have some element of sustainability and in several cases are certified B-Corps. We���ve taken the time to get to know these brands so we can convey their intrinsic value.” ���Mark Boles

Owner: Livio Melo

Year founded: 2020

What We Do

Allmansright is an outdoor gear lab that specializes in ultralight gear including backpacks, cross bags, sacks, food bags, wallets, and more. We personally design and handcraft (to order) everything out of the Bronx and enjoy making things with the user in mind. Our name is inspired by a Swedish Law known as ���The Right to Public Access,��� because we believe access to nature is ���allmansright.��� We donate two percent of our monthly profits to organizations that protect and diversify the outdoors.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“As a BIPOC owner from the Bronx with a degree in industrial design, I bring a new perspective to the outdoor industry on ultralight gear which is still primarily a cottage industry. Functionality and purpose is very important to me, and it shows in the designs we offer. I strive to make each product exciting and appealing to a diverse group of people. My ultimate goal is to have our gear inspire more people (BIPOC and inner city folks) to connect with nature!” ���Livio Melo

Owner: Brandale Randolph

Year founded: 2013

What We Do

ROCKDEEP泭sells outdoor and athletic footwear and apparel, including hiking, running, and trail running shoes, winter boots, joggers, shorts, hoodies, and winter jackets. Our core mission is to provide quality, function, and style at an affordable price.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“As a small company (based in Alexandria, Virginia), we don���t have the luxury of making products that aren���t comfortable the first time you wear them. If bigger companies make shoes that end up hurting your feet, you will give them another chance and maybe even several chances. We literally only get one chance to impress every customer. We differentiate ourselves by providing outdoor footwear which isn���t boring, and catches the eye, but also looks and feels good and is made of high-quality materials. We will proudly put our products up against anyone else in the industry and come out on top.” ���Brandale Randolph

Owner: Jason and Joy Hunt

Year founded: 2015

What We Do

Elite Feet is a Delaware-based and family-owned retail specialty running store. Our staff is well trained in our Elite Fit Process. With this process, our goal is to provide an outstanding customer experience while striving to go the ���extra mile��� for our customers trying to live a more active and healthier lifestyle. We believe it is our duty to help educate our customers on the difficult shoe fitting process for walkers, runners, and growing kids.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“We use gait analysis to choose the right shoe for walking, running, cross-training and organized sports. We measure both feet for length and width, evaluate both arches, observe the customer on the treadmill, and ask a series of questions to determine the proper footwear for the customer���s specific activity. Because all feet are NOT created equal, each customer is individually assessed and given a recommendation based on their unique set of feet. We���re eager to work with new brands and expand our roster of high-quality trail running shoes.” ���Jason and Joy Hunt

Owner: Mike Carey

Year founded: 1984

What We Do

Seirus is an outdoor accessories company. We make items that protect your head, hands, and feet. Our mission is to deliver the best products to enable every outdoor enthusiast to enjoy the greatest comfort and performance during any cold weather activity. We use the most advanced technology and fabrics which has resulted in innovative products like rechargeable heated gloves, our award-winning magnetized convertible mittens, and our new Heatwave Base Layers.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“I wanted to create the same thing for others that I wanted for myself, a business environment that provides the space to allow a collaborative being to flourish. What we are creating and working to preserve is a melting pot of stakeholders to build a more inclusive outdoors, filled with transformative experiences. All of this culminates into the development of innovative, high-quality essentials that support everyone to comfortably enjoy the outdoors.” ���Mike Carey

Owner: Kevin Knight

Year founded: 2016

What We Do

Urban Events Global (UEG) is a travel company that cultivates adventurous events for professionals of color, like Urban Camp Weekend (UCW). UCW happens every year since 2011 in Canyon Lake, Texas, and draws 1,000 to 1,600 adults, making it the largest camping event in the country. UCW is all about networking, making new friends, and promoting unity while enjoying all nature has to offer.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“Our family reunion-style camping trip welcomes outdoor lovers to engage and enjoy themselves with other like-minded individuals for an activity-filled weekend, which includes river tubing, games, DJs and dancing, barbecue, volleyball, and more. During the UCW weekend, we allow Black-owned businesses to vend for free as it���s our goal to empower and support their growth. As Urban Events Global camps and travels across the world, we hope to encourage our community to explore through group travel and adventure.” ���Kevin Knight

Owners: Josh and Amber Gordy

Year founded: 2012

What We Do

Warthen RV Park sits on 27 acres and offers 50 full-hook up RV lots and 12 spacious tent sites. Our amenities include water and sewage hookups, a laundry facility, two shower suites, a volleyball court, a walking trail, and free wi-fi. Warthen is a place where guests can relax, unwind, connect with nature, and recharge whether they���re staying for a night or a month.

Forty-five minutes away is our sister property D&D Outdoor Retreat. Guests can stay in beautiful yurts overlooking a fish pond, as well as a shooting range and walking and ATV trails. Day passes and seasonal specials, like a chef-prepared dinner and special activities around a campfire, are available.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“We like to provide not only a place to camp but an experience. Aside from relaxing by the campfire, many of our guests enjoy our guided ATV Trail rides, which gives them an opportunity to explore 27 acres of beautiful Georgia open land. They leave feeling as if they���ve just attended a family reunion thanks to our down-to-earth hospitality.” ���Josh and Amber Gordy

Owner: Monica Garrison

Year founded: 2013

What We Do

Black Girls Do Bike (BGDB) exists to inspire more women, specifically women of color, to ride bikes, and we fund this work by sponsorship, contributions, and selling a variety of cycling swag in our shop designed to celebrate the body types and skin tones of women of color, including shorts, jerseys, jackets, and thermal bottoms. We are equally committed to creating more local BGDB chapters that invite new and old cyclists to join rides or cycling events at least once per month. We currently have 99 BGDB chapters all over the country, as far as Anchorage, Alaska, and we recently expanded beyond the U.S. to London and Antigua.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“BGDB supports initiatives across the country to get more women and girls riding bikes, such as an annual national meetup in a new city each year that brings lady riders together to ride and engage in fellowship. While we are excited about new initiatives like forming a BGDB race team to compete nationally, our top priority is to help break barriers for women in cycling, to encourage women to be bike advocates for change in their communities, and to model this healthy outlet to loved ones.” ���Monica Garrison

Owners: Jahmicah and Heather Dawes

Year founded: 2016

What We Do

Slim Pickins Outfitters is a specialty outdoor retailer focused on building up our outdoor community through education and community events. We are the first Black-owned outdoor independent retailer. However, we aren’t the only ones anymore, and we won’t be the last. Our aim is to be a relevant space for our local community and cater to creative outdoor enthusiasts, while diversifying the outdoor industry, as it pertains to ownership and positions of leadership.

“We aim to be a mentor to other Black-owned and minority businesses. In the past, we have reached out to outdoor associations, brands, and even business organizations about starting an incubator & accelerator for Black-owned and minority-owned businesses, brands, etc. It never gained any momentum, but we hope that will change in the future. We have always dreamed of having an intern program connected with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) where we would have interns work at our company for 6 months. This would allow the interns to accompany us to trade shows and network with brands, companies, and other organizations. This is one of the ways we invest in our mission to diversify the outdoor industry as it pertains to ownership and leadership.” ��� Jahmicah Dawes

Owner: Patrick Robinson

Year founded: 2013

What We Do

Paskho sells high-performance and eco-friendly apparel for men and women, such as pants, shorts, tops, and outerwear. Patrick Robinson was a top designer for brands like Giorgio Armani and Gap. After a backpacking trip in Yosemite National Park, he was inspired by the durable, water-repellant, flexible, and multifunctional outdoor apparel and gear he used and decided to create his own line of sustainable clothes that were stylish and comfortable enough to go from work to play.

Nearly half of all fabrics used by Paskho are reclaimed and 85 percent are vegan. In addition to sourcing fabrics that use less water, energy, and toxic chemicals, the company offset its carbon footprint and donates a portion of profits to 1% for the Planet.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“In summer 2020, Paskho launched a new ongoing project called Community Made. Through Community Made, Paskho is producing a small number of clothing items on-demand through a large network of individual homes of pattern makers and seamstresses who live in the U.S. Paskho has launched the project in the homes of skilled makers in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, with plans to extend to Detroit and California. I hope this project will allow Paskho to provide fair wages and better working conditions for American makers, many of whom are from underserved communities that suffered job loss in the pandemic. If all goes well, we may soon move all of our production from factories in Asia and be an all-American made brand.” ���Patrick Robinson

Owner: Al Berrios

Year founded: 2013

What We Do

Since 2013, Outerthere.com has been working with tour operators, rental partners, and other guides collaboratively to host hundreds of small-group hikes, bike rides, paddling trips, and more for beginners in our local New York City market. We’re on a mission to help everyone gain access, feel welcome, and be included in the outdoors.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“Outerthere is a mission-driven outdoor activities brand. We put our guests (aka ‘fam’) first. We don’t treat them like transactions. Rather, we invest heavily in access, support, and quality control of our experiences. That translates into programs that support our fam’s local communities so they can get outdoors easier. We create subsidies for fams going through financial challenges, and offer grants for local environmental conservation groups that include BIPOC feedback in their work. We have also created lending libraries for our fam because not having the fanciest gear shouldn’t be an obstacle to participating in outdoor activities. Most of our fam come from diverse backgrounds, are beginners in many of the activities on our calendar, and are concentrated in the New York/New Jersey area (though this fall we’re bringing our unique trips to Baltimore). We operate year round and about 30 percent of our fams book multiple trips per year.” ���Al Berrios

Owners: Roland Burns and Ellie Lum

Year founded: 1998

What We Do

We launched R.E.Load over 20 years ago to design a better messenger bag. Today, we sell all types of cycling bags���basket, seat, and belted bags, as well as backpacks, saddlebags, and chain lock covers. All products are made by hand in Philadelphia. R.E.Load donates a percentage of sales from certain products, like the Lil Jawn Hip Pack, to a rotating selection of projects and groups that amplify Black cyclist voices.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“Cyclists can customize their R.E.Load bag to fit their needs. Bags and accessories can be tailor-made based on features for organization, reflective options, and colorful or long-lasting materials. Even minute details such as the color of the thread can be selected. More notable, R.E.Load was the first company to offer personalized appliqu矇 graphics on messenger bags and continues to be hailed as experts for this specialized service.” ���Roland Burns and Ellie Lum

Owner: David Boone

Year founded: 2014

What We Do

The Towne Cycles is a community-based bike shop that specializes in custom builds for commuters. We reuse or upcycle older parts and personally design bike builds for their intended use���whether that���s a daily commute, a race, or riding down the coast of California. That ensures that each bike is fitted to the buyer and no bike goes unloved. We also offer a small selection of pre-built bikes, frames, and parts for purchase.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“We care about community. We care about our buyers and what matters to them. We care that people (women, LGBTQ+, minorities, homeless people, etc.) are empowered and not shunned, neglected, or condescended to for who they are or what they know. The Towne Cycles serves many clientele at discounted rates, sometimes for free, and will work on bikes that other shops won’t. We love to solve a good problem and provide excellent service while doing so.” ���David Boone

Owner: Abby Dione

Year founded: 2011

What We Do

Coral Cliffs is an indoor rock climbing gym in Ft. Lauderdale that offers 87 top-roped routes, 25 lead routes, bouldering, slabs, aretes, overhangs, arches, and roofs. The routes change on a weekly basis, so visitors never get bored and remain challenged. Coral Cliffs welcomes new and experienced climbers with classes, private instruction, gear rental, and single-day or seven-visit passes.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“I became the first queer Black woman to own an indoor rock climbing gym when I opened Coral Cliffs 10 years ago. Since then, I’ve tried to make my gym a safe space for BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+, and young climbers. This has resulted in such things as a local youth rock climbing team and more women involved in the sport through our monthly Lady���s Night. During the pandemic, Coral Cliffs has struggled to stay open, but the nation rallied to save the gym, raising over $120K through a GoFundMe campaign.” ���Abby Dione

Owner: Kokeb Kassa

Year founded: 2019

What We Do

At泭Teffley, we make delicious Ethiopian plant-based snacks���crackers, barley kernels and bars���that contain all-natural ingredients like honey and cocoa, with no dairy or processed sugar. Teffley snacks are perfect to take on a bike ride, a hike, a weekend camping trip, or any adventure.

What Makes Us Special in the Outdoor Industry

“Barley Crunch (barley kernels) and Teff Crunch (crackers) are the favorite snacks of our world-famous Ethiopian runners. When these runners train in the high altitude mountains of Ethiopia, they count on these snacks to boost energy, increase immunity, and provide nutrients. Food is integral to any culture and our mission at Teffley is to connect cultures through food. These are snacks that we grew up eating in Ethiopia and now we are sharing them with the world.” ���Kokeb Kassa

Article originally published on February 1, 2021 and updated on February 15, 2023

The post 24 Black-Owned Outdoor Businesses Making the Industry a Better Place appeared first on 窪蹋勛圖厙 Online.

The best travel wardrobe includes versatile items fit to withstand stains, dirt, and many consecutive days of use. After months of testing, including a weeklong trip in North Carolina and a four-day beach and surf getaway in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, we narrowed down the field to our top eight.

Smartwool Merino Sport Ultralite Anorak ($130)

When you need something lightweight to stave off a cool breeze, grab this thin windbreaker. It scrunches down to the size of an apple, with merino mesh arm panels and button-shut side slits that provide good airflow. (XS���XL)

Outdoor Research Chehalis Overalls ($109)

Roomy enough to hike in, these overalls are a perfect anchor for your travel wardrobe. They���re made from a thin, breathable DWR-treated cotton-polyester ripstop and boast seven pockets, including a phone-size one on the chest. (XS���XL)

Columbia Pleasant Creek Stretch Dress ($80)

This warm-weather dress has built-in spandex undershorts and a bra that provides low-impact support for a range of chest sizes, whether you���re hiking or beach lounging. The water- and stain-repellent polyester-elastane fabric is stretchy and has UPF 50
protection. (XS���XXL)

Kodiak Brigden Shoes ($125)

Compliments flew whenever testers wore these mesh and suede shoes: whether on a brewery patio or on the trail, they went with everything. A thick EVA midsole and roomy toe box keep feet happy, while a stain-repellent treatment keeps these kicks clean in sloppy conditions. (5���11)

Flylow Phoenix Shirt ($85)

No one in town will guess this polyester-spandex snap-up collared shirt is designed for hiking, fishing, and camping. Sure, it dries in a flash and you can stash cash or earbuds in the rear zipper pocket. But the fun patterns and form-fitting (not restrictive) cut offers modern aesthetics that fit in around town. (XS���XL)

Tracksmith New England Overshirt ($198)

The ecycled wool-cotton-nylon blend is cozy but not suffocating, perfect for keeping you comfortable on long travel days. A boxy silhouette makes layering easy, and it even has hand pockets like a true jacket. (XS���L)

Manduka Essence Bra ($50)

The soft, wicking blend of recycled polyester and spandex used in the Essence is ideal for traveling. Plus, its crisscrossed straps and thick, wide, foldover underband with smooth edges provide proper support for low-impact activities like yoga, kayaking, and hiking. Even our D-cup testers were pleased by it. (XS-XL)

Teva Midform Universal Canvas Sandals ($60)

Teva went cute with these canvas sandals. The thick midsole and furry straps yield all-day comfort for both rocky beach walks and urban exploration. Meanwhile, the cream color and chunky silhouette ooze style, no matter where they take you. (5���12)

The post The Best Women���s Travel Gear of 2022 appeared first on 窪蹋勛圖厙 Online.

In 2008, James Edward Mills��� perception of American history was changed forever.泭

While interviewing filmmaker Ken Burns about his documentary series The National Parks: America���s Best Idea at Outdoor Retailer, the journalist and founder of The Joy Trip Project asked a question that would eventually alter the course of his professional life. ���What are you going to do to tell the stories of non-white people in this documentary?��� Mills asked Burns.

Burns explained that the series would surface narratives of Black people in the national parks that haven���t historically received media coverage, like how the Buffalo Soldiers, a Black cavalry in the Civil War, were the first protectors of Yosemite in 1909.

“Wait a minute,” Mills recalled thinking. “The Buffalo Soldiers were in Yosemite in 1909?” He could hardly believe it. ���I grew up in California,��� he said. ���I lived and worked in Yosemite for several years, and I was hearing this story for the first time.���

The conversation with Burns was a revelation for Mills. If there was one story about Black people in the outdoors he wasn���t aware of, he realized, there were probably many more. ���It was the beginning of my interest in the relationship between people of color and the outdoors���specifically in regard to national parks,��� he said.

That interest took him on a research trip through history. The result, a book of stories exploring the narratives of Black Americans in the outdoors, is called Unhidden, and it’s forthcoming from National Geographic.

A Lifelong Love of the Outdoors

Mills��� fascination with the outdoors began early in life. As a child, he belonged to a Los Angeles Boy Scout troop that regularly embarked on camping and hiking trips around Southern California.

���Growing up, I assumed everybody had some outdoor experience,��� Mills said. ���I didn’t realize I was different.���泭

After graduating from college, Mills sold camping equipment at REI and worked as a guide and outfitter before eventually transitioning to The North Face���s customer-service department. At 25, he became TNF���s regional Midwest sales representative, and although he was good at it, it started to change his perspective of the industry. By the mid-2000s, he had gone from advocate to skeptic based on what he saw as the insular and blinkered nature of the outdoor economy.

���I started to get frustrated that we were only selling products to each other,��� he said. ���The outdoor industry wasn’t talking to the people I went to high school with and many of the people I went college with. As an industry, we weren’t doing a good job of expanding the market to emerging demographics.���

Mills wanted to help the industry understand how much it lacked in terms of diversity���but he didn���t consider his position as a sales representative an effective way to do that. His wife was a reporter for Wisconsin Public Radio, a career he greatly admired, so he started to consider journalism as a means by which he might be able to affect change. It wasn���t until the September 11 attacks, however, that Mills decided to commit himself fully to that path.泭泭

���When it happened, I realized the whole world had changed,��� Mills said. ���I was working for Columbia at the time, and all I could do that day was sell shoes.��� Being able to tell stories seemed like a better way to make a dent in the world’s problems.泭

In 2003, he became a business reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal to hone his journalistic skills and break into the business. Three years later, he began to look for opportunities in his old stomping ground, the outdoor industry.泭

He found one, as luck would have it, while surfing 窪蹋勛圖厙 magazine���s website. A story had recently been published about a friend of his, the rock climber Todd Skinner, who had died in an accident in Yosemite. Mills decided he wanted to cover the funeral. He reached out to a friend who worked at 窪蹋勛圖厙 Business Journal (at the time called Snews) about taking on the assignment. The editor agreed.泭

Rather than write the story as an article, Mills decided to create an audio segment, which became the first episode of Snews��� inaugural podcast. Based on the success of his piece, Mills was offered a full-time position at the publication. He took it, but was laid off quickly thereafter when the recession hit in 2008.

Finally, in 2009, he created his own media organization, The Joy Trip Project���a blog, website, and podcast covering outdoor recreation, conservation, and sustainability. With his new platform, Mills was finally able to write about the relationship people of color have with outdoor spaces���his goal since the beginning.泭

Writing ���Unhidden���

As The Joy Trip Project grew in scope and influence, Mills began working with National Geographic, a partnership that gave the global media brand confidence in Mills��� ability to write a book. When he finally pitched it to them, they had few reservations.

Unhidden will be part narrative and part travel guidebook, with photographs by Kris Graves, whose work appeared on the cover of National Geographic���s 2020 Year in Pictures issue.泭

���Graves and I will go around the country to places managed by the National Park Service that have significant stories about Black people in American history,��� Mills said. ���The book will start in Florida and follow the expansion of the Spanish conquest, taking readers north and ending in Alaska.���

By examining the national parks through the lens of Black stories, Mills hopes to show how integral Black people have been to the country���s history and outdoor spaces. ���I’m hoping that people of color will see themselves as part of the entire narrative,��� Mills said.

Some of the stories in Unhidden will include the first all-Black American summit attempt of Denali (also covered in Mills��� first book, The 窪蹋勛圖厙 Gap, published by Mountaineers Books in 2014), the construction of Fort Monroe in Virginia by enslaved Black men, and the multi-generational saga of Black tour guides of Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.

���History has been told almost exclusively through the white gaze, but by casting the Black gaze on the narrative, we find these hidden stories and see the Black presence in the outdoors in every moment in American history,��� Mills said.泭

Perhaps most important, the book will make connections between the past and the present, to show how Black people not only impacted the creation of our national parks, but how that influence ripples forward to impact future generations. Unhidden will draw parallels, for instance, between the first Black man to climb Denali, Dr. Charles Crenchaw, and the first all-Black American Everest expedition, which will attempt to summit the mountain this summer.泭

These and other stories will reflect and inform each other, Mills explained, as they intersect with some of the greatest chapters in American history, like the Civil Rights Movement. “On July 2, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. looked over the shoulder of Lyndon Johnson as Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law,��� Mills said. ���Seven days later, Crenchaw summited Denali and literally personified King���s ���I Have a Dream��� speech, which alludes to climbing mountains. It just shows that spending time outdoors is another act of civil rights.���

Some of the stories in Unhidden even echo multiple times across history, forming a mosaic of meaning. Two hundred years after the first enslaved people from Africa landed at Hampton, Virginia, in August 1619, enslaved Black men built Fort Monroe on the same site between 1819 and 1834. Fort Monroe became a significant military outpost in the Civil War, acting as a jumping-off point for Union campaigns into the Confederacy, and later served as a refuge for slaves escaping the South. It eventually became known as the ���first self-contained Black community in the nation,��� according to the National Park Service. The 400-year saga of Hampton, Virginia and Fort Monroe will be laid out in the book to illustrate its importance through time, leading right up to today.

���If you fast forward to 2012, the first national monument designation from the first Black president was Fort Monroe by Barack Obama,��� Mills said. ���As time compresses in the same spot, you get four pivotal moments in American history with Black people as the focus.���

Hopes for the Project

Unhidden is slated for publication in 2024, and Mills is deep in the research phase. Still, he���s already looking ahead to his next big project, he said.

���My next book [will be] a biography of Matthew Henson, the first Black man to make it to the North Pole in 1909,��� said Mills. It will examine Henson���s life as an explorer and discuss how people of color will play a major role in preserving outdoor spaces and fighting climate change in the future.

Mills may be diving into history with his books, but he says he���s constantly confronted with evidence that they���re more relevant today than ever. At the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show this January, Mills was given a photograph of a class of high school students holding copies of his first book, The 窪蹋勛圖厙 Gap. They had all read it and absorbed its lessons. (Watch Mills explain some of the principles of that book in the video below.)

���We have people [in this country] who are trying to prevent us from teaching history, and my book is now in schools,��� Mills said. ���It means a lot to me that I���m someone who has helped to push forward a conversation that kids are now learning about.���

Ultimately, Mills hopes Unhidden shows the outdoor industry what he learned long ago���that recognizing these histories is crucial to building a better outdoor space and a better future.泭

���Black folks helped create what we now call America,��� Mills said. ���Once people know these stories and see outdoors access as a civil rights issue, I hope they ask themselves, ���What am I going to do? What’s next?������

The post Uncovering the Hidden Narratives of Black Americans in the Outdoors appeared first on 窪蹋勛圖厙 Online.

Jahmicah Dawes pointed to the surface of the pond. ���Do you see the fish?��� Three-year-old Silas looked over his father���s shoulder from his perch in the child carrier and asked, ���Where?��� Heather Dawes took a photo of father and son, making sure not to awaken one-year-old Finis, who had fallen asleep strapped to her chest at the start of the hike. The family was surrounded by lush green hills in an untouched natural area in North Central Texas that will become Palo Pinto Mountains State Park in a couple of years. For a few hours, they walked through fields of wildflowers and up and down rocky inclines, exploring a park that did not yet have trails.

Such peaceful moments have been rare for Jahmicah and Heather Dawes lately. When the pandemic hit in March 2020, the Daweses���like so many other small-business owners���went into a dark period of debt, depression, and fear for the survival of their specialty shop, Slim Pickins Outfitters (SPO). But then a lucky break led to a viral documentary about their family, a surprise influx of cash, and a second chance for SPO. For the small-town entrepreneurs, the ups and downs of the past year have been overwhelming. Especially coming to terms with just how important their shop is in the outdoor industry.

First of Its Kind

Opening an outdoor gear shop wasn���t exactly a lifelong dream for the Daweses. In 2012, Jahmicah graduated from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, with a fashion merchandising degree. Stephenville is about an hour and a half west of Dallas-Fort Worth, amid a treasure trove of outdoor adventure. That same year he met Heather. The two stayed in town so Heather could finish her studies at Tarleton State, with no clear plans to settle down there.

Back then, the idea of starting an outdoor store was on their radar, but only as a joke: ���my friends and I had this running gag, like one day someone���s going to open an outdoor shop in Stephenville, make a whole bunch of money, and hit it rich,��� Jahmicah said.

Right after the couple married in 2014, Michael Brown was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri, and racial tensions increased in Stephenville, a white-majority city where the Klu Klux Klan held a rally in 2007. The couple considered moving to a more diverse place that would be welcoming of their interracial relationship and future children, even applying to jobs across the U.S. In 2016, a sneaker company offered Jahmicah a job if he was willing to move to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. For a man who loved sneaker culture, it seemed like an easy answer. But Jahmicah had something else brewing in his mind.

���I remember it as clear as day,��� Heather said. ���We were driving to my parents��� house and he pitched SPO to me.��� The old joke had finally started to make business sense to Jahmicah, and he figured they���d have the support of the community they���d been part of for years. ���I said, ���We���ll do it. We���ll try it. But when this fails, we are out of here. I���m not living here anymore.������

So the couple opened SPO in 2017���unknowingly becoming the first Black-owned outdoor gear shop in the U.S. In fact, there weren���t many Black-owned outdoor businesses in the industry, period.

���I always say the joke is on us because we opened the shop and we���re definitely not rich,��� Jahmicah laughed. But between 2017 and 2020, SPO did well, and for the most part, revenue increased each year. Though Heather wasn���t completely sold on the idea of SPO at the beginning, by 2020 she was all in. ���My attitude toward the store had definitely changed,��� she said. ���We were both doing things to make it work. I was making sure we could make payroll.��� On weekends and days off from her full-time job as executive director of a local nonprofit, ���I work the shop or do back-office stuff so we don���t have to pay other people to do that,��� she said.

Jahmicah, Heather, their family, and their staff all play different roles in the store���s success. Heather can usually be found behind the cash register, managing the finances, or running the shop���s social media. Finis maneuvers around displays and clothing stands in a baby walker, while Silas plays with a toy cash register on a bench or follows his dad around the store.

Creative endeavors and community engagement are Jahmicah���s forte, and his vision is apparent when you enter SPO. The sounds of blues, rock, or folk music on vinyl greet you as you inhale the smell of charred wood, smoky embers, and spice from burning incense, and feel Bill Murray, the family���s basset hound, nuzzling your feet. The shop holds a colorful array of outdoor gear, like apparel, shoes, blankets, water bottles, bags, mugs, and vintage items displayed on wood-pallet walls.

On weekends, locals crowd the shop for community events like yoga or bikepacking classes. Jahmicah has created an experience that fits with one of his many sayings: ���it may be Stephenville out there, but it���s ���Stephen-Chill��� in here.���

But just as the store was growing steadily and flirting with success, the pandemic hit, and everything they���d worked so hard to build came very close to slipping through their fingers.

An Unexpected Call

In 2020, ���we were heading into year three and feeling really good,��� Heather said. ���We had paid down a lot of debt. But the week that we had been open for three years is when we had to close down.���

SPO closed its brick-and-mortar shop for part of March and all of April per the state���s orders, then reopened with retail-to-go and limited in-person shopping in summer. Around the time Jahmicah and Heather celebrated the birth of their second child that May, the future of their business became of great concern. Bills were due, and though they received a U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) loan and one month���s free rent from the retail building���s owner, their debt increased as sales dropped significantly. Jahmicah had to get a second job working a stock position overnight at Home Depot, then a grocery store, through the summer so SPO could make payroll.

���It���s not a super-high-income area within a 40-mile radius,��� Heather said. ���A lot of people don���t have disposable income. In a pandemic, you need food and water, and to make sure that your bills are paid, and that���s it.���

With each month that passed, the possibility of having to close the shop increased. ���I remember going to Google to search ���how do you sell a business,������ Jahmicah recalled. ���I called a buddy who had bought an outdoor business and asked him, ���Did you have a realtor or was there a broker?��� He broke down the process but then said, ���Hey, you���re not there yet. When it���s that time, I will help you however I can,������ Jahmicah said. ���That held some weight. I said, ���Okay then, we will suffer a little bit longer.������

And suffer they did, until July 2020, when they received a surprising call.

The Outbound Collective, a digital media platform, wanted the Daweses and SPO to be the focus of its next documentary in the #Everyone窪蹋勛圖厙 film series. Brian Heifferon, co-founder and CEO, learned about SPO through an Instagram Live event that July, hosted by the PR firm Jam Collective, in which Jahmicah spoke about representation in the outdoor industry. Heifferon realized the family and their shop would be a perfect fit.

���The goal of our film series is to elevate the stories of remarkable individuals who���ve traditionally been excluded from the outdoor industry���s dominant narrative,��� he said. ���We thought their purpose and their story really needed to reach more people.���

A crew flew out in November 2020. After a week of shooting, and learning the full extent of SPO���s precarious financial situation, The Outbound Collective and its partner production company, Wondercamp, suggested starting a GoFundMe campaign for the shop.

The Daweses were a bit hesitant at first to share personal details about their family life and financial affairs. ���It was a tough decision to make because the video and the GoFundMe would be public,��� Jahmicah said. ���We prayed about it.��� Deciding that the trade-off was worth it, they ultimately moved forward with the crowdfunding campaign, launching with a goal of $142,000 at the same time the film was released last February. Donations flooded in from friends, strangers as far away as New Zealand, and businesses like Taos Ski Valley. By the end, more than 4,400 donors gave a total of $172,001. (And the movie was selected for four film festivals this year, including the Roxbury International and Mountainfilm.)

���Having so many people we don���t know donate to the GoFundMe was a humbling experience,��� Jahmicah said. ���It shows that what we are doing here is important and resonates with people.���

A Second Chance

The Daweses never expected the barrage of nationwide support they received. The store���s Instagram went from 6,000 to 21,000 followers in a few days and the online shop saw a flood of orders.

���We were down to the very bare bones of product because we didn���t have any money,��� Heather said. They sold out of everything in 12 hours. Eventually people could only pre-order products; SPO���s branded T-shirts and hats proved especially popular.

���We did half the revenue of 2020 in the month of February 2021,��� Heather said. ���Granted, our 2020 numbers were very down, and sales have definitely fallen off since then, but it was still better than what we expected.���

Jahmicah and Heather used the GoFundMe donations to pay off the store���s debt and their investors���so they now completely own the business (not the building). But though it���s easy to assume the donations solved all of SPO���s problems, the campaign didn���t overwhelmingly change their lives. It just helped the owners get back on their feet. ���When we tallied up what we made with the GoFundMe, it was what we needed to essentially start over,��� Jahmicah said. ���I���m very grateful for it, but we���re in an industry where we are still 10 steps behind. I get to reenter the building, but I���m still at the back of the line.���

That said, the Daweses have plenty of ideas to move forward. ���It���s been cool to see our online store grow,��� Heather said. ���We hope that continues.���

Jahmicah chuckled and raised his eyebrows. ���We need it to.���

SPO rehired a retail consultant they���d worked with in the past to create a plan to keep the store thriving. ���We are currently working off of a buying plan and have specific financial goals for the coming year,��� Heather said. ���We���re working to bolster our e-commerce as well so we can get our products, especially our private-label products, out to a larger market.���

In addition to the retail consultant, SPO will tap the expertise of a volunteer advisory board that includes the likes of Julie Atherton of Jam Collective; Heifferon of the Outbound Collective; Alex Bailey of Black 窪蹋勛圖厙; Koby Crooks, an outdoor independent sales representative with Alpine Cowboy; and Chad Haring, vice president and general merchandising manager of Dick���s Sporting Goods. All agreed to help after being inspired by the film.

���The goal is to find people that have an expertise and have them help us grow our brand and business,��� Heather explained.

Many small businesses, especially BIPOC-owned businesses, struggled or closed during the pandemic. So to be in this position���where the Daweses now own their shop and have an array of business experts at their back���feels like a blessing to Heather and Jahmicah.

���The fact that we were put on firm footing from the GoFundMe is really impactful,��� Heather said. ���It creates a different level of encouragement and wind in our sails. When things get tough we will always remember the kindness of those folks and feel a commitment to them.���

Paving the Way

The welcoming and inclusive atmosphere of SPO draws people like Alex Herrera, a Mexican American fly-fishing guide with Living Waters Fly Fishing. Herrerra also attended Tarleton State University, just down the street from SPO, but never knew the store existed until a friend from Montana sent him a link to the Outbound Collective film in February. As soon as he could, Herrera visited the shop, and he and Jahmicah quickly bonded over fly-fishing.

���It was such a cool thing to see a Black-owned shop in a town that would otherwise not want it here,��� Herrera said. ���Who else is going to set up a shop across from a Confederate monument? I said, ���That���s a place I need to go to because I���ve felt the judgment in this industry.��� Being someplace like this, where I can kill time and feel comfortable every second, is amazing.���

Herrera wasn���t the only person moved by the documentary to visit SPO. Some have taken weekend trips from Austin, while others driving cross-country or to Big Bend National Park have rerouted to stop at SPO and meet a family they admire.

The Daweses sometimes feel conflicted about their newfound fame, particularly how to authentically approach their new role as influencers in the outdoor industry. As Heather put it: ���Who wants to see us? We���re normal people.���

Still, the couple is forging ahead and learning more about branding and partnerships, expanding their marketing, and coming up with ways to build on the energy they received from the documentary. Jahmicah has plenty of ideas for the future���a podcast, blogs, gear reviews, brand and media partnerships, and nonprofit work. He has dreams of starting an incubator and accelerator program for people of color with outdoor business ideas.

���I was in REI the other day,��� Jamicah said, ���and got recognized by an Asian American employee who said, ���I want to thank you for what you���re doing.��� He then told me some of his business ideas. Why isn���t an incubator program with financial and business resources for people of color not a thing already? I know I���m not the first one to think of this, so where is this idea getting snuffed out?��� (SPO doesn���t have the bandwidth to start such a program now, but encourages any outdoor business with the capability to start a BIPOC incubator program to take the idea and run with it.) In the meantime, SPO will support BIPOC-owned businesses by looking for ways to carry their brands in-store and providing resources or a road map on what the Daweses did with their shop so others can follow.

���History shows that we, people of color, were the first stewards, cultivators, and conservationists of the land,��� Jahmicah said. ���Even if the papers or documents don���t say we own it, we were here, we worked and toiled over it, and that shows ownership.

���Just because we���re the first, we don���t want to be last. Even if we end up going down, we���ve shown it can work, should work, and that there should be more Black and brown bodies in the outdoors.���

It���s this spirit that Jahmicah and Heather instill in their sons, especially Silas, who loves interacting with visitors of SPO just like his father. Silas never hesitates to approach customers and ask them their names before starting a conversation. Perhaps it comes with the knowledge that SPO is his space.

���I tell Silas, ���This is our shop. I want you to repeat it. I want you to meditate on that,������ Jahmicah said as he watched his son play. ���With that, comes a sense of ownership and responsibility, and a drive to fight even more for it.

���Say it with me, Silas, ���This is ours. This is ours.������

The post How a Viral Documentary Saved the First Black-Owned Gear Shop appeared first on 窪蹋勛圖厙 Online.

Branwyn Essential Bralette ($38)

Our tester took this bra on an 11-day road trip and had to force herself not to wear it every day. The merino-wool fabric holds its shape and keeps cool.

Title Nine Round Trip Wide Leg Pants ($119)

With a simple clip behind the knee, these high-rise pants go from wide-leg to an eye-catching narrow pleated silhouette. That trick, plus a stretchy recycled-polyester-spandex fabric, means you can go from hiking to a night out.

CamelBak MultiBev Bottle ($50)

Two products in one, the MultiBev combines a 22-ounce stainless-steel water bottle with a 16-ounce coffee cup (silicone lid included) that twists off the bottom.

Prana Narkanda Top ($69)

This shirt, made from Tencel, modal, and polyester, can be cinched at the waist to fit a range of body types. Our tester paired it with tights for hiking and a jacket for a nice dinner out.

Under Armour Sportsmask ($30)

With a water-resistant exterior and a structured interior that keeps it away from your mouth, this is the ultimate mask for active pursuits.

Caraa Nimbus Medium Bag ($225)

Caraa fans have long asked for a smaller version of the brand���s popular Nimbus Large. The Medium delivers, with 14 compartments that collectively hold up to 23 liters.

Stream2Sea Refillable Twist-Up Pocket Hand Sanitizer ($13)

Made from 62 percent ethanol sourced from citrus, and with eucalyptus, camphor, and Vitamin E, this moisturizing spray doesn���t leave a sticky feel.

Hari Mari Fields Puebla Flip-Flops ($80)

You���ll last all day in these flip-flops, thanks to their firm arch support and memory foam-lined straps. The soft, vegetable-tanned leather comes in four colors.

Dragon Aria LL Sunglasses ($129)

The Aria���s lenses use color-optimizing technology for high-definition vision and reduced eye fatigue. That translates to total comfort on all-day drives.

Urbanears Alby Earphones ($69)

We love the Alby for its sweatproof design, 15 hours of charge, and great call quality���and the fact that the buds turn off automatically once placed in the case.

Allbirds Wool Cardi Sweater ($145)

Allbirds��� casual wool cardigan layers well and is easy to slip off when on the move. Its merino fabric also stays stink-free for long periods of travel.

The post The Best Women���s Travel Gear of 2021 appeared first on 窪蹋勛圖厙 Online.

Andrew Alexander King climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in boots he bought at Walmart. Now, his home is full of gear from some of the biggest brands in the outdoor industry like Black Diamond, Sea to Summit, and Mammut.

King will use the gear to achieve some grand goals like becoming the first African American to climb the Seven Summits. But here���s the thing: King isn���t your typical pro athlete who grew up learning to climb. He���s a freelance program manager who has worked for companies like Live Nation, Lego, and the New England Patriots.

So how did he become an athlete ambassador in the outdoor industry?

King was raised in poverty in Detroit and moved to Hawaii as a teen when he was adopted by his grandparents. It was there that he dove into the outdoors and taught himself to climb and surf. When George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery were killed last year, soon after his great grandmother died from COVID-19, King sought the one place where he felt safe.

���Mother Nature’s not trying to kill me. The outdoors was the safest space in my head,��� King said. ���After George Floyd, my protest was going to the mountains and into the ocean. If you’re going to kill me for being Black, then you’re going to have to find me in the middle of the ocean or at the top of a mountain.���

For years, King had been climbing around the world and volunteering and donating in communities he visited through his social awareness initiative, The Between Worlds Project. When he decided in 2020 to climb the Seven Summits, it was around the time that outdoor brands were spurred by the Black Lives Matter movement to reexamine their roster of athletes and take notice of the overwhelming lack of diversity. Many reached out to discuss partnerships with King, but he was mindful about how he entered the athlete ambassadorship space.

���When you look at mountaineering, it is a colonial sport. Most people who are getting publicity are of Caucasian descent,��� he said. ���I’m going to do this climbing goal in a way that’s breaking through glass ceilings and learning about issues in different communities along the way.���

King estimates that it will take $190,000 and ten years to complete his goal of climbing the Seven Summits. He will soon climb Denali in June with 窪蹋勛圖厙 Consultants. While most of his time is spent training for this endeavor, he found a moment to speak with us about how he���s holding brands accountable for how they work with and represent athletes of color.

How are you changing the way athletes work as ambassadors with brands?

I knew about athlete ambassadorships because I was a D1 track athlete at the University of Maine, and when you work for corporate spaces, you understand the economics and the contracts of what it means to be an ambassador. I think that’s what freaked out a lot of brands when they reached out this summer. They were like, ���This guy understands media rights contracts, like how much his image is worth. He’s not just going to take gear.���

I don���t just want free gear because I know, when you put my face on an ad, how much it’s going to be worth over time. It’s very rare to have an athlete that’s not a pro athlete come in and be like, ���You can have my photos for one year. Any time after that you have to re-sign or go through contracts.��� If you put my face up in 2023 without my consent, you’re profiting off that, which is exploiting my story and my culture to benefit your profits.

I’ve been working in the corporate space and know that every brand needs to have core values to keep them in line with what they’re doing. If your core values don���t align with mine, then I know you’re not going to be a good fit.

I tell outdoor brands, here are my core values: Can you leave a place better than when you found it? Do you empower people of color in that community, so they feel like you’re helping them? Do you give back to nonprofits? Do you establish some kind of ambassador program that lets people of color speak about their struggle and not take that struggle and profit off it? Can you show me your diversity and inclusion initiatives and how you’re going to elevate that over time?

I challenged the brands. I’m not putting any clothes on, I’m not tagging any photos, I’m not putting anything out, if you do not sign me with a contract because we’re in this together. And if you sign me, I’m not just going to take photos on top of a mountain. I’m going to talk about world issues, openly and publicly, and if you’re not comfortable with that, then we shouldn’t work together.

I’m trying to set up a place for athletes of color to really feel included. I think a lot of brands realized that I���m changing the way we think of activism and athletes in the outdoor space.

How did the brands respond?

The only brand that really got me was Black Diamond. Tyler Wicutt, sports marketing manager (who has since left the brand), heard about what I was trying to do with The Between Worlds Project and how I���m making sure I understand the people and their issues in local communities and bring them forward as I climb. Wilcutt said, ���This is bigger than climbing mountains. This is actually pushing things forward.���

They started loading me up with gear. They were followed by other brands over time, like Hoka One One and then Sea to Summit. Some people were pretty apprehensive because Black Diamond was tied up in the bad publicity with their parent company [who sold body armor, riot gear, and tear gas] used during the George Floyd protests. I met with them, we all sat down, and I said, ���None of us are perfect. I’m not perfect, you’re not perfect. But this story is about progression. If we’re going to do this, let’s build it together.���

There are other brands that are in the outdoor space that gave gear and stuff, but when we sat down and I really pushed those core value questions, they couldn���t answer them. You���ll put a [Black Lives Matter] posts up, but are you going to really start diversifying your portfolio of athletes? Can you tell me how you’re going to pick your athletes?

How can other athletes better navigate the ambassadorship space in the outdoors?

Find mentors and reach out. My mentor is Melissa Arnot Reid, the first woman to ascend and descend Everest six times. She already knows what it is to be a minority in a very male-dominant sport, and she did it on her own terms. Finding mentors that help you articulate what you’re trying to be and understanding your value really does help.

Secondly, understand from a corporate standpoint what your value is by knowing who you are.泭 A lot of individuals just take the gear, because they break through the glass ceiling, and think, ���I’m just taking anything I can get.��� You have to ask, how do you keep this going?

Can you explain why you started The Between Worlds Project and what you do with it?

Every time I go somewhere and climb, I give back to a nonprofit that is pushing through the glass ceiling, so we can stand above it collectively and diversely, to make a better place for the human race in the outdoor space. That���s The Between Worlds Project.泭

I look at the region and I see what they���re really struggling with. Then I look for a nonprofit that is not heavily funded or funded by an individual. I reach out and say I’m looking to come and learn about their struggles and issues and help elevate it. Plus, I donate up to $200 of wishlist items to them. In the Dominican Republic, Charlie���s Foundation needed school supplies, so I donated face masks and up to 250 school supplies like construction paper, glue sticks, pencils, chalk, and white boards.

For Denali, the issue I’m going to tackle is racism because it���s one that’s close to me, and something we struggle with in America. I am going to donate $1,000 to Kai Lightner���s nonprofit, Climbing for Change. I don’t want to do just a monetary band aid, but I know for him, he needs it because he gives that money to other individuals and provides them the chance to buy gear. If I have enough, I want to donate $500 to the NAACP chapter within Minnesota for George Floyd.

I’ve always paid for The Between Worlds Project for the last six years. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to go to school, earn two degrees, and work for Fortune 500 companies. This is how I wish to give back on my journey.

What will you do after you summit the Seven?

When I’m at the top of Everest, I’m walking away. I’m going to go back to helping nonprofits, be an old guy surfing. It’ll be someone else’s turn. For now, I���m setting up structures with certain brands, so individuals, like women and men of color, really have an opportunity to speak and tell their story with brands that will help them.

The post Redefining Athlete Ambassadorship in the Outdoor Industry appeared first on 窪蹋勛圖厙 Online.

As teachers, Breanne Acio and her wife Lacey have always enjoyed their summers off, traveling extensively around the world together. In 2016, they took one of their most memorable trips to date: a two-month journey from San Diego to the Olympic Peninsula in a camper van they built out themselves.

���We absolutely fell in love with the freedom that a camper van brought, but after the first month, it was super lonely,��� Acio said. ���It was an isolating experience being away from everyone.���

The couple attended a Washington “vanlifer” gathering they heard about on social media and got a taste of the kind of community they sought. Upon returning to San Diego, they decided to host their own gathering.

In March 2018, the couple founded two companies at the same time: SD Camper and The Vanlife App using their entire combined life savings. At SD Camper, they customized about 100 vans with kitchens, beds, and benches, and maintained a rental fleet of 15. The Vanlife App was a budding platform for travelers that addressed a real need: ���The biggest problem was not people finding an RV or tent to rent,��� Acio said. ���It was helping vanlifers find safe places to sleep and connecting them with like-minded people.��� A year later, the couple realized that SD Camper was taking time away from their first passion���connecting with people. So they closed their doors and Acio turned her attention to improving The Vanlife App with Shisler.

The Vanlife App

Acio didn���t have the tech or coding skills to fully create The Vanlife App herself, but she knew she had a great idea, so she looked for resources. Through San Diego State University, she was able to participate in ZIP Launchpad, a startup incubator that taught her about business and product development. She received an initial investment of $70,000 from Andy Ballester, founder of GoFundMe, in 2019. She then entered Techstars, a startup accelerator, where she worked with a director who had a track record of helping female- and BIPOC-led companies.

���If it weren���t for the [Zip Launch Program], I would never in a million years have created a technology company,��� Acio said.���I didn’t think it was accessible. I don’t know how to develop or code. I’m the person that you test an app on to see if it will work.���泭

While there are plenty of RV and camping apps like The Dyrt, iOverlander, and RVParky, The Vanlife App sets itself apart through community features that help users connect with other road-trippers through virtual and in-person events and in-app messaging with nearby travelers.

The app currently has over 30,000 approved parking and campsites in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, each with detailed descriptions of the sites, a list of features (restrooms, showers, dump station, laundry, Wi-Fi, etc.), cost, directions, and ratings and reviews. About 90 percent of the content is user-generated. The growth curve has been steep: In January 2021, the app had 11,000 users. By March, it had climbed to 40,000.

Sekr: The Next Frontier for the Vanlife App

���During the pandemic, especially at first, so many public lands and private campgrounds shut down. There were people on the road traveling full time who had no place to go,��� Acio said. ���So we ended up getting 100 properties to sign up to share their yard or driveway. It morphed into our new feature, Camp Share, which allows hosts to offer their driveway or land for travelers on the road.���

Where competitors have sites that are $50 to $100 per night, Camp Shares are $35 per night or lower���and some are free.

Acio and Shisler are looking for more hosts and working to make Camp Share sites and campsites in private campgrounds, state parks, and national parks all bookable through the platform. They���re also building a premium subscription model that offers additional information and features to members. Part of that membership will include being able to use a network of campgrounds for free.

In the next few months, The Vanlife App will get a new name: Sekr (pronounced “seeker”).

���The definition [of a seeker] is a person, inquisitive by nature, in search of broader meaning and deeper understanding,��� Acio said.

Paying Attention to Marginalized Communities

The Vanlife App, soon to be Sekr, is focused on making the outdoors less lonely, more accessible, and more inclusive���and it does that through representation.泭

���I’m very proud that I’m a queer, plus-size woman of color in the outdoors,��� said Acio.���It’s so important for us to have models to feel like we can exist in a specific industry or place, because it starts to diversify the narrative within the current leadership.���泭

Not only is Sekr women-founded and led, but over 60 percent of its employees are women, half are queer, and 40 percent are BIPOC. On social channels Sekr uses diverse images, takes public stands on social-justice issues, and uplifts ���underestimated leaders in the outdoor recreation space by helping them host events and raising their platforms.���

The founders integrate representation into the app as well, such as through a Native Lands overlay map feature. Acio and Shisler are exploring different ways to integrate badges that could denote campsites as ���LGBTQ+ safe.���泭

Acio explained, ���We have different needs and experiences, and the outdoor industry needs to serve [us]. Plus, it’s profitable.���

That said, Acio���s main focus isn���t to make money, but to change people���s lives for the better.泭

���We’re not just an information platform. We’re a place where you can find community and people to connect with, whether you’re traveling full-time or part-time or you’re a weekend warrior,” she said. “With Sekr, you can find the people and events that are like you.”

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Marinel de Jesus started hiking through Meetup.com, an online community where people can organize group gatherings, 18 years ago in the Washington D.C. metro area, where she worked as a lawyer. Most of the leaders and participants were white men and she felt alienated as an Asian woman. They spoke to only one another, avoided eye contact with her, and the conversations died when she tried to engage with them.

Since joining the outdoor industry���first as a hiker and now as the founder of Brown Gal Trekker and The Porter Voice Collective���de Jesus has experienced anti-Asian microaggressions, verbal assaults, and online attacks which she has written about in various publications (like Appalachian Mountain Club and 窪蹋勛圖厙).

In March, de Jesus wrote a blog post that caught our attention, ���Say Something Because Hatred is Killing Us: Dismantling The AAPI Invisibility Problem in the Outdoors.��� We reached out to de Jesus about the Stop AAPI Hate movement and the responsibility that the outdoor industry to take a stance. Below is our edited conversation with her.

Have you experienced anti-Asian racism in the outdoors?

Yes. In the Meetup hiking groups, men would sometimes ask, ���Where are you from?��� When I said I was from D.C., they woild reply, ���No, where are you from?��� I knew exactly what they were implying, so I���d respond, ���I’m Filipina.��� They would then say, “Oh, you’re from the Philippines.��� I didn’t say I was born there; they just assumed I was a foreigner. I���m an immigrant, but I don’t say “immigrant” because I hope people won’t bother me if they think I���m U.S.-born.

People would also joke about other Asian ethnicities around me, like make fun of Chinese people, for instance. Even if they were targeting others, it still affected me.

But the worst encounters have been with people I pass on trails in the middle of nowhere. They���ve called me ���chink��� or said ���konnichi wa” to me. Some have even said, ���What are you doing here? Go back to your country,��� before laughing.

Have you experienced increased Asian racism in the last year?

I have online. For example, when the Appalachian Mountain Club blog published my experience with racism six months ago, the Facebook comments were bad. It really traumatized me and took me back to the times when people have been racist in-person toward me. I thought writing the blog was going to expand people’s minds, but there was more negative than positive, and it discouraged me from writing about my own personal experiences. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any defense coming from the publication.

I realize there’s danger with being an advocate and publishing your stories, but publications shouldn’t exploit my voice without offering any kind of support when trolls go after me.

Many outdoor companies outsource their production to factories in Asian countries, and yet we haven���t seen much commentary from the industry about AAPI hate. What are your thoughts on that?泭泭

At the Outdoor Retailer shows, I observed that the conference was divided into leading brands dominating the main floors and a totally separate area���almost hidden on the basement level���populated by Asians and their businesses on the supply and manufacturing side. That’s the extent of visibility of Asian faces at OR with the exception of one to five AAPI people that I���ve seen on the mainstream side of the show.

Outdoor brands are reliant and dependent on Asian-owned businesses, manufacturers, laborers, and suppliers. The industry cannot function without them. We are giving you cheap labor. The people making your clothes in the Philippines could be my relatives or friends. If the outdoor industry is doing something illegal, unethical, immoral, and inequitable in China, Bangladesh, India, or the Philippines where they manufacture stuff, that’s relevant to Asian Americans in the U.S. There is no disconnect.

We’re giving you what you want in terms of maximizing your profits in this industry and because of that, it creates a level of obligation and responsibility for you to take measures and a stance on the rising levels of AAPI racism in the U.S.

Do you think the outdoor industry makes space for Asian voices and recognizes racism toward AAPI?

When it comes to advocacy, Asian Americans are kind of left behind. I could speculate it’s because of our proximity to whiteness, or that we���re labeled as a “model minority.” Not only are we marginalized and experiencing a hate epidemic, but we���re seen as not having a racism problem. This is why Stop AAPI created a database of anti-Asian race incidents���so we can create a case that we do have these problems.

Based on my observation with outdoor panels, I also feel like we’re always the last ones to get the microphone. I want someone to speak on behalf of my own lived experience, but I feel like if someone wants conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion, they look for voices among other ethnic groups, even though there are Asian-American advocates across the outdoor space, like the leaders of Outdoor Asian and Climbers of Color.泭泭

Last year, I was trying to urge certain organizations to say something about the rising anti-Asian hate epidemic, but I got dismissed. So I started looking at the outdoor industry to see if anyone was speaking up and who the allies were. There was nothing, even when the violence was getting worse. I think in February or early March I finally saw The North Face post something about stopping AAPI Hate. The North Face said, explicitly, that they support their AAPI community and are against the violence. It had an amazing impact on me. I felt visible. I hate to say that because I did some research on The North Face and the company has had some labor issues in Bangladesh and India, but I did feel better seeing that post.

What advice do you have for the outdoor industry professionals to create a more welcoming environment and to provide more allyship to the AAPI community?

I would like advocacy for AAPI in the outdoor industry to be more visible. In terms of brands and companies, they may be posting about their solidarity or bringing on Asian-American ambassadors and athletes, but behind that, what is the real work that they’re doing for the Asian-American community? Companies need to value their communities, take a stance, speak up, create spaces, donate, or fund something versus simply promoting token Asian-American ambassadors or athletes.

The recent AAPI chat put on within the Basecamp community was an eye-opening experience. For one, it became apparent that AAPIs face a multitude of issues in the outdoor industry, which can be diverse in and of itself, as we come from various backgrounds and experiences. There were honest discussions about being an AAPI in the outdoor industry and tackling the issue of “privilege,” and how that privilege can be used to elevate AAPIs. There were also concerns raised about career advancement and how to navigate a space that is still predominantly white.

Given the complexities of the AAPI identity and the nuances of being an AAPI in the outdoor industry, it would be of great benefit to continue the AAPI chat, but with clear guidelines on how to conduct conversations and ideally include a panel of AAPIs from diverse backgrounds for each session.泭

The post Marinel de Jesus on Anti-Asian Racism in the Outdoors泭 appeared first on 窪蹋勛圖厙 Online.

Small businesses and startups need more than just PPP loans and #ShopLocal sentiment. Never underestimate the power of good, intentional marketing. And you don’t need to a six-figure marketing budget to get the word out about your company. Here are five low-cost ideas to market your small outdoor business for success.泭

Get Earned Media

Earned media is editorial content that you didn���t pay for or create yourself, and it is gold for small businesses and startups. To score earned media, you���ll need to connect with staff writers, or editors who work at your target media outlets. Don���t overlook the opportunity to connect with freelance writers as they work with different outlets so there���s a possibility of additional coverage. While large outdoor businesses hire public relations and marketing firms to do the heavy lifting, small outdoor businesses must be ready to bootstrap it.泭

Before reaching out to the media, make sure you���re prepared to work with them. For instance, writers and editors need professional photos to accompany their articles and will ask you to provide them. High-quality, professional photographs can make or break an article so make sure you have these on hand. .泭

Once you���ve found the proper contact information for the writer or editor, write a short email introducing yourself and the company. (It���s not a bad idea to convey that you���ve read their work!) Pro tip: Mention that you���re available to speak on subjects relating to your outdoor expertise or share some ideas about how your company fits into a timely news story or outdoor trend.

If you don���t hear back in a week or so, it���s okay to send a short follow-up email. Your goal is to create a dialogue. Keep a close eye on Basecamp as journalists often post in search of a specific business or person to feature in an article. When outdoor conferences and events resume in-person, get a ticket! Media attend these events, making them a good opportunity to exchange business cards and connect personally.泭

Case study on connecting with media: Sweat and Sunshine

At the end of January, I put a call for Black-owned outdoor businesses to reach out to me on Helpareporter.com. This site, which is referred to as HARO, connects journalists with sources���publicists, business owners, etc. Janelle Sheppard, owner of Sweat and Sunshine, saw my post, reached out to me, and it resulted in a feature in 窪蹋勛圖厙 Business Journal’s Black-owned outdoor business series for Black History Month.泭

2. Collaborate with bigger brands, organizations, or experts

As a small outdoor business, it can be difficult to expand your reach to new customers. By collaborating with larger brands, working with organizations, or utilizing experts, you have a chance to connect with your partner���s audiences.泭

Collaboration can present itself in a number of ways. You could work with another outdoor company on a social media campaign to highlight awareness about an issue or commit to donating a percentage of profits to a nonprofit outdoor organization.泭

No matter how you choose to collaborate, make sure that the partnership entails an equal marketing campaign that includes cross-posting on social media, features in newsletters, and announcements about the partnership on each other���s websites.泭

Case study on collaboration: Crux Academy

Crux Academy launched at the end of 2020 and are offering online educational courses taught by outdoor experts with star power like Maddie Brenneman and Dr. Len Necefer. In working with these experts, Crux Academy is targeting that expert���s audiences, who tend to share the course on their social media sites, newsletter, and website.泭

3. Use social media wisely

If you want to garner new customers through social media, you must discover which platforms will work best for your company. If you���re a brick-and-mortar outdoor shop, you���ll need a Facebook page because it lists your address, store hours, etc. If you sell an outdoor product online, a Facebook and an Instagram account might be the way to go. A LinkedIn account is never a bad idea, as it allows you to professionally network with outdoor industry professionals.

Make sure that every social media account has the same name so that consumers can easily find you. This name should be your company name, rather than a generalized outdoor reference or an abbreviation. Every platform should have your website, a thorough explanation of your company, product, or service, and high-quality photographs and videos posted consistently. Hashtags that accompany posts are a great way for consumers to find you.

Last but not least, social media platforms run on algorithms so the more you���re involved on those sites, then the more consumers will be sent your way. Commenting and interacting with your followers and other outdoor brands and companies will improve your ranking in the algorithm, as might Instagram or Facebook live sessions, product giveaways, paid social media ads, polls on Twitter, etc.

Case study on social media giveaways: Basecamp

Basecamp recently launched a new giveaway series and marketed it in its newsletter and Facebook group, which has a combined audience of 30,000 people. For February 2021, the prize was a shower towel and a keychain mask by Matador. 2,466 people entered the giveaway and far more were exposed to Matador���s travel products.泭

4. Compete in outdoor business competitions

The four outdoor companies who won the Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator program���which aims to diversify entrepreneurship in the outdoors���received an extensive amount of marketing assistance as part of the prize. Not only did their products launch on Moosejaw.com and in Moosejaw stores, but the winners received a complete marketing and social media package, a featured article on GearJunkie.com, and an 8-week mentoring program that included marketing education courses.泭

Case study on leveraging small business competitions: Teffley

Teffley, an outdoor superfoods snack brand owned by Kokeb Kassa, won the 2019 Title Nine Pitchfest. As part of Kassa���s award, her company received marketing promotions through Title Nine���s website and social media accounts. And Teffley snacks will soon be available in Title Nine retail stores.泭

5. Target your marketing

Who is your audience? The simplest response may be anybody who loves the outdoors. However, that answer might not be in your best interest. Targeted marketing identifies niche audiences that are more likely to buy your product or utilize your service. When you recognize who your target audience may be, you can make more informed decisions about marketing initiatives, says the SEO team at BizCope.

To determine your target audience, think about your product or service and who really needs it. If you sell outdoor clothing made from recycled materials, perhaps your target audience is eco-conscious consumers. An outdoor snack that offers long-lasting energy is better suited to cyclists, runners, and adventure sports participants than those who take leisure hikes on occasion.

Once you know your key audience, you can target those audiences through specific hashtags on social media, online promotional ads, SEO, photographs or video, and when pitching yourself to media outlets.

Case study on targeted marketing: Alpine Parrot

Alpine Parrot founder, Raquel V矇lez, recognized that the outdoor industry has not adequately served the plus-size community and BIPOC women. She���s reaching these audiences through a marketing campaign, ���This is My Happy Place,��� which features泭 plus-size women of color in the outdoors through original illustrations (see feature illustration at top of page) by Elayna Speight of Inked Designs. The campaign showcases that these women and their experiences in the outdoors are championed by her company.

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