Tae Kim grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, where, he says, 鈥測our crazy uncle teaches you how to go camping.鈥� (His crazy uncle really did teach him how to go camping.) But in the lower 48, he found the concept of 鈥渢he outdoors鈥� much less accessible to people. Looking at most outdoor gear company offerings, you鈥檇 think the only way to go outside is to go huck a cliff, or climb a mountain, to take on a major expedition.
After a six-year stint as design director at The North Face, Kim co-founded in 2008. Specializing in packs, tents and camping accessories, San Francisco-based Alite targets young, hip, urban consumers who want to spend more time outside but don鈥檛 really know how to get out there.
鈥淭ents are a huge hurdle for people to go out and buy,鈥� he says, and what鈥檚 the point in buying a tent if you鈥檙e not sure you鈥檒l use it more than once? 鈥淥ur whole mission is to get people outside, especially young people. We want to make sure they鈥檙e not scared or inadequately equipped. A lot of these people grew up in suburbia and moved to the city and never really spent time outside,鈥� he says.
REI and other outdoor outfitters offer gear rentals, but Alite wanted to make getting outside even more attractive to people. So, modeled after the in Oakland, California, the program is a free lending library that connects camping newbies with a kit of gear. The kits are completely free (unless the gear is returned dirty, then there鈥檚 a $50 cleaning fee).
Sure, the program is a marketing tool. Some of the 11 pieces in the kit鈥攖he tent, camp chair and backpacks鈥攁re Alite products, but it also includes a cook-set, lantern, sleeping pad and other essentials from other manufacturers. Stoves and sleeping bags are not included, but those who are borrowing the kits are generally camping with other, more experienced campers who provide stoves. And just about anyone can borrow a sleeping bag from a friend.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about a brand. What does a brand really do for customers?鈥� he asks. 鈥淔or us, inspiration and inspiring people are key facets to Alite. It鈥檚 not just product design.鈥�
Kim likes to use the analogy of a cooking show. 鈥淵ou know how they show you two or three recipes, and they show you the ingredients and how to make it. We feel like traditional outdoor stores just give you the ingredients. They鈥檙e not really showing you how to cook, or how to get inspired. Our products are our ingredients, but you鈥檒l be seeing in the next year, we鈥檒l be putting cookbooks together.鈥� 聽聽
He means that both figuratively and literally. Food plays an important part in the time that Alite customers spend outdoors鈥攅specially in the foodie haven of San Francisco. And Alite is collaborating with local chefs to produce an outdoor-focused cookbook. Videos and events will likely also be part of the recipe.
鈥擬ary Catherine O'Connor
Sign photo: Rona Lee; Disclosure: I own the Alite Designs Monarch camping chair and I love it.