7 Inspiring North Carolina Outdoor Brands You Should Know
Last month I attended the Outdoor Gear Builders Press Camp outside of Asheville, North Carolina and got the rundown on some of their latest gear and brands. I was immediately blown away by each brand’s mission and products as well as the Outdoor Gear Builders as a whole!
I’m all about companies that collaborate and want to give back and the Outdoor Gear Builders do exactly that. They’re a collection of North Carolina based outdoor brands that collaborate and inspire with one another to help the entire community rise together. I mean if that’s not inspirational alone, I don’t know what is! Can you imagine what we could accomplish if every major city and state felt this way about sharing business practices and helping one another?
After learning about Outdoor Gear Builders, we got to test out each brands products 1-on-1 and learn the company’s story. Here are 7 outdoor brands that are changing the gear game.
BELLYAK
You know you’re doing something right as an outdoor gear company when you’ve created an entirely new sport!!! Creator Adam Masters started Bellyaking after wanting to try to find a new way to tackle whitewater. With a little bit of duct tape and creativity, Adam laid on top of his kayak and began paddling through rapids; Bellyaking was born.
Luckily for us, his original model with duct tape has been upgraded into an actual Bellyak, designed for comfort and speed and built to be laid on. We tested out the Bellyaks by taking them on the river and learning a few basic skills, from straightforward paddling to sitting up and rolling over, they’re really versatile.
I love the idea that these can be used in many different levels of water. But my favorite thing about this new invention is that it opens up the world of paddlesports to people who may not have been able to enjoy water sports before; such as wheelchair users or people recovering from injuries. So Bellyaking truly is a sport for everyone.
2. BLYSS RUNNING APPAREL
The best products are the ones that result from the need to solve a problem. Alyson Neel created Blyss Running Apparel after discovering an issue that I know all too well; running clothes are often uncomfortable and not practical. Skirts are made too short and tight, shorts ride up, and where do I put my keys and phone?
Blyss running apparel really is, like their motto says, designed FOR women BY women. Their lightweight skirts all have pockets and built in shorts that actually don’t rise up! One of my biggest complaints about women’s clothing is that, as a curvier girl, everything is either made bulky yet functional, OR it’s cute and feminine but tight, unflattering, and serves no purpose. With my new Blyss running skirt, those problems are solved!
3. RECOVER BRANDS
We all know by now the incredible environmental impact that plastic waste is having on our earth. RECOVER brands creator Bill Johnston, decided to do something about it in his own way; by using recycled plastic to create apparel. For every 8 recycled bottles, a new shirt can be made by melting it into yarn and using that to sew together clothes.
This truly sustainable process has been making a HUGE impact! Not only are they creating local jobs and reducing waste, since 2010, 7.8 million plastic bottles have been diverted from landfills, they’ve saved 11.8 million pounds of carbon emissions, and 2 billion gallons of water. And on top of all that, the clothes are incredibly soft! I’ve been living in my RECOVER Brand sweatshirt since I got back and once you try their clothes you will be too.
4. ENO HAMMOCKS
What’s the #1 reason you don’t hammock? For me it was the set up. For some reason I could NEVER get it right! I was always trying different knots and then would sit in it and it would slide down the tree until I was almost on the ground. I could just never get comfortable and finally gave up.
Eagle Nest Outfitters has convinced me to give it another go. ENO has not only created comfortable and funky-colored hammocks, but they’ve also created a suspension system that makes set-up easy and protects the trees we hang from! The straps are created to be looped through one another around the tree and designs like the Atlas strap are made wide to protect the tree bark as well as having different attachment points to connect to; so no guessing with knots and sliding down the trunk. I cannot wait to get back out and give hammocking another go!
5. SYLVAN SPORT
In this day and age when van life and airstreams seem to be all the rage, it’s hard not to think of pop-up campers as old-school. Until you see the Sylvan Sport campers! The GO Pop-Up Camper turns from a utility trailer, to a gear hauler, to a full on camper making it, as they say, the “Swiss Army Knife of campers”. But the part that blew me away was how massive it expands, especially when it’s light enough to be hauled with a Prius! It really made me want to sell everything and just GO!
They also offer a full on RV, portable outdoor kitchen set up, and other exciting gear.
6. LIGHTHEART GEAR
As I mentioned earlier, the best gear is created to be problem solvers. That is the epitome of what LightHeart Gear is! As an experienced backpacker and thru-hiker, owner Judy Gross began creating products that solved issues she discovered with gear while on the trail. The tents have easy transitions to protect from weather, as well as utilizing trekking poles for tent poles to keep your pack weight down. And I personally love that they’re tall enough to sit up in.
As well as camping supplies, LightHeart Gear also has a line of women’s clothing that is perfect for the trails. Hiking skirts with pockets, backpacking dresses, leggings, and more, each design was made with the hiker in mind.
7. WATERSHED DRYBAGS
Drybags have one job…to keep your stuff dry! Whether that be hitting whitewater, boating, or caught in a storm, they need to withstand complete submersion and continue to protect things like camera gear, food, and more. So often that is not always the case. I just assumed it was the way I was rolling it and it was not quite done to the fullest extent. But what if there was a dry bag that takes the human error out of it?
Watershed Drybags zip the same way a freezer bag does but built for the outdoors and extreme conditions. They also have extra built in fabric around the seams to prevent leaking. They are Navy tested and approved and even have a line of military gear so you know they’re hardcore.
As a video content producer I am always traveling with camera gear. From my phone, to action cameras, to my Canon, and even my drone, I need the reassurance that no matter what the adventure, they will be protected. Now they are.
I don’t consider myself a gear junkie who understands the ins and outs of every product. But I am a “gear user” and I know when things are working and things aren't. I loved that these brands all took a problem they saw, and created products to solve them and make something better. You don’t need to know a lot about tech to know that that’s something you can use and get behind!
To watch my Bellyaking and mountain biking experience at the OGB Press Camp check out the video below!