It’s no secret the outdoor industry as a whole has historically been about as white as can be. The very term “outdoorsmen” implies exclusivity in a sense. Thankfully, the topic of diversity in the outdoors community is one that’s getting a lot of attention these days, and though progress is slow—it takes a long time to undo decades of white-guy-conquering-a-wild-place marketing—it is progress nonetheless. (A great resource for inspiring news about badass women in the outdoors, check out Outside magazine Editor Abigail Wise’s weekly newsletter.)
Though we try to keep things light hearted around here, issues as important as these to the survival and growth of our community are important to discuss. And seeing as it’s now officially Pride month, we’re excited to highlight a considered collection of Pride-themed goods from our Portland pals Tanner Goods, created in collaboration with Unlikely Hikers founder Jenny Bruso.
Unlikely Hikers is an inclusive hiking group helping share the LGBTQIA perspective in the outdoors. It started as an Instagram account, and has grown into a genuine community. “[Unlikely Hikers] is for all kinds of underrepresented people, and underrepresented stories,” Bruso tells Tanner Goods in a Q&A posted to their Journal this week. “I want to challenge the narrative of crushing mountains and dominating the land. I always say, I want to be crushed by the mountains, I want to know what the mountain has to teach me.”
Included in the capsule collection are four rainbow marbled leather pieces, and a very cool black zip wallet made with a rare rainbow zipper and rainbow thread. The marbling is especially rad, done by hand and in individual tray batches by a local craftsperson (check out the process here).
To support Unlikely Hikers and their important message, 15% of all sales will be donated to the Portland-based organization. Read more about her message and the importance of inserting different narratives into the outdoor conversation in an insightful Q&A
