In this edition of Therm-a-Rest Explore, we share a few of the guiding resolutions for our brand as we start another lap around the sun.
To this day, I’m still not sure how I feel about New Year’s Resolutions. A resolution can be made at any time. Do we really need a day that tells our culture to set goals? If we need to make a necessary change in our life, why wait for the next lap around the sun?
Yet, there is special something that feels like a time for goal setting. Whether it’s astronomy or anthropology, the first of the year causes us to pause and consider a new trajectory or resolve to return to old ones.
We want to go into the next year with our “resolutions” out in the open. It’s important that our community knows not only where we stand, but where we’re going. We aren’t just the guys and gals making the next significant innovation to sleeping pads or bags. We’re members of this community and stewards of our wild spaces.
However, these resolutions aren’t unique to this year or the next one or the one after that. They’ve been guiding principles since the ‘70s. Our company was founded on the idea of creating a better night outside, not just for ourselves, but for the outdoor community. Our company was founded by and now employees hundreds of mountaineers, skiers, alpinists, bikepackers, thru hikers and mountain lovers. We are invested in the growth and well being of this community. Finally as leaders in camp comfort, we are always looking towards the horizon, looking for the next way that we can improve a night outside.
A better night outside, acting as a vocal outdoor citizen and high-performance gear for tomorrow. These are our resolutions.
A Better Night Outside
Most of you have heard the story. A few out of work engineers, in love with the mountains. Hundreds of nights dealing with the cold-hard ground. A leaky gardening pad and an old sandwich press.
Our founders just wanted a better night outside. They created that not just for themselves, but for an innumerable number of other outdoor explorers.
Today, we continue that tradition. Every piece of Therm-a-Rest gear is designed with a better night outside in mind. Whether it’s car camping with the family or an ambitious objective deep in the backcountry, we produce gear that’s designed to enhance your experience. Gear that provides protection and security. Gear that helps you rest better and play better.
Outdoor Citizen
The whole premise of a better night outside is predicated on a place to be outside. Sweeping forested hillsides. Craggy mountain peaks. Winding rushing rivers. Endless amber canyons. The list goes on.
As lovers of these natural treasures, we are inherently their stewards.
Our brand has re-upped our commitment to caring for our environment. In the past year, we have created an internal group that is consciously taking steps to reduce our footprint using the Higg Index as a measuring stick. Our efforts have reached from our break room to our manufacturing floor. No matter how small the change, we know that the cumulative effort of our outdoor community can be a force for change. Our partnerships with groups like the Access Fund and Conservation Alliance help us approach this effort from multiple angles.
Another focus has been helping raise the next generation of outdoor lovers by creating opportunities for underprivileged youth with our ongoing support of Big City Mountaineers, not only with our financial support but with our employees volunteering time.
Gear For Tomorrow
In the backcountry, you can’t just focus on the trail at your feet, you need to be thinking about the trail as a whole, the miles behind you and ahead of you.
We want to bring in the next wave of innovative products to provide you a better night at camp. From the self-inflating pad to our unique ThermaCapture material or Triangular Core Matrix pad construction, we have produced technologies and products that change the way you camp and improve your experience in the outdoors. We don’t have any intent on stopping.
So, what do you have planned for the future? Join us in being better outdoor citizens and comment below with any adventures on your horizon.
