When it comes to versatility, vests are the best. They provide just a smidge of insulation between a base layer and an outer shell, offering a hug of warmth for your core while still allowing excess body heat to escape around your arms. But the right one will double as a casual accessory, too. These are our sleeveless favorites in an array of insulating fills and fabrics, each one perfect for a day on the trail followed by an evening by the fire.

Kora Stratam ($190)

Everyone needs a little black vest. We love the Stratam’s light pile interior, which provides warmth and moisture wicking, with a soft, smooth outer. The zippered waist pockets and rear cargo pouch securely held keys and a layer on winter runs. (men’s S–XXL)

Krimson Klover Sela Reversible ($149)

Stretchy side panels give this formfitting vest flex for skiing or hiking. In an instant, the reversible design transforms from a solid exterior with angled down baffles to a vintage-ski-inspired graphic. (women’s XS–L)

Brooks Shield Hybrid ($110)

This sleek vest offers wind resistance and warmth for high-output activities like running and skiing. A tough-but-light breathable ripstop face fabric encases poly-fiber insulation on the front, and an uninsulated back panel keeps you cool. Four discreet external pockets stash a phone, gloves, and a light shell. One pocket inside fits a house key. (men’s and women’s XS–XXL)

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ATG By Wrangler Men’s Fleece Bomber Vest ($70)

With a modern twist on the classic bomber jacket silhouette, this ATG by Wrangler men’s bomber vest takes outdoor style to another level. Plus, the vest features a warm fleece construction designed to give you plenty of comfort on all your cold-weather adventures. Layer it over your favorite base layers for some lightweight added warmth that won’t weigh you down.

Jack Wolfskin JWP ($100)

Jack Wolfskin’s JWP combines a classic ­puffer look with a 100 percent recycled polyester fabric and 100 percent recycled synthetic fill, and features a water-resistant, windproof outer and fast-drying, synthetic insulation. All that fits into a stuffsack the size of a softball, making it ideal for bringing along on outings in variable temperatures. (men’s S–3XL / women’s XS–XXL)

66° North Tindur ($175)

High-pile fleece gives the Tindur the look and feel of a sheep’s-wool coat but without the bulk. Large zippers, three external pockets, and stretch panels under the arms lend a rugged appearance. A bit longer in the back to offer additional butt coverage, this vest is ideal as an insulating layer beneath a technical shell for backcountry skiing or cold-weather hiking. (unisex S–XXL)

Canada Goose HyBridge Knit ($575)

Puffy, meet sweater. Front-facing baffles of 675-fill goose down are this vest’s primary source of insulation, while the back consists of knitted merino wool. The two work ­together to keep you warm without overheating. Ribbing at the hem, arm holes, and collar helps seal each opening. The hand-warmer pockets boast soft knit lining for added comfort. (men’s XS–XXL)

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The United States of America is in the midst of a national reckoning. In a land predicated on the notion of “liberty and justice for all,” we have long struggled with the glaring contradiction that not all men and women are treated equally. Even those of us who work in the seemingly neutral professions surrounding adventure sports and environmental conservation are complicit in the perpetuation of cultural disparities, limiting access to public land and outdoor industry careers. In the last few years, things have improved, but the pace of progress is concerning.

It was the 2020 shooting of Ahmaud Arbery—killed by three white men while jogging on a public street—that finally caught the outdoor industry’s attention. As protests erupted over the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, companies and institutions across many industries scrambled to show solidarity. Suddenly, there was a sense of urgency among CEOs, human resource managers, and public relations professionals to do a better job of representing the full spectrum of humanity, particularly those who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). The outdoor industry was no different, yet in many ways, we have a lot of work yet to do.

With lofty promises, industry organizations large and small have signed The Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge, created by social activist Teresa Baker and outdoor consultant Chris Perkins to hold companies accountable to change. Other brands have signed people of color as sponsored athletes or hired product designers and merchandising experts to create culturally authentic styles and fashion options. Boards of directors are moving slowly to become more racially diverse, while individuals and affinity organizations, like Outdoor Afro, Latino Outdoors, Native Womens Wilderness, and others are working to establish guidelines for equitable compensation and career advancement for BIPOC. That much is happening, and it’s exciting.

Still, the industry can do much more. Despite the fact that most of the legal barriers to accessing the great outdoors have been lifted, our trails, campgrounds, and companies remain overwhelmingly white. Now, as we emerge from a traumatic year stained by a global pandemic and defined by a social justice movement, we have another opportunity to reconcile our values through our way of doing business. We can work proactively to create an industry in which everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, physical ability, or sexual orientation is not only welcome to participate but encouraged to succeed.

It seems, however, we are allowing this moment to pass without making substantive changes. Each of the signatories of The Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge was asked to submit a report summarizing why the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) at their respective organizations are important. They were also required to identify what they hoped to achieve over the next five years.

“In December of 2020 we had 201 brands and companies sign the pledge,” said Baker. “Today we have 180. If they didn’t submit a report, we removed their ass. I don’t have time for games. You don’t just get to say, ‘Black Lives Matter.’ You don’t get to say you care about this work and then do nothing.”

Herein lies my skepticism. Though not a particularly difficult task, 21 companies failed to even articulate their desire to achieve JEDI in their places of business. For those that did, their reports are public—and in most cases, they’re frustratingly vague and short on details. We can manage only what we can measure and thus, companies and institutions must have a set of quantifiable goals. They must commit, for example, to increasing the number of BIPOC employees by two percent over a set period of time. And to achieve a goal like that, organizations need to strategically plan for and invest financially in workplace diversity, hiring consultants that are well versed in what it takes to dismantle embedded systems of bias. And it’s important that these efforts are transparent to public scrutiny and demonstrate a willingness for company leadership to be held accountable if they fail.

“No matter what happens, an organization must be willing to share where they are and why they are or aren’t achieving their goals,” Perkins said. “The learning is so much more valuable for the community when companies highlight the places where they’re not quite there yet, rather than producing a report strictly full of successes.”

Companies must boldly claim their intentions to change and work within the broader community to achieve the goals we all desire. They must do a better job of reaching out to every sector of the population so that no one is left out. Marketing managers must create campaigns and media collateral that are culturally relevant to specific ethnic groups and racial identities so that people from all walks of life can see themselves represented. They must build relationships with institutions of higher learning, like Historically Black Colleges and Universities, to attract a more diverse pool of job applicants. Professional organizations like the Greening Youth Foundation, for example, offer a suite of skills and expertise to make direct introductions to campus career advisors and alumni mentors who can help. Hire them! Organizations must also create training programs that encourage the cultural competency of management teams that can establish workplace environments that are safe and supportive for all. Regarding marketing and communications efforts, we can’t simply show more Black and brown faces in social media posts and campaigns. Diversity initiatives should be authentic to the experience of community brand ambassadors, and those ambassadors must be fairly compensated for their time and expertise—not paid in gear or media exposure.

As we venture back into the outdoors fully vaccinated, I fear that as an industry, we’re already starting to forget the shame and heartache of the last year. Once this “Oh shit!” moment has passed, I sincerely doubt that most institutions will stick to the pledges they made, however vague, and will opt instead for paths of least resistance. Motivated by fear, I believe we’ll see many companies opt for safe choices rather than risk the social media fallout from making a mistake while doing the important work of JEDI. Few will likely realize that they only fail if they give up on trying.

Some might insist that things are different now, that this time the outdoor industry has truly changed. I don’t believe it has. For those who disagree, I pose a simple challenge: dare to do better and prove me wrong.

The post Opinion: The Outdoor Industry Still Can’t Get DEI Right appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Almost 60 years after the first successful American ascent of Mount Everest, a team of U.S. climbers aims to make history once again on the world’s highest peak. Led by Phil Henderson, a former instructor at the National Outdoor Leadership School and a veteran Himalayan mountaineer, this group, made up of athletes from across the country, aspires to be the first all-Black American expedition to reach the summit.

This new project, called the Full Circle Everest Expedition, was announced at the Outdoor Retailer Summer show this August in Denver. Set to begin in 2022, the team aims to create a supportive cultural environment that will encourage other people of color to dream of climbing big mountains.

At a moment when much of the world is coming to grips with the glaring disparities of representation among people of color—in most human endeavors, not just outdoor sports—this remains one feat that Black Americans have yet to achieve. Though climber Sophia Danenberg, a Black woman based in Seattle, ascended the mountain in 2006, her great accomplishment has yet to be duplicated. And to date, no Black American man has ever made it to the top. Black men and women from Africa and Jamaica have reached the famed Himalayan peak. But never before has a team composed exclusively of Black Americans attained this goal.

“I believe this project is important to the development of our team members in their growth in the mountaineering space,” Henderson said. “It is bringing forward a greater conversation about Black and brown people in the outdoors and what that means: past, present, and future. Being that our entire team is made up of Black people, it is an important display of leadership, commitment, and teamwork to our community as well as the greater climbing world.”

The nine-member team is composed of seven men and two women: North Face-sponsored athletes Manoah Ainuu and Frederick Campbell; Eddie Taylor, a high school teacher; Demond “Dom” Mullins, a combat veteran of the Iraq War; Abby Dione, owner of Coral Cliffs Climbing Gym; James “KG” Kagambi, a NOLS instructor with many successful climbs of mountains in Africa and Europe; Thomas Moore, an entrepreneur based in Denver; and Rosemary Saal, a NOLS instructor who led the first all-Black American team to the summit of Africa’s Kilimanjaro in 2018.

A Milestone in Mountaineering

Despite the major social strides that people of color have made in the United States since the Civil Rights Era of the 1960s, for Black Americans there are many “firsts” that remain in high altitude mountaineering. There are still gaps between aspiration and achievement when it comes to climbing the great peaks of the world. As men and women of African descent assert their desires to spend time in the outdoors just for the sake of adventure, many in recent years have become accomplished alpine athletes who are more than capable of leading ambitious expeditions of their own. With the deliberate intention of creating a cadre of high-profile role models, members of the Full Circle Expedition Team aim to close the loop and inspire a new generation of Black and brown climbers to seek out and achieve equally audacious goals.

“I want to complete the seven summits,” said team member Thomas Moore. “I would also love to be a part of the team that introduces younger people of color to the outdoors and mountaineering, as well as the many possibilities and benefits of climbing.”

Of the more than 10,000 summits of Everest that have been completed, only six climbers have been Black, and among them only one has been an American. Relative to the overall population of non-white people in the modern world, that number should be much higher. Supporters of the Full Circle Expedition, including well-known Everest climber Conrad Anker, believe that efforts like this one can bring a much broader cross section of the American public into the sport of mountaineering.

“Imagine if Black boys and girls had role models that shared the values of dedication, hard work, and trust from the airy heights of Everest,” Anker said. “It’s not that Everest isn’t there for Black climbers, it’s that the opportunity hasn’t been equal with talent that’s out there.”

With the formal announcement of the Full Circle Expedition at the Outdoor Retailer Summer this month in Denver, the team has begun to reach out to outdoor industry organizations for support. In addition to assistance in funding the project, Henderson wants to encourage companies and institutions to engage in efforts to bring more people of color into the business of outdoor recreation to help continue the movement toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“We need greater representation in the outdoor industry,” Henderson said. “A big part of that has to be on the upper scale. This is an iconic mountain. We want to include Black and brown people in the history of American mountaineering in the Himalayas. Right now, there just aren’t too many of us. We want to change that.”

The post The First All-Black American Expedition of Everest Is Officially Underway appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Suunto 7 Smartwatch ($399)

Smaller and more streamlined than previous models, the 7 has everything you need for tracking workouts and navigating. Even without cellular reception, it gives accurate data, including location, elevation, heart rate, and weather.

Leki Cross Trail 3 Carbon Trekking Poles ($190)

The Trail 3 Carbon’s long cork grips are ergonomically shaped for all-day comfort, and the wrist straps release with the push of a button to free up your hands quickly.

Mountain Hardwear Quasar Lite Gore-Tex Active Jacket ($375)

The Quasar Lite weighs just eight ounces and stuffs into its own pocket, but still boasts ultrabreathable waterproof protection, a helmet-compatible hood, and stormproof zippers.

Royal Robbins Global Expedition II Long Sleeve Shirt ($80)

This shirt might look business casual, but the rugged recycled-polyester fabric resists stains, wicks moisture efficiently, and dries quickly.

Deuter Futura Air Trek 50+10L Pack ($250)

This pack’s nylon-mesh back panel and springy steel-wire frame are incredibly flexible and keep the load off your back. The result: unparalleled comfort and stellar ventilation. The detachable lid is great for summit bids.

Helinox Speed Stool ($80)

At just a pound, this perch packs small and deploys easily—perfect for lunch breaks. The aluminum legs and ripstop seat can take a beating.

Primus Firestick Backpacking Stove ($90)

The steel Firestick fits in your hip pocket, weighs 3.7 ounces, and can simmer soup yet also boils water in minutes.

Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX Hiking Shoes ($150)

Welded seams make the X Ultra as comfortable as a sock, but the Gore-Tex liner, deeply lugged soles, and secure speed laces will keep you moving in nature’s worst.

Ledlenser H19R Core Headlamp ($250)

Two powerful lights from the H19R form one beam, or you can switch to a single light for camp. The rechargeable battery lasts up to 20 hours.

Outdoor Research Balebreaker Pants ($89)

Made from stretchy nylon-spandex, these pants are comfortable and can take a beating. The built-in belt is icing.

The post The Best ČѱđČÔ’s Hiking Gear of 2021 appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Gamu Moyo got her passion for fashion and the outdoors from her father, a farmer with a deep appreciation for well-tailored clothing. She was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the years just after its emergence from decades of racial apartheid. She grew up embracing the ideals of personal excellence, perseverance, and academic discipline, and cultivated a defined sense of style and an abiding love of the natural world. These values led her to the in New York City for a degree in fine arts and—no surprise—a career crafting women’s outdoor and active apparel.

Strive for Excellence

“My parents raised us to excel and reach for the gold because it was always going to be hard for people who looked like us. And they instilled in us a fierce sense of pride and a belief that no matter what we wanted to do, we could achieve it.”

Create with Love

“I want the women I design for to feel strong and supported. I want them to know they can go farther and see more, because the gear that I’m working on will allow them to.”

Make It Work

“Our key challenges when designing for women are fit, feel, and function. Fit is particularly difficult, because women demand more and because body types vary so much. I try to think about complementing things that could live in a woman’s closet already.”

Applaud the Effort

“Ableism is the main issue I see in the outdoors community. I wish that would dissolve a little bit, because it would help us get more people to just enjoy spending time outside. We really need to do a better job of celebrating people who get to the hill down the street, because that’s a feat in itself. That is being outside.”

Make the Journey

“I don’t want to put pressure on people to think that they have to be at the highest level of performance just to enjoy the outdoors. I want them to know that being in nature is also about the experience you get from going out there—feeling independent and empowered, knowing that you’ve accomplished something. Then you can take those core values learned on the trail into living with other people and living in cities as well.”

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In 1992, I was hired as the first black independent sales representative for The North Face (TNF). Back then, TNF was privately owned and headquartered in Berkeley, California. On the way home from my very first sales meeting, I happened to bump into the company president, Bill Werlin, at the United ticket counter at the Oakland Airport.

“He’s with me,” Werlin said to the agent as I handed over my checked bag. In those days it was free. With a few clicks of her keyboard the woman exchanged my coach reservation for an upgraded seat next to my new boss in first class. “Here you go,” she said. “Have a nice flight.”

As a freshly minted junior executive, I was pretty excited to have that kind of one-on-one time with the top of senior management. For almost three hours, as we sipped glasses of white wine paired with rosemary roasted chicken over wild rice, we talked about my plans to sell our products across my six-state territory in the Midwest. He seemed impressed by my apparent lack of fear over meeting a seven-figure sales goal by the end of the year. “I can only imagine what it must be like for you out there,” he said. “I just want you to know I think you’ll do a great job.”

That was pretty much all the encouragement I needed to succeed. I felt like I was part of a great team and I was given every opportunity to grow business for TNF from Chicago to St. Louis, Milwaukee to Minneapolis. But when I started pressing the company to expand its outreach to include people of color, I was met with resistance. By 1993, Bill Werlin had left TNF and would later become the general manager of Patagonia in Japan. Under new management, and in the midst of flagging sales and an impending bankruptcy, the company felt the best strategy was a top-down media campaign to promote its high-profile expeditions on Mount Everest and the many talented, exclusively white, mostly male alpinists who made up the outward face of the company.

At the same time, however, there was also a growing interest in our products among communities of color. I was psyched! Hip hop artists were wearing TNF down jackets with Timberland boots in concerts and in videos on MTV. Black folks were embracing outdoor clothing as high fashion. But at a TNF sales meeting, when I suggested that we reach out to affluent consumers of color, like those who attend the high-energy, mostly black National Brotherhood of Skiers Summits, I was told in no uncertain terms, “James, that’s just not our market.”

Opportunities Ignored, Progress Denied

For the rest of the decade through the end of the 20th century, most companies in the outdoor industry followed TNF’s lead. They followed the money. The North Face emerged from bankruptcy to reaffirm an image of the great outdoors that was affluent, sophisticated, rugged, and incredibly white. Marketing campaigns from companies like Sierra Designs, Mountain Hardwear, Patagonia, Columbia, and Marmot projected this image that was reinforced by the editorial prowess of magazines including șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű, Backpacker, Rock & Ice, and Alpinist. These media messages were virtually devoid of people of color. And though Black and Brown folks were never explicitly discouraged from becoming more active participants in pastimes such as camping, hiking, kayaking, and backcountry skiing, there was really no concerted effort within the outdoor industry to encourage or welcome them to become part of this exciting business. Few senior executives seemed willing to make room in the first-class cabin to bring aboard a new generation of outdoor professionals, many of whom might have been people of color.

That’s why today, as several of these same companies make bold statements to declare their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, I am naturally skeptical.

A Revised History Doomed to Repeat Itself

The recent violent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and other Black Americans have compelled many to use their influence to work toward substantive social change. Though I don’t doubt the sincerity of my many friends and colleagues throughout the industry to do the right thing, I wonder if this newfound desire to stand up against racism will truly last.

Recently VF Corporation president Steve Rendle says that at his company, which now owns The North Face, “Racism is not welcome
it never has been and it never will be.” I know from personal experience that statement, at least as far as TNF is concerned, isn’t true. Racism is not limited to acts of physical violence or the segregation of lunch counters and drinking fountains. Racism can also include the failure of a company or an entire industry to create a professional environment in which everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate.

A few days ago, Timberland, another VF Company, re-released an ad from 1993 that affirms its intention to “Give Racism The Boot.” The message shared on social media is an effort to illustrate the shoe brand’s long legacy of social justice. But those of us paying attention at the time may recall that this ad was met with more than a little skepticism. Senior management had freely admitted that it was a naked attempt to reluctantly court an emerging “urban” market of young consumers.

“If you hear that hip-hop kids are wearing Timberland boots and women are wearing Timberland boots with sun dresses at a Donna Karan fashion show, that’s coin in current dollars. But how in the world is that sustainable?” said Jeffrey Swartz, then Timberland’s executive vice president and grandson of the company’s founder, as quoted in the New York Times.

“Mr. Swartz flatly denied any plan to dissociate his company’s name from young, black and Hispanic consumers in America’s inner cities for the sake of the company’s image,” wrote Times reporter Michel Marriott. “In fact, he said he was pleased that a new market had sprung on its own. ‘Their money spends good,’ he says. But he also stressed his position that public taste is fickle and that he was not going to ‘build his business on smoke.’”

This very cynical view of America’s youth culture of 1990s, which was heavily influenced by the rise of hip hop, was common among many outdoor-facing brands. Despite a growing affection among people of color for down, fleece, Gore-Tex and other technical fabrics, the outdoor industry wanted nothing to do with them, except to take their money.

“The youth market came after us,” said Jason Russell, then the director of marketing for Carhartt, to the Times. “’Fine, they like to wear what we make. But we will never go after that market aggressively.’ To do that, Mr. Russell added, ‘we would be walking away from our roots.’”

I’ve been in this business long enough now to see a bit of our history repeating itself. How much of our current interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion is a response to the existential threat of losing a share of a growing market largely comprised of Black and Brown people? Are we truly prepared to deny the white-male-dominated roots for our past to embrace a new demographic of consumers that include the plus sized, the disabled, the indigenous, those who don’t speak English, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and other marginalized people?

If we’re serious about addressing issues of DEI, we must do more than just declare that Black Lives Matter. We have to deliberately and explicitly create opportunities for people from all walks of life to not only succeed in the outdoor industry but to thrive. Each of us must be prepared to make room in the first-class cabin and in the C suites. We might even have to give up our seats. The ride in coach is just as good, as long as we all get to where we’re going together. Otherwise, any efforts to move forward may as well be built on smoke.

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Four women of color clad in climbing gear and heavy backpacks beam at the camera: The image (above) represents far more than a moment among friends. The women had just earned their Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) certifications from the American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA), a small but important step in the advancement of women and people of color in adventure sports.

“I never saw myself stepping into the outdoor industry as a professional,” said newly certified instructor Genevive Walker. “It was never something I thought I could do. But this opportunity to get my SPI certification is about getting my foot in the door and seeing if I can go further.”

This authentic representation—of marginalized people gainfully employed because of their skills and merits—is what the industry needs to become truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

Many brands post token expressions of diversity (think: magazine ads, short films, and athlete profiles), or invite people from marginalized groups to speak in panel discussions at events like Outdoor Retailer. But this alone doesn’t bring more women, people of color, the differently abled, and folks from the LBGTQIA+ community into the business and culture of outdoor recreation. Doing that requires more than just showing black and brown faces on social media.

To avoid tokenism, the industry needs to actually recruit and hire people of underrepresented backgrounds across all types of roles. Oftentimes, companies fall back on the excuse that they can’t find qualified applicants—but that’s usually because they’re not looking hard enough, or in the right places.

Getting the Skills

Through their own initiative, people of color and other marginalized communities are acquiring the expertise they need to take on more prominent roles across the outdoor industry.

Organized by the affinity group Brown Girls Climb, the SPI course is one example. Thanks to the course’s specialized instructor training, these women are now better equipped to become professional guides—and therefore leaders—in the white male-dominated world of climbing.

“Brown Girls Climb came into this realizing that we had to step up our game,” said Bethany Lebewitz, one of the group’s co-founders. “As an organization trying to shift the culture of outdoor recreation, we realized that shift is going to require people of color and queer and adaptive climbers in leadership roles.”

Other affinity groups, such as Outdoor Afro, Latino Outdoors, and Flash Foxy, also provide leadership training.

Qualified applicants are out there. Now, it’s up to senior executives to meet potential employees halfway.

The “Human” in Human Resources

Tokenism happens when companies and event organizers don’t do enough to promote hiring of those newly qualified applicants (like posting jobs in places where people of color are likely to see them), or limit their diversity initiatives to hiring without looking at the big picture.

“Companies need to make cultural changes from top to bottom,” said Monserrat Matehuala, the membership and communications associate at the AMGA.

For new employees to be successful and thrive, human resources managers need to look for workplace biases they might not be aware of. This is particularly true in towns like Jackson, Wyoming, or Boulder, Colorado, where most residents are white and socially mobile; those who don’t fit into the mold face added challenges that make cultural integration difficult. A black woman, for example, might have trouble finding a place to get her hair done. Or there may be no church community that suits her religious values. These things may seem small, but they add up, and they matter to a person’s well-being.

Creating safe environments sometimes means letting people stay rooted in their communities and work remotely, said Matehuala: Ultimately, “If folks aren’t prioritizing the mental health and physical well-being of their employees, they’re not as invested as they say they are.”

Through professional training, people of marginalized communities, like those four new SPI instructors, are acquiring the skills they need to make it in the outdoor industry. All they ask is to be granted the same opportunities as anyone else with the same qualifications.

The post The Challenges of Inclusivity: Representation, Not Tokenism appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Camber Outdoors, the Outdoor Industry Association and Snowsports Industries America have made a collective commitment to encourage diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the outdoor recreation and snow sports industries. With the support and cooperation of DEI leaders Teresa Baker, creator of the Outdoor Industry CEO Diversity Pledge, and José Gonzålez, founder emeritus of Latino Outdoors, this agreement formally declares that each organization will work to create a professional environment in the business of outdoor recreation where all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation, can be successful.

The statement reads as follows:

“We at SIA, OIA, Camber Outdoors and Outdoor Retailer celebrate the many conversations that have evolved within our industry and community. Together we are committed to working alongside diversity, equity and inclusion leaders who work to gather the voices that we need and welcome into our industry. Each of our organizations are committed to using our resources and connections to create structures that facilitate the snow sports and outdoor industries to become more inclusive, equitable and diverse workplaces, outdoor spaces and organizations in general. We encourage every outdoor enthusiast, company and organization who shares in a love for the outdoors to start and/or further engage in this work as well.”

Though non-binding and short on specifics, this declaration is something the outdoor industry has desperately needed to move the work of DEI forward. Few would object to the concept of workplace equity, but only a handful of companies including REI, The North Face, and Canada’s Mountain Equipment Co-Op or MEC have issued similar statements of commitment and have taken proactive steps toward making their desired outcome a reality. This declaration from the senior executives of the top trade groups acknowledges the importance of DEI in the long term success of the outdoor industry and creates the basic groundwork from which to create policies and a system of best practices that others may follow to ensure that everyone in the outdoors is welcome.

“I am thankful that SIA, OIA, and Camber have taken the time to hear from me and other DEI advocates and respond to our conversations with such a positive step forward,” said Baker. “May we continue to move forward with sincere efforts, as we welcome others to join us in this work of creating a more inclusive outdoor arena.”

On the final day of the 2020 Outdoor Retailer + SIA Snow Show in Denver, Emily Newman, the new executive director of Camber Outdoors, announced that the opening session of next year’s OIA breakfast meeting will focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. In her first public address to the outdoor recreation community at the Camber Outdoors Keynote Breakfast, Newman reaffirmed her organization’s continuing efforts toward DEI.

“Building equitable and inclusive workplaces and industry as a whole is a journey that requires participation from everyone. Our mission of advancing workplace inclusion, equity and diversity is but one element of this important work,” she said in a written statement. “We are energized by these new partnerships as we stand shoulder to shoulder to create an outdoors for everyone by lifting voices, and implementing practices and tools that drive measurable progress.”

After the controversial failed launch of its CEO Equity Pledge a year ago at the 2019 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, Camber has tried to win back its credibility as a leader in DEI. As the organization in the outdoor industry charged with the mission of encouraging workplaces that are diverse equitable and inclusive, Newman’s organization is building relationships across the industry to share in this culturally sensitive and important work.

“SIA is committed to building authentic relationships with the many voices throughout the winter sports community to better address diversity, equity and inclusion,” said board chairwoman Wendy Carey. “This is invigorating for the future of our sports, and we know we have to lead on this. The time is now, and by having these conversations with all of the key stakeholders, we can act swiftly and take meaningful steps forward.”

Through the combined efforts of each organization Camber aims to avoid the mistakes of the past with a top-down approach. The intention is to encourage other senior executives to take an active role in the DEI efforts of their organizations.

“We believe that collaboration is the key to movement and action. We have begun the work of making the outdoors more accessible and inclusive to diverse communities through the Outdoor Foundation’s Thrive șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Communities initiative,” said OIA board chairwoman Nora Stowell. “This is a complex and deeply rooted issue that no single organization alone can solve.”

This combined declaration of commitment is an excellent first step toward the establishment of a community culture that truly embraces diversity. Within hours of its creation Outdoor Retailer show director Marisa Nicholson added her statement of commitment in support of DEI.

“Outdoor Retailer is proud to support our partners and everyone working on these critical initiatives,” she said. “We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in our own team and beyond, so that we can continue to provide an international forum to elevate these important conversations.”

Now that everyone seems to be on the DEI bandwagon, it’s important to understand that a declaration of commitment is only as valuable as a person or institution is prepared and willing to see it through. It’s a fine thing to say that diversity, equity and inclusion matter, but it’s something else entirely to incorporate their principles into the very fabric of a company’s business model. In his address at the Camber Outdoors Breakfast Keynote Blair Taylor, a partner in Workforce of the Future at Price Waterhouse Coopers, impressed upon his audience the reality that there is nothing less at stake than the survival of the outdoor industry itself.

“It’s time for business and community leaders to challenge ourselves, leave our comfort zones and take risks,” Taylor said. “The era we live in today is critical—it will define our future—and companies must rethink the way we do business.”

Taylor agrees that securing senior leadership support is the best first place to start. When it comes to DEI he suggests clearly defining both the business case and the necessity for an approach that is authentic. He warns that lasting change requires a profound shift of an organization’s culture and daily behaviors. They must measure where they begin and how they progress. And perhaps most importantly he prescribes to never go it alone.

It’s now up to each organization to go back to their respective employees, human resource managers, boards of directors and constituents to rethink the way they do business. Having declared their commitment to do better on DEI these four industry leaders have also set themselves up to be held accountable for their measurable improvement. Will things have changed by next year’s show? The industry is now watching. We’ll just have to wait and see.

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Like a lot of people who work in the outdoor industry, I got my start in retail. It was 30 years ago this summer, at the REI in Berkeley, California. I’d just graduated from college. I was 23 years old, and it didn’t take long to commit myself to a life of work and play in the outdoors. Over the next three years, I also took a few odd jobs as a backpacking guide and a wilderness first-aid instructor. I got into backcountry skiing and rock climbing and enjoyed life as an overeducated dirtbag.

I thought I’d really made it when I landed a job as a sales rep for in 1992. I showed up in Utah for as a complete stranger to just about everyone. I had yet to meet many of my customers; thus far we had only spoken by phone. I planned to meet one of them at the on-snow demo, in the lodge at Alta.

“How will I recognize you?” she asked. Over the phone, I chuckled and said, “I’ll be the black guy.”

We’ve Come a Long Way

Three decades ago, I was among a very small handful of people of color in this field—and the only black sales rep for a major brand. After working with companies like Sierra Designs, Montrail, and Trango, I decided that my skills might be better applied to storytelling. So in 2003, I made a career change to become a business reporter, and also began working for șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Business Journal. Since then, as a journalist, my job has literally been to observe the outdoor industry and report on it. Over that time, I’ve witnessed a change. When I started my career, the industry’s images, ads, stories, and videos were almost completely devoid of people who looked like me, and diversity was rarely, if ever, discussed. Today the issue is recognized as one of the highest priorities we face as an industry and has not one but two acronyms (DEI for diversity, equity, and inclusion and JEDI for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion). Corporate leaders uniformly agree: The business of outdoor recreation must adapt to the country’s changing demographics and culture.

But that doesn’t mean we always agree on how to do it. In the last six months, we’ve entered a new phase on the path toward a more diverse future.

And the way forward doesn’t always look pretty. We have disagreements. We have anger. We have rancorous social media feuds. We have calls for resignations and boycotts. But I’ve watched this issue evolve—through both a personal and professional lens—for 30 years, and I see no reason to be alarmed. In fact, where others see setbacks, I see progress.

Mistakes Will be Made

Progress can be messy. If you’re just tuning into the discussion of diversity in the outdoor industry, you’ve missed some false starts, wasted opportunities, and abysmal failures. Six months ago, Camber Outdoors, a nonprofit whose mission is to promote equity for women and underrepresented communities in the workplace, announced a CEO Equity Pledge. Problem was, then-executive director Deanne Buck, a white woman, described the pledge as “the first of its kind.” It wasn’t. The pledge, intended to help bring more people of color into the industry, captured much of the spirit and language of a nearly identical enterprise called the CEO Diversity Pledge, initiated several months earlier by Teresa Baker, an African-American environmental justice activist.

In the aftermath of an online uproar—with claims of cultural misappropriation, theft of intellectual property, and the attempt to erase the accomplishments of a black woman—Buck stepped down from her leadership position.

To Camber’s credit, it has aimed to learn from this incident and taken steps to make amends. Under the guidance of interim executive director Diana Seung, an Asian-American woman, the organization has suspended its DEI initiatives pending the review and participation of outside consultants with training, expertise, and lived experience in addressing these very complex issues. They opened a dialogue with Baker to incorporate her vision into their plans for the future. Still, Camber has no expectation of getting off the hook anytime soon.

“I don’t know if we should be forgiven, to be quite honest,” said Seung. “We made a pretty big mistake and we need to own that. We recognize how emotionally impactful that was to the community of people of color and why. And it’s unacceptable.”

That’s a remarkable statement considering where we’ve come from. Back in the mid-’90s, most organizations didn’t acknowledge that the lack of diversity in the outdoors—both in terms of participation and employment—was even a problem. I personally tried for years, to no avail, to convince the clothing brands I represented to more directly market our products to underrepresented minorities. Today, many of those same companies are now scrambling to acknowledge the changing demographics of the U.S. population. Indeed, this whole episode came about because we have not just one CEO pledge, but two.

Diversity is
Diverse

In recent years, with the expansion of social media, grassroots DEI advocates and other passionate individuals have made an impact across the outdoor industry. It doesn’t take long scrolling through Instagram to find evidence of a new generation of avid enthusiasts climbing, skiing, mountain biking, backpacking, and paddling all over the planet. That’s great, and so is the social and political influence that comes with the growing visibility. Activists have drawn attention to the lack of diversity in mainstream media, as well as the limited number of black and brown folks who work in retail stores, as backcountry guides, on nonprofit boards, and as corporate executives. And of course, they can help find flaws in well-intentioned but ill-conceived diversity initiatives, as with the Camber CEO Equity Pledge.

But as with any thriving, dynamic community, diversity also means diverse opinions. And this can lead to conflict, even among people who are working toward the same goal. Such was the case in November of last year, during the 2018 Shift Festival in Jackson, Wyoming. At the event, which “explores issues at the intersection of outdoor recreation, conservation, public health, and cultural relevancy,” several members of the Emerging Leaders Program alleged to have experienced racial discrimination, tokenism, and emotional trauma. The program is intended to train culturally diverse leaders to support Shift’s mission, but executive director Christian Beckwith, a white man, was accused by a group of participants of creating an environment that was unsafe and insensitive to the needs of marginalized minorities.

“It is clear that Mr. Beckwith is underprepared and ill-equipped to lead an organization that seeks to center equity work in the outdoors,” the group declared in an open letter on the website Medium. A social media campaign was launched to demand Beckwith’s resignation from Shift and the Emerging Leaders Program.

Beckwith acknowledged his errors but rejected the idea that he should step down from the organization he created. “I would also like to express that the depth of my remorse is matched by my commitment to ELP alumni and future participants to create a better, safer program, one that helps us develop a movement of people working in concert to protect these places we all love and need so dearly,” Beckwith wrote on the Shift website. To that end, he turned the management of the Emerging Leaders Program over to Morgan Green, an African-American pediatrician with experience in social justice and conflict resolution. Though well short of a resignation, Beckwith was effectively removed from the position where, by his own admission, he did more harm than good.

Personal Attacks Are Not Progress

Despite this leadership change, the people calling for Beckwith to step down remained unsatisfied. An onslaught of online personal attacks were waged against several members of the Shift board, who did not agree that Beckwith needed to go. Len Necefer, a Native American scholar, the Shift board chairman, and the founder of the NativesOutdoors, an apparel brand, said these online “callouts” only stifle the prospects of a constructive conversation. “This episode showed me the toxic underbelly of what callouts are,” he said. “They’re incredibly dehumanizing and they strip any ability to have dialogue.”

There can be no path forward if we fail to communicate. And there’s nothing like personal attacks to stop the conversation (attempts to reach individuals behind the online callouts were declined or ignored). But I understand that positive communication sometimes takes work. I’ve experienced public shaming on social media myself, and got sucked into the angry rhetoric and name-calling. For that I humbly apologize (and asked for forgiveness both publicly and privately).

Personally, all I’ve ever wanted is to see more people who look like me enjoy the same opportunities I have had to spend time in the outdoors. And now that it’s happening—now that I see so much advocacy and so many vibrant voices where before there were none—I worry about the tone of the conversation. I worry that in order to avoid being drawn into controversies they have no ability to control, industry professionals like Necefer will reconsider their involvement.

“I don’t even know if it’s worth trying to think of this as a bigger movement or to even be part of it,” he said. “I feel like I just have to defend my own at a certain point because if I go outside of my lane, I’m just going to get torched.”

Seattle-based activist Frances Lee recognizes the insidious nature of online confrontations in social movements. They write about the harm callouts can cause from their personal experience. They illustrate how even those who stand up against institutions that marginalize minorities can be guilty of perpetrating that same behavior among their own group of supporters.

“Terms like ‘oppression,’ ‘tone policing,’ ‘emotional labor,’ ‘diversity,’ and ‘allyship’ are all used in specific ways to draw attention to the plight of ‘minoritized’ people. Yet their meanings can also be manipulated to attack and exclude,” Lee wrote in an essay for Yes magazine.

But even this detour into callout culture can be seen in a positive light. It’s like we’ve reached a critical mass, and have to contend with some of the unfortunate realities of the larger world. But we have a choice in how we deal with them.

“We don’t want to do what the oppressor has done, which is often to marginalize a group of people and in different ways to legislate that marginalization, to make it culturally appropriate to marginalize,” said Dr. Carolyn Finney, the author of the book Black Faces White Spaces and a nationally recognized expert on environmental justice. “True reconciliation and redemption only come from owning up to our mistakes and asking for accountability and embracing a spirit of forgiveness.”

The Path Forward

Despite all that has happened in recent months, activist Teresa Baker insisted that the only course of action toward a brighter future is to share the work of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion among those with whom we don’t always agree. In a recent statement, Baker formally accepted the apology of Camber Outdoors and recommitted herself to working with industry partners toward the creation of a community in which everyone is welcome to participate and be recognized for the cultural value they represent. Perhaps now, as we enter the 2019 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, she said, we can engage in a constructive dialogue and walk the pathway forward together.

“My purpose is to do this work as a collective,” Baker said. “We need Camber Outdoors to help. We need Shift to help. I want these people to understand that they have an obligation not just to this work, but to these outdoor spaces that we claim to care about. If we care about them, really care, we have to keep fighting through our mistakes.”

Yes, I’ve seen much change in the outdoor industry in the last 30 years. But one thing remains constant. The people of our community share an enduring love of the natural world. It’s where we all work and play. Despite our differences, we can all agree that the outdoors should be open and available for everyone to enjoy. In our work to get there, we’ll make plenty of mistakes. But we should trust each other and have faith that we’re all doing the best we can every step of way.

The 4-Step Plan: What Your Company Can Do to Be More Inclusive

1) Make a statement of intent. It’s like an internal promise to stay on track. For an example from the Ice Age Trail Alliance, go to

2) Get professional help. It’s not enough to hire minorities. Invest in diversity training. Nicole Browning from REI says the brand is working on universal inclusion and unconscious-bias training for all coop employees. Start here: The Avarna Group, the Greening Youth Foundation (GYF), and The Center For Diversity & the Environment.

3) Build relationships with diverse communities. Through content sharing, sponsorships, and co-hosting events, engage with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), NAACP, Urban League, 100 Black Men, and outdoor industry affinity groups (see left). “Through our Explore Fund, we’ve searched for and supported organizations to help remove barriers and create community for nearly ten years,” said Eric Raymond of The North Face. “It’s a simple idea that’s helped us learn and thrive together.”

4) Be intentionally inclusive in your marketing strategy. Your marketing needs to represent the individuals you want to reach and reflect the values of their communities. “The most important thing is that our creative partners share our belief in nature and the trail as a unifier,” said Strick Walker of .

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After all that has transpired since the events of the 2019 Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver, Colorado, one thing had yet to occur—a formal statement from Teresa Baker.

When Camber Outdoors introduced its CEO Equity Pledge, with the intention of making the outdoor industry more diverse, equitable and inclusive, the document was framed as the “first of its kind.” As previous efforts had been undertaken months earlier by Teresa Baker, an African-American environmental justice activist, through her Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge, there were many people of color and sympathetic allies in the outdoor community who took exception.

Following the resignation of Camber’s executive director Deanne Buck and a formal statement of apology, Baker had not publicly publicly responded to the events, until now. In the following statement shared exclusively with OBJ, Baker expressed her forgiveness and willingness to work with industry professionals toward the common goals of DEI, and calls upon the industry to let bygones be bygones.

Teresa Baker’s Full Statement on “Moving Forward in Forgiveness”:

I’m learning my responsibility to forgiveness. I have a better understanding of the saying, forgiving others isn’t about them, it’s about you. I’ve struggled with this over the past few months and how I need to trust in my faith and believe that change is possible even through discourse.

I feel the outdoor industry is at the proverbial “fork in the road.” Which direction does it take to maintain its growth, how does it mend some of the issues that it now faces and who is responsible for bringing all the different voices and concerns together? I believe the answer to that is WE ALL PLAY A ROLE in patching things and moving them forward.

I have started to patch things with Camber Outdoors, conversations are being had, action plans are in place. It has taken me some time to reach this point, but allowing things to linger doesn’t repair them, it takes individuals coming together with the understanding that we may never be on the same page, but we care enough about a subject to listen respectfully and move forward in action. I’m ready to move forward in action.

I’ve had so many people reach out to me asking for advice on how to not make mistakes in the work of DEI. My advice has been to not focus on mistakes that may take place, focus on doing the work with individuals who have skin in the game. I believe mistakes will happen, but if respect is built into the work, we can come together and talk through those mistakes without them blowing up over social media.

So, to Camber Outdoors, I hold no animosity, I continue to extend my hand in equitable collaboration. I encourage you to lead your DEI efforts in respect of others who have been doing this work for years. And most importantly, know that your road ahead may be bumpy, but trust in the promise of change.

Let us all honor Ann Krcik by moving forward in respect of the org she help to create.

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