outdoors
GET the
GEAR Right and below: Cotopaxi’s relaxed retail store serves as a gallery of the aesthetics of high-tech outdoor design.
are available at brick-and-mortar outdoor stores, but they’d love nothing more than for you to stop by their headquarters in Bluffdale to chat about which Goal Zero product is right for you. 675 West 14600 South, Bluffdale, 888-794-6250. Goalzero.com
The Philanthropists Cotopaxi
accessories for the outdoor crowd. Whether you’re charging your phone on a backpacking trip with the portable 13 oz. Nomad 7 or stepping it all the way up with the Nomad 100 to power camp lights, cameras and laptops on back-country adventures, Goal Zero will provide. Its products
60
S A LT L A K E M A G A Z I N E . C O M NOV/DEC 2016
The paradoxical nature of the outdoor industry is a hard one to reconcile. Every activity we do and every piece of gear we produce and use has an impact. A lot of lip service is paid to sustainable and ethical practices in the industry, but few walk the walk like Cotopaxi. “We felt we could create a model that brought product creation and humanitarian issues closer to the
consumer,” says Cotopaxi’s co-founder Chad Whitaker. Cotopaxi designs and produces outdoor gear and clothing, backpacks, tents, jackets, T-shirts and hats and sells directly to the consumer. Cotopaxi formerly sold entirely online, but they opened their first physical location in August 2016, right in the heart of Salt Lake City. But what separates Cotopaxi’s processes from others in the outdoor industry? It’s a company philosophy grounded in providing grants and in supporting sustainable, ethical manufacturing that does real good for local communities. “The way we incorporated right out of the gate allowed us to build environmental and social purpose into our bylaws,” explains Chief Impact Officer Lindsey Kneuven. “Our grant making has great global coverage focused on poverty alleviation, education and health goals.” Cotopaxi’s team of 43 employees remains focused on service and volunteerism and they want their customers to get involved too. “There’s amazing potential in focusing a community of adventurers on the power of humanity to effect change,” Kneuven says. You can email impact@cotopaxi.com to inquire about volunteer opportunities, and Cotopaxi encourages you to participate in one of their Questival adventure races to meet like-minded explorers and expand your world. 74 Main St, Salt Lake City, 844-268-6729. Cotopaxi.com
GOAL ZERO LIGHTHOUSE MINI LANTERN $60 goalzero.com
AVANET PRO APP $10/month, avatech.com
COTOPAXI KUSA BOMBER JACKET Men’s & Woman’s $190, cotopaxi.com
GOAL ZERO NOMAD 7 PLUS SOLAR PANEL $190, goalzero.com
COTOPAXI BELLAVISTA SMALL SATCHEL $40, cotopaxi.com