Share Outdoor Equipment with GearCommons

Adventure enthusiasts can now exchange gear through this peer-to-peer network

GearCommons is a simple—nonetheless long-overdue—concept for outdoor enthusiasts: a peer-to-peer network in which people who own gear can connect with people who need it, and can circulate their specialized and oftentimes expensive equipment for a price. The simple, but clever idea came to college friends James Rogers and Mike Brown in the middle of a snowshoe marathon in Vermont. Friends wanted to participate, but didn’t …

A Permanent Vacation + Valentich Backpacks

J. Crew's art director launches a new gear-centric website for those who love design and adventure

Launched this week, the e-commerce site A Permanent Vacation introduced their debut product—a sleek, backpack collaboration with Valentich Bags (now going by the name Campfire) of Ridgeway, Colorado. Made by hand in the States, the rectangular canvas bag is thoughtfully designed to accommodate the needs of both the urban and outdoor explorer. The simple silhouette of the pack masks the intricacies of the contrasted interior, …

Struktur Conference

The first creative event for the outdoor industry brings together leading thinkers in manufacturing, fashion and design

The first ever Struktur conference recently took place over two sunny days in early May. Located in the beautiful Ecotrust building in downtown Portland, Oregon, the conference was billed as “the first creative conference for the active outdoor industry” and brought together some of the most innovative minds in design, fashion and outdoor technical apparel for two days of presentations, networking and collaborative brainstorming. Surrounded …