Beyond The Trailhead

craig obrist
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Entrepreneurship

Beyond the Trailhead Podcast is where the outdoor world comes alive. We sit down with the people shaping the industry—founders, designers, and adventurers—to hear the stories behind the gear and the journeys that inspire it. From trailhead conversations to trail-tested reviews, this series dives into what makes the outdoor community unique, real, and worth exploring. Whether you’re a gear junkie, a weekend warrior, or someone who just loves trail talk, this is your spot to discover what’s happening beyond the trailhead. Guest suggestions or you would like to be on the show email at info@craigobrist.com

  1. 5d ago

    LOWA USA GM Lance Taylor | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 50

    In this episode of Beyond the Trailhead, I sit down with Lance Taylor, General Manager of LOWA USA. Lance has spent nearly 25 years in the footwear industry. He actually started selling women’s shoes at Dillard’s while in college before moving into the outdoor world, where he spent years working across sales, footwear, product, and category management. About 18 months ago, he stepped into leadership at LOWA USA. And he joined the company at a pretty interesting time. Outdoor footwear is changing. More hikers are reaching for trail runners instead of traditional hiking boots. Shoes are becoming lighter, softer, faster, and more athletic. So I asked Lance the question directly: Are hiking boots dying? His answer opens up a much bigger conversation about how a 100-year-old brand evolves without throwing away the craftsmanship and reputation that made people trust it in the first place. We also dive into: • Why trail runners have become so popular with hikers • Whether traditional hiking boots are actually disappearing • Why LOWA’s boot category is still growing • Why younger consumers are wearing hiking boots as fashion again • How LOWA is moving toward lighter and faster outdoor footwear • Why simply making another trail running shoe isn’t enough • The difference between designing a trail runner and a hiking shoe • Why trail runners can wear out faster when hikers use them outside their intended purpose • Finding the “Goldilocks zone” between cushioning, weight, stability, protection, and durability • How footwear companies test materials and prototypes • Why a shoe that works while running might cause problems while hiking • How customer and retailer feedback influences product development • Why brands shouldn’t let customers completely design the brand for them • What smaller companies should know before trying to expand internationally • Why growing too fast can hurt a brand • Why successful footwear franchises can take years to build • How prototype shoes are tested at races before they ever reach consumers • Lance’s biggest “oh crap” moment taking over LOWA USA • Moving and restructuring the company from Connecticut to Salt Lake City • Why LOWA moved to a third-party logistics warehouse • How military users have developed emotional connections with their LOWA boots • Why innovation matters more than ever in today’s outdoor market • What Lance calls “LOWA 2.0” and the brand’s upcoming Spring 2027 relaunch Lance also shares what it was like stepping into leadership after longtime LOWA USA General Manager Peter Sachs and immediately helping restructure and relocate major parts of the company. If you’re into hiking boots, trail running shoes, footwear design, outdoor business, product development, or trying to figure out how an established brand stays relevant when consumer habits change, this is a really interesting episode. LOWA USA: https://us.lowa.com Listen to Beyond the Trailhead YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Beyondthetrailhead Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-trailhead/id1860050826 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11g9jx9Oyd2YSHipi0mmDy?si=72d97f11c5f64ea6 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/beyondthetrailheadpodcast Website: https://obristimagery.com For those asking about safety gear we use outdoors you can get 15% off Overwatch x Rescue with code BEYOND15.

    LOWA USA GM Lance Taylor | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 50

  2. Sep 22

    Backcountry Garage Director JM Fabrizi | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 49

    In this episode of Beyond the Trailhead, I sit down with JM Fabrizi, Director of Backcountry Garage. JM has spent years on the small-brand side of the outdoor industry. He joined Coalatree in 2017 and eventually ran the day-to-day business before Backcountry acquired the brand in 2026. Coalatree became the first brand in the new Backcountry Garage program, and JM now leads the Garage while continuing to help oversee Coalatree. That experience gives JM a pretty unique perspective: he knows what it feels like to be the small outdoor brand knocking on the door of a huge retailer, and now he’s on the other side helping Backcountry find those brands. Backcountry Garage was created to help emerging, niche, and differentiated outdoor brands get discovered without disappearing into a massive online catalog. JM talks about how difficult it can be for a small company to tell its story next to giant brands with huge marketing budgets, and how the Garage is trying to give those companies more visibility and support. We also dive into: • What Backcountry Garage actually is • What Backcountry looks for in an emerging outdoor brand • How small brands can apply to be considered • Why having a unique product matters more than simply having another version of something that already exists • How Coalatree became the first Backcountry Garage brand • JM’s experience growing a small outdoor company before joining Backcountry • Why getting into a major retailer isn’t always as easy as it sounds • Why some brands need better fulfillment and operations before they’re ready for big retail • How Backcountry is trying to recreate the specialty outdoor-store experience online • Why Gearheads are still a big part of Backcountry’s strategy • How Backcountry Garage can help brands reach customers through e-commerce • How marketplace partnerships like Amazon can become a huge headache for a small company • How Backcountry can help manage some of that marketplace complexity • Why relationships with specialty retailers still matter • What JM learned walking Outdoor Retailer looking for emerging brands • Why Backcountry literally put buyers at a desk for brands to come pitch • Why growing the entire outdoor industry can be better than constantly fighting competitors Backcountry currently describes the Garage as its program for finding and championing emerging and differentiated outdoor brands, and brands can apply directly through the Garage page. CONNECT WITH BACKCOUNTRY GARAGE https://www.backcountry.com/rc/backcountry-garage Backcountry https://www.backcountry.com Listen to Beyond the Trailhead YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Beyondthetrailhead Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-trailhead/id1860050826 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11g9jx9Oyd2YSHipi0mmDy?si=72d97f11c5f64ea6 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/beyondthetrailheadpodcast Website: https://obristimagery.com For those asking about safety gear we use outdoors you can get 15% off Overwatch x Rescue with code BEYOND15.

    Backcountry Garage Director JM Fabrizi | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 49

  3. Sep 15

    Mountain House Marketing Director Seth Beiden | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 48

    In this episode of Beyond the Trailhead, I sit down with Seth Beiden, Marketing Director at Mountain House. If you’ve spent any time backpacking, camping, hunting, fishing, traveling, or building an emergency food stash, there’s a good chance you’ve seen or eaten a Mountain House meal. Seth brings a unique background to Mountain House. He spent nine years at CamelBak during a major growth period, then moved to the agency side, started his own PR agency, later joined Sasquatch Agency, and eventually came back in-house with Mountain House. That mix of product, PR, brand, and outdoor industry experience gives him a really interesting view of where Mountain House has been and where the brand is heading next. We get into the history of Mountain House, the difference between freeze-dried and dehydrated food, and why “food in a bag” is not all the same. Seth explains that Mountain House is owned and operated by Oregon Freeze Dry, and that one of the biggest differences with Mountain House is that the company selects the ingredients, cooks the meals, and freeze-dries the food in-house. We also dive into: • Seth’s path from CamelBak to agency life to Mountain House • What he learned from working both in-house and agency-side • Why Mountain House is trying to honor its heritage while still modernizing • Why freeze-dried and dehydrated food are not the same thing • Why taste, texture, color, and nutrition matter in trail food • Why it is risky to grab a random meal before a big trip • How Mountain House thinks about classic meals, new recipes, and customer feedback • Why the same handful of meals show up in stores even though Mountain House makes way more options • How food trends, allergies, dairy-free options, vegetarian meals, and high-calorie meals affect product development • Why marketing is involved in recipe development more than Seth expected • What food scientists actually do behind the scenes • Why meals have to be cooked differently before they are freeze-dried • How Mountain House cooks massive batches of food before freeze-drying them • Why testing meals at home is not the same as eating them after a huge day outside • How Mountain House is listening to thru-hikers, backpackers, hunters, emergency-prep customers, and everyday outdoor people One of the wildest parts of this conversation is hearing Seth explain that Mountain House meals are cooked in massive batches before they are freeze-dried. He talks about 1,200-pound cook pots, 53-pound blocks of butter, food scientists, and the pressure of making sure a meal tastes right after someone adds hot water in the backcountry. Website: https://mountainhouse.com Listen to Beyond the Trailhead YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Beyondthetrailhead Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-trailhead/id1860050826 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11g9jx9Oyd2YSHipi0mmDy?si=72d97f11c5f64ea6 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/beyondthetrailheadpodcast Website: https://obristimagery.com For those asking about safety gear we use outdoors you can get 15% off Overwatch x Rescue with code BEYOND15.

    Mountain House Marketing Director Seth Beiden | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 48

  4. Sep 8

    Holey Hiker Bidet Creator Paul Bogush | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 47

    In this episode of Beyond the Trailhead, I sit down with Paul Bogush, creator and owner of Holey Hiker Bidet. This might be the smallest product we’ve ever talked about on the podcast, but it also might be one of the most life-changing pieces of backpacking gear once people finally try it. Paul’s story starts around 2019 after he read an article about a national park no longer allowing people to bury toilet paper. At the very end of the article, it mentioned that some backpackers were turning to bidets. That sent Paul down the trail bidet rabbit hole. He ordered every portable option he could find, tested them in Vermont, and quickly realized that a backpacking bidet could completely change the trail bathroom experience. From there, the idea turned into a middle school 3D printing project. Paul teaches sixth, seventh, and eighth grade, and during COVID he suddenly had extra time at home. He started printing, testing, tweaking, and reprinting his own bidet design. Each early version took about 65 minutes to print, and he would test it, make changes, and print another one over and over again. We also dive into: • Why backpacking bidets are becoming more popular • Why packing out toilet paper pushed Paul toward bidets • How a tiny product can still have a ton of design challenges • Why the first versions were 3D printed • How COVID accidentally gave Paul the time to test and improve the design • Why he sent out around 200 tester bidets before selling them • How feedback from AT, PCT, CDT, and desert hikers shaped the final product • Why the early 3D printed versions started cracking • How Holey Hiker moved from 3D printing to injection molding • Why finding the right local injection molder took months • Why one tiny O-ring became one of the hardest parts of the whole product • How Paul built the business while still teaching middle school • What he learned from his first Outdoor Retailer trade show • How some retailers were already selling his product through distributors without him knowing • Why the trail bathroom conversation is awkward, funny, and actually really important If you’ve ever packed out toilet paper, dealt with chafing on trail, wondered why hikers talk about bidets so much, or secretly thought, “There has to be a better way,” this episode is for you. Connect with Holey Hiker Bidet Website: https://www.holeyhiker.com Garage Grown Gear: https://www.garagegrowngear.com/products/holey-hiker-bidet-by-holey-hiker Listen to Beyond the Trailhead YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Beyondthetrailhead Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-trailhead/id1860050826 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11g9jx9Oyd2YSHipi0mmDy?si=72d97f11c5f64ea6 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/beyondthetrailheadpodcast Website: https://obristimagery.com For those asking about safety gear we use outdoors you can get 15% off Overwatch x Rescue with code BEYOND15.

    Holey Hiker Bidet Creator Paul Bogush | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 47

  5. Sep 1

    Dry Brew Ceo/Founder John Schade | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 46

    In this episode of Beyond the Trailhead, I sit down with John Schade, co-founder and president of DryBrew. DryBrew is real coffee in a chewy, ready-to-eat bite. No cup, no brewing, no stopping for a bathroom break five minutes later. John explains that the first idea came from wanting coffee while driving without spilling it everywhere. From there, the team created a chewy coffee bite made with real coffee and non-dairy creamer. We talk about how DryBrew started, why sampling is such a huge part of selling the product, and how people usually “get it” once they actually try it. John also shares how the team started by selling at farmers markets, getting direct feedback, and learning where the product could go before jumping into bigger retail opportunities. We also dive into: • What DryBrew actually is • Why it feels like a Tootsie Roll or Laffy Taffy coffee bite • Why it is not meant to fully replace your morning coffee ritual • How cyclists, hikers, trail runners, firefighters, doctors, travelers, and busy people use it • Why DryBrew works so well when you do not have time to brew coffee • How the team went from farmers markets to Target • Why food products are complicated to scale • What it took to professionalize the business through a food startup accelerator • How DryBrew hand-packed around 100,000 units for its first Target order • Why a delayed packing machine created one of the brand’s biggest “oh no” moments • How small food brands have to think about packaging, expiration dates, batch numbers, and scale • Why sampling matters so much in stores • How independent retailers helped DryBrew understand what customers needed • What is coming next, including unwrapped packs and espresso bean-shaped DryBrew bites • Why retail growth is exciting but can also expose whether your operations are actually ready This episode is full of coffee, caffeine, outdoor retail lessons, startup grind, food business reality, packaging talk, and plenty of dad-joke-worthy “grind” moments. Website: https://drybrew.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drybrew TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drybrew Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drybrew Listen to Beyond the Trailhead YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Beyondthetrailhead Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-trailhead/id1860050826 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11g9jx9Oyd2YSHipi0mmDy?si=72d97f11c5f64ea6 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/beyondthetrailheadpodcast Website: https://obristimagery.com For those asking about safety gear we use outdoors you can get 15% off Overwatch x Rescue with code BEYOND15.

    Dry Brew Ceo/Founder John Schade | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 46

  6. Aug 25

    Hyalite Designs Creator Katie McKinstry Stylos | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 45

    In this episode of Beyond the Trailhead, I sit down with Katie McKinstry Stylos, the artist, graphic designer, professional climber, and creator behind Hyalite Designs. Katie is based in Bozeman, Montana, and Hyalite Designs is named after Hyalite Canyon, a place close to where she lives and climbs. She shares how the canyon, the mountains, and the places she loves outside continue to inspire her work. The main part of Katie’s work is something incredibly unique: she takes retired climbing rope and turns it into one-of-a-kind mountain-inspired wall art. These ropes have lived real lives. They have protected climbers, traveled through the mountains, been part of big days, scary moments, and personal memories. Instead of throwing them away once they can no longer be used safely, Katie gives them a second life as art. We also dive into: • How Katie went from the horse world to climbing • Why she chose graphic design as a career path • How Hyalite Designs started while she was still in school • Why she registered her business before graduating • How old ropes from the climbing gym became her first art material • Why she stopped making rugs and focused on wall art • How pricing artwork became one of the hardest parts of the business • Why galleries helped her understand the real value of her work • Why every rope art piece is one-of-a-kind • How custom pieces, design fees, edits, materials, and shipping all affect pricing • The mental side of running a creative business • How saying yes too much led to burnout • Why she had to email clients and admit she could not take on every project • How she balances rope art, graphic design, climbing, and time outside • Why building your own brand can be harder than building one for clients • The ventilation and safety side of cutting and melting rope • Why professional communication is better through email than Instagram DMs One of my favorite parts of this conversation is Katie’s honesty about creative burnout. She talks about how saying yes to too many commissions eventually started hurting the quality of her work, and how she had to step back before she ruined the thing she had worked so hard to build. This episode is full of art, climbing, business, creativity, pricing lessons, burnout lessons, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to turn a very niche idea into a real business. Connect with Hyalite Designs Website: https://www.hyalitedesigns.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hyalite_designs Listen to Beyond the Trailhead YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Beyondthetrailhead Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-trailhead/id1860050826 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11g9jx9Oyd2YSHipi0mmDy?si=72d97f11c5f64ea6 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/beyondthetrailheadpodcast Website: https://obristimagery.com For those asking about safety gear we use outdoors you can get 15% off Overwatch x Rescue with code BEYOND15.

    Hyalite Designs Creator Katie McKinstry Stylos | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 45

  7. Aug 18

    Minus33 Wool President Lawson Glidden | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 44

    In this episode of Beyond the Trailhead, I sit down with Lawson Glidden, President of Minus33, a merino wool clothing brand based in Ashland, New Hampshire. Minus33 is part of a much older family textile story. Lawson shares how his family’s wool business, L.W. Packard, began in 1916 on the Squam River in Ashland, New Hampshire, making wool broadcloth for suits, peacoats, and other wool goods. After much of the textile industry moved overseas, the family had to rethink what the business could become. One of the companies that came out of that transition was Minus33. Lawson joined the family business in 2018 after a career in tech and software. One of his first big moves was flying to Italy, buying sock machines, and helping bring sock manufacturing back into the same New Hampshire mill buildings where his family had been making wool products for generations. We also dive into: • How Minus33 got its name from a freezing New Hampshire snowmobile trip • Why Lawson left the tech world to join the family wool business • What it takes to program and run modern sock machines • Why Minus33 brought sock manufacturing back to Ashland, New Hampshire • The difference between making a product that looks good and one that actually works • Why merino wool is so useful for hiking, hunting, snowmobiling, kayaking, running, and layering • How Minus33 designs base layers, socks, hats, gloves, neck gaiters, and outdoor apparel • Why consistency matters when customers want the same favorite product years later • The danger of chasing trends and getting stuck with inventory • The wild story of turtleneck sales after Steve Jobs passed away • Why Minus33 once rejected a huge shipment instead of selling something they weren’t proud of • How customer feedback turns into product changes • Why divers wearing Minus33 under wetsuits actually makes sense • What wool does when it gets wet and why it still insulates One of my favorite parts of this conversation is hearing how deeply Lawson understands both the technical side and the human side of making clothing. This episode is full of merino wool nerdiness, family business history, product design lessons, textile manufacturing, outdoor stories, and some really funny moments about socks, gaming, turtlenecks, and why the best outdoor gear sometimes starts with a very practical problem. If you’ve ever worn a wool base layer, packed extra socks “just in case,” or wondered why merino wool doesn’t stink like synthetic gear, this episode is for you. Website: https://www.minus33.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minus33merinowool Listen to Beyond the Trailhead YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Beyondthetrailhead Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-trailhead/id1860050826 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11g9jx9Oyd2YSHipi0mmDy?si=72d97f11c5f64ea6 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/beyondthetrailheadpodcast Website: https://obristimagery.com For those asking about safety gear we use outdoors you can get 15% off Overwatch x Rescue with code BEYOND15.

    Minus33 Wool President Lawson Glidden | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 44

  8. Aug 11

    Zpacks Marketing Director Mateo Favero | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 43

    In this episode of Beyond the Trailhead, I sit down with Mateo Favero, Director of Marketing and Design at Zpacks. Mateo has been with Zpacks since 2010, back when the company was still being run out of a garage. He started by learning how to sew from scratch and has now been part of Zpacks for more than 16 years, helping shape the brand’s marketing, product design, and ultralight gear development. Zpacks was founded by Joe Valesko in 2005 after he started making his own gear for an Appalachian Trail thru-hike. He wanted gear that was lighter, simpler, and more functional than what was available at the time. Other hikers started asking him to make gear for them, and the company slowly grew from apartment sewing, to after-work orders, to a full-time ultralight backpacking brand. We also dive into: • How Zpacks started from Joe Valesko’s Appalachian Trail gear experiments • How Mateo joined after asking Joe and Cheryl out to lunch • Why Zpacks ended up based in Florida • What it was like sewing in the garage in the early days • Why Zpacks was an early adopter of DCF, formerly called Cuben Fiber • The learning curve of working with Dyneema Composite Fabric • Why ultralight gear is performance gear, not bombproof forever gear • Mateo’s “race car tire vs Toyota Corolla” analogy • Why premium ultralight gear costs more • How Zpacks keeps looking for new fabrics, clips, buckles, and design ideas • Why most innovation comes from small details, not reinventing the wheel • The problem with people yelling “ripoff” in the outdoor industry • Why enthusiasm matters more than trade secrets • How Zpacks’ South Korea fan community started organically • Why Zpacks gives back to trail organizations and public land access groups One of my favorite parts of this conversation is Mateo’s advice for people with big ideas: the only difference between a dream and a plan is putting it on your calendar. If you’ve ever wondered why ultralight gear costs what it does, why DCF is so widely used, or what it takes to build gear that helps people go farther with less weight, this one is for you. Connect with Zpacks Website: https://zpacks.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zpacks YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@zpacksofficial Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Zpacks Listen to Beyond the Trailhead YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Beyondthetrailhead Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-trailhead/id1860050826 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11g9jx9Oyd2YSHipi0mmDy?si=72d97f11c5f64ea6 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/beyondthetrailheadpodcast Website: https://obristimagery.com For those asking about safety gear we use outdoors you can get 15% off Overwatch x Rescue with code BEYOND15.

    Zpacks Marketing Director Mateo Favero | Beyond the Trailhead Podcast Ep. 43
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Beyond the Trailhead Podcast is where the outdoor world comes alive. We sit down with the people shaping the industry—founders, designers, and adventurers—to hear the stories behind the gear and the journeys that inspire it. From trailhead conversations to trail-tested reviews, this series dives into what makes the outdoor community unique, real, and worth exploring. Whether you’re a gear junkie, a weekend warrior, or someone who just loves trail talk, this is your spot to discover what’s happening beyond the trailhead. Guest suggestions or you would like to be on the show email at info@craigobrist.com

Information

  • Creator
    craig obrist
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 craig obrist

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