Chris McNamera is the founder of Outdoor Gear Lab, Tech Gear Lab, and Supertopo. If you are a climber or gear head, there’s a chance you’ve heard of these. He’s also well respected climber, holds some serious big wall speed records and has climbed El Cap 80 plus times. In the early 2000s, Chris was one of the pioneers of wingsuit base jumping, but he eventually quit the sport because of it's risk. Today, he's reinventing South Lake Tahoe one of the best mountain towns in the US.
Company Spotlight
In today’s Company Spotlight, we feature Sufferfest Beer Co., and it’s founder, Caitlin Landesberg. Sufferfest is a beer built to reward you post-adventure – or maybe during your adventure, depending on what you’re in to! After the interview, Hannah Van Wetter and I review the beer and have a few drinks. For 20% off at their online store, use the code “meister” at www.sufferfestbeer.com. You can buy the beer online at Craft City.
Episode Sponsor
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Climb with MtnMeister
This summer I am reporting on Big City Mountaineers and their Summit for Someone trip on Longs Peak from September 7th to 9th. I have reported on these trips in the past, and this year, we’ll be promoting their Corporate Challenges program, where a company can host a trip of it’s own. I think it’d be a cool story about team-building and corporate social responsibility (plus your company will get some good PR out of the whole thing). Everyone who signs up gets a 70L pack, Mountainsmith trekking poles, a BCM t-shirt, and their voice on MtnMeister! If you or your company are interested in getting involved, shoot me an email at ben@mtnmeister.com.
Gear Recommendation
Chris says that the North Face Base Camp Duffel has consistently been a top pick for many years. Here’s the most recent review on Outdoor Gear Lab: For any long distance, this model must be transported; its shoulder straps made it one of the most comfortable models to carry “backpack-style,” and the latest iteration, released in Fall ’15, features an extra externally accessed zippered pocket, which adds much welcomed organizational capacity. Overall one of the easiest models to load and rummage through, the Base Camp is also among the most weather-resistant and most durable models tested. It also comes in a large variety of sizes.
Additional Resources
Check out these links to additional episode content.