“Gear” used to be something we might hide in the back of our closets, our garages, or even stuff in our cars — out of sight, out of mind, and tracked down only when trekking out for an adventure. Shopping for gear on the whole, no matter the activity, meant a lot of “pink, purple, or teal” in the words of Hikerkind’s Allison Levy. How can we feel like ourselves in the place where we should most naturally feel… natural? This is the question central to the brands whose founders we’ve interviewed.

Andrea Westerlind, a lifelong adventurer, strives to connect ingenious and beautiful design and outdoor culture through her outdoor brand and retail store Westerlind. Hikerkind’s Chelsea Rizzo & Allison Levy — avid hikers and former stylists — want people to feel great in the great outdoors, in silhouettes that flatter and unique colorways. Nichole Powell of Kinfield, a mountain climber and backpacker since childhood, noticed that there weren’t many effective clean alternatives to essential outdoor products such as SPF and bug spray, and responded with stylish product with sustainable ingredients. Here, they give us a bit of background on how they got started, how their brands have evolved and what they’ve learned, and where we might find them in the wild.

LET’S TAKE THIS OUTSIDE: We love these founders’ responses to feeling natural in the natural world.

Andrea Westerlind of Westerlind

Name: Andrea Westerlind

City: Upstate New York

THE TECHNICAL GEAR YOU CAN’T BRAVE WINTER WITHOUT: Down pants from Holden, Waterproof boots from Danner, Shearling Slippers from Sweden, Down jacket from French Pyrenex, Japanese hiking pants from Goldwin, Hoka Boni 8s in all white or all black, Clare V fanny pack in tan leather, Cordova Ski suit

YOU’VE DESIGNED CAPSULE COLLECTIONS FOR ARC’TERYX, SALOMON, AND WOOLRICH, AMONG OTHER ICONIC OUTDOOR BRANDS. WHAT HAVE THESE COLLABORATIVE EXPERIENCES BEEN LIKE? Some of these bigger brands have resources and capabilities that a company of my size doesn’t come close to, and that’s fun to work with. On the other hand, the creative process is sometimes lost inside a big organization with its layers of positions and politics. In my company, I’m allowed to play around and be ultra creative because the stakes are much lower. I think that’s why there’s some special magic when a big company consults with a smaller brand. You get the best of both worlds.

THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE WESTERLIND BRAND: I’ve learned how to be better at dealing with issues large and small. I allow myself and the people around me to make mistakes. It’s part of the learning process and it’s usually not a big deal. It’s more important to focus on the things that go right and stoke yourself up to do more of that. A career is so long you really don’t need to be in a hurry. Just make sure you enjoy yourself and keep learning. Creativity and experience doesn’t happen overnight.

WHEN YOU’RE PRODUCT TESTING NEW GEAR, WHERE MIGHT WE FIND YOU? I spend a lot of time in the Swiss Alps and the Swedish Archipelago where I have family and friends. I used to be excited about going on arctic explorations to the North Pole and other exotic places. Now I just want to go for a days sail or a ski followed by a bottle of wine. Or I’ll go on a small outing around my new home in the Berkshires. Not having to pack a bag is nice. And it’s beautiful here.

YOU WERE A STATE CHAMPION OF ORIENTEERING IN SWEDEN. CAN YOU GIVE US A BIT OF INTEL INTO NAVIGATING THE WILDERNESS? Navigating the wilderness and wining races is just pure fun (I’m a bit of a competitive soul ;). But more importantly developing a strong connection to nature in an early age has made me very passionate and resilient person. I’m also glad I didn’t spend all my adolescence trying to be cool, smoke cigarettes and hanging after older boys.

Explore westerlindoutdoor.com
Follow @westerlind_us

Chelsea Rizzo & Allison Levy of Hikerkind

Name: Chelsea Rizzo & Allison Levy

City: Brooklyn, New York

TAKE US THROUGH A DAY IN THE HIKERKIND SHOWROOM:
Chelsea: Let me first set the scene, Hikerkind HQ is in Bushwick, New York in a big warehouse which was divided and converted into a bunch of offices. Our unit has a wall of windows which face the city. It’s incredible to watch weather patterns rolling in and the sun go down backlighting the NYC skyline everyday. We have all of our Hikerkind operations in one big room which we’ve strategically divided into showroom, fulfillment and office. Today, when I got in I fulfilled all the orders from the weekend before Allison arrived and then once she’s here we caught each other up on the projects we’re each taking the lead on. Afterwards it’s mostly just the click, clacking of our keyboards that fills the room as we email, email and email. Since Allison and I are the only two full time members of Hikerkind, each day is incredibly different. We bounce around from design meetings, to marketing strategy sessions to vacuuming the floors before we open our showroom from 5pm - 7pm for by appointment shopping. Today we have two hikers coming by to shop and talk about their hiking plans for next year.

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE TO SEE THE HIKE CLUB COMMUNITY GROW? WHAT’S BEEN YOUR FAVORITE HIKE THUS FAR?
Allison: Watching the Hikerkind Hike Club community grow from a couple loyal friends who answered Chelsea and my pleas for attendance to a sea of new friends has been absolutely incredible. We know how much confidence and courage it takes to get up early in the morning and go meet a group of internet strangers for a hike in the woods and we’re constantly in a state awe at how amazing each and every person is that we meet. My favorite hike so far was Fishkill Ridge near Beacon New York. It was a smaller group that all wanted to push themselves and do a challenging hike. It really was amazing to see everyone excited about spending more time in nature and accomplishing something together.

HOW DO YOU SOURCE INSPIRATION FOR YOUR STYLE SYSTEMS?
Chelsea: We created Hikerkind Style Systems, to help reduce the choice paradox when it comes to figuring out what to wear on trail. It can be overwhelming to consider every layer of your hiking system and with Hikerkind Style System’s, you don’t need to think twice about your gear so you can feel confident in yourself. We were inspired by women who looked like themselves on and off the mountain and created what we like to call everyday exploration essentials, so you make a seamless transition from hike to coffee shop without feeling like a caricature of a hiker.

WHAT YOU’RE NEVER ON TRAIL WITHOUT:
Chelsea: Snacks! I have a code phrase when I go grocery shopping with my partner. He knows when I say “I gotta get that for the back!” that means it’s going in the trunk of the car and is strictly for hiking, so hands off!
Allison: My VHS camera! I shoot all the footage we use to cut into Hike Club content, and Chelsea will divorce me if I didn’t have it on trail and we missed the shot!

TEACH US YOUR FAVORITE HIKING VOCAB: HYOY. HYOY means hike your own hike, which we use as “you do you!” It gives you the freedom to be yourself and to not pass judgement on others for being themselves. You want to carry a pound of Starbursts? HYOY, and please share. :)

Explore hikerkind.com

Follow @hikerkind

Nichole Powell of Kinfield

Name: Nichole Powell

City: San Francisco, CA

GREAT FORMULAS ARE CENTRAL TO YOUR BRAND. WHAT ARE SOME INGREDIENTS IN YOUR FORMULA FOR SUCCESS?

- People — whether it means hiring great people, having strong mentors you can call for help, or a beloved support crew of friends & family around you, the people make all the difference. Find good ones, and keep them close!

- Mental Health — I’ve never regretted time I’ve spent to improve my mental health. Don’t be shy about asking for help!

- Humor — When we have a particularly tough day, I like to remind my team, “Look, at the end of the day, we sell bug spray on the internet.” It’s a bit flip, as I love the work that we do, and dearly love our mission, but it’s important to keep perspective, and remember that a little humor can go a long way at diffusing a gnarly situation or making someone feel better.

WHY CLEAN AND SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES TO ESSENTIAL OUTDOOR PRODUCTS ARE IMPORTANT: At the most basic level—if we’re celebrating the outdoors and encouraging our community to get outside (in any way possible, as often as possible!), then we need to be doing our part to make sure that there IS an outside for them to get to. We do our part as an outdoor brand to reduce waste, contribute to likeminded nonprofits as a member of 1% for the Planet, use environmentally-friendly materials, and utilize ingredients that are safe for both people and planet, among other things!

IN APRIL 2020, YOU USED THE KINFIELD PLATFORM TO LAUNCH A GIFT GUIDE HIGHLIGHTING WOMEN AND BIPOC-OWNED BRANDS. CAN YOU GIVE US A GLIMPSE INTO WHAT YOU’LL BE GIFTING IN 2022? I used to feel overwhelmed by gifting, until I realized that it could be a beautiful opportunity to both celebrate a mission-driven brand via a purchase, AND introduce someone I love to that brand or product as well—a win/win! Some of my favorites for gifting this year:

- Kinfield’s new Mini sets — bundles of bug- and sun-bestsellers, with a free bag? Talk about easy gifting! I’m sending the Sunny Days SPF set to every friend who booked a beach vacation.

- Nette Candles — the tomato one, especially! Divine!

- Anything from Tenoverten—their Rose cuticle oil is a particular favorite of mine, and their shade Bowery is the perfect red.

- OUI the People’s bergamot-scented Big Mood Bath Soak is a particular fave of mine, and I know my mom will love it too.

WHAT OUTSIDE ESSENTIALS ARE YOUR GO-TOS BEFORE HITTING THE TRAIL — OR THE BACKYARD?
- The right bag—I love the lightweight backpacks and bum bags by Swedish brand Sandqvist.
- I’m usually either barefaced or wearing minimal makeup, so Sunglow SPF 35 is a perfect solution—sunscreen that gives my skin a gorgeous bronzey glow!
- Water! Don’t forget to hydrate, babes. I like to bring a smaller Nalgene out with me on the trail, but then keep my trusty 64 oz Hydroflask ready for refills when we’re done!

WHERE WE CAN FIND YOU IN THE WILDERNESS: Making the most of my backyard in Northern California! Big Sur and Point Reyes are two of my favorite places in the world, and they’re a short drive away. I also love Grey Whale Cove in Pacifica, CA!

Explore kinfield.com
Follow @kinfield