Below you will find some of our absolute favorite brands. After having found these great companies, and having become familiar with their products, we decided to work together a little bit! These brands may offer us a discount or some perks, but we use them only because they are the absolute best product we have found in their category. I can recommend them with full confidence that I would recommend them 1000 times over having spent full price of my own money on any of their products. And with every product you see mentioned, we have spent our own hard earned money on them.
Bedrocks are by far my favorite shoes for 95% of what I do. All the walking, hiking, scrambling, biking, casual boating, and so much more that I do in cool to hot weather is done in a pair of Bedrocks. Between my wife and I, we own six pairs. Be sure to read up on them. They are fantastic, and made in the USA. We have thousands of miles on ours, and all six pairs are used in some rotation. Check out an existing review at https://www.rocknwater.com/blog/gear-review-bedrock-sandals/
Athletic Brewing Company (ABC) is a dedicated non-alcoholic craft brewery. Both Vee and I have decided not to drink alcohol for a variety of reasons. When I (Wade) made this decision, I knew I would miss most the excellent craft beer I was used to enjoying. But this near-beer fills that void. If you like good beer, you will like Athletic. I seriously recommend you give them a try. Use WADEB20 on your first order to get 20% off.
Misty Mountain makes all of their harnesses by hand in the United States, and have been doing so for years. Their Cadillac harness is a Yosemite big wall classic, and their work is loved and respected around the world. They made my first ever harness, and then 10 years later, I purchased a custom harness from them. Best part? The same person that made my very first harness built my custom harness ten years later (ART, you're the best. You have saved my life many times).
These folks broke the mold with their Greenjacket rescue PFD design with a massive clam-shell pocket. Vee and I both have Greenjackets for boating. I appreciate the easily accessible and ample storage. The jacket is designed more for kayaking than rafting, and this does show at times, but I will cover that in more detailed review.
The Star SLICE is an unconventional paddle cat, and it is also the first boat that Vee and I purchased back in 2018. Based on the design of the Shredder by Airtight Inflatables (which you should TOTALLY check out), the Slice is a nimble and light 2 person boat. It is PVC, and has built in storage and a rigid, inflatable floor insert. The boat is remarkably stable for its size, and the rocker keeps it cruising over waves and through holes in a really impressive way. We have been very happy with the Slice, and we continue to be impressed by the performance every time we get in the boat. It is capable, and very forgiving.
These guys make a really hardy backpack. I purchased their Citizen Messenger Bag for myself for Christmas in 2020, and It is an excellent bag. More info to come as I use it more, but first impressions are positive!