BIPOC Owned Companies in the Outdoor Industry You Can Support Today
The best part? We’ve teamed up with these brands to give away $600 worth of gear. Enter here.
Affordable and personalized outdoor experiences.
Preeti Suri started hiking and climbing for her physical and mental recovery post child birth. She not only experienced the transformational benefits of outdoors but also noticed several social, cultural and economic barriers faced by a huge cross-section of people. So she founded AdventureTripr, a travel company offering affordable, personalized, and simple outdoor getaways - as well as free educational events!
Dehydrated Asian-inspired and plant-based meals in 100% compostable packaging.
After a backpacking trip where her meals had little flavor diversity and accumulated a lot of garbage, Melanie Ang founded Backcountry Wok. They offer sustainable and healthy meals for people on the go, with a portion of profits funding outdoor education and sustainability programs for youth.
Bicycle bags for every cyclist.
Preeti Viswanathan is an avid biker who wanted to improve the functionality of her rides, so she founded Kulie Bags. They make bags that go on bikes - bicycles, e-bikes, trikes...you name it. If you carry a backpack or a messenger as you ride, if you stuff your jacket pockets, and you are always arriving sweaty and tired from carrying things on yourself, Kulie Bags is for you!
Patented zipper pants that allows everyone to answer nature's call without exposing skin to the elements, or to other people.
SheFly is on a mission to help everyone answer nature's call -- literally. Founded by a group of Middlebury Women, people who pee (and poo!) can now go without exposing their skin to the elements. Say goodbye yet another barrier to women accessing the outdoors, and hello to peeing freely!
Seattle-based outdoor gear and service shop.
Ascent Outdoors is owned by Sandeep Nain, and they're on a mission to make climbing, backpacking, skiing, and exploring the backcountry more accessible and enjoyable for everyone! Ascent continues to be community driven first, by supporting their customers with educational events and fundraisers to keep the outdoor industry thriving.
Patented, thumbless, convertible mittens invented for runners, walkers and outdoor sports enthusiasts.
Susan Clayton is an avid runner, but could never find gloves to keep her hands warm during winter runs. So she invited WhitePaws RunMitts, convertible mittens designed for runners to keep fingers and thumbs warm during cold weather runs! WhitePaws RunMitts is a black, woman owned company whose mittens are manufactured here in the USA.
There you have it: six BIPOC owned businesses in the outdoor industry. Next time you need to make a gear purchase, consider supporting one of these brands! And don’t forget to enter our giveaway. The winner will be announced on Thursday, August 26th.
Blog post courtesy of Kirsten Forrester.
