Sierra Designs ‘Reaches Out’ to Outside Applications Selling Inclusion

Home » Outdoor » Sierra Designs is committed to outdoor programs that promote inclusion

Sierra Designs continues its Reach Out initiative to offer gear and web sales to organizations promoting inclusion and diversity in the outdoors.

Sierra Designs has selected four organizations working to encourage participation and access into the open among underrepresented communities. As the brand summarizes, it is Grab it The program includes “four organizations, one mission”.

Each quarter, Sierra Designs will support an organization already working to break down barriers to outdoor recreation. In particular, the brand will support these organizations and their public relations financially, with equipment and through awareness-raising. Sierra Designs also continues to donate gear to other like-minded nonprofits.
(Photo/Frauenwildnis)

About Sierra Designs

Sierra designs has been manufacturing outdoor gear since 1965. Founding partners Bob Swanson and George Marks met at The Ski Hut in Berkeley, California. They shared the vision of quality gear for everyone – regardless of their outdoor experience.

The brand’s backpacks, tents and sleeping bags are inspired by the duo’s own adventures as well as innovative ways to make gear more user-friendly.

Over the decades, Sierra Designs has developed several designs, many of which are patented (or pending). For example, as early as 1982 it introduced quick clips for faster tent pitching. His current line of outdoor products will continue to be featured innovative designs like unique backpack frame architecture, zipperless sleeping bags and, yes, those quick clips on tents.

Newer products have been praised by outdoor publications such as GearJunkie. Last year the brand Flex condenser backpack made our summary of best ultralight backpacks. This year the Sierra Designs Down Booties retained a high rank in our best down ankle boots testing.

Sierra Designs began with a mission to “create beautiful, functional, and attainable gear for adventurers of all backgrounds, skill levels, and budgets.”

It has built on that ethos with its own Grab it Program. It’s a way to highlight and sponsor more grassroots organizations working to expand diversity and inclusion outdoors.

(Photo/LGBT outdoors)

Sierra Designs is in touch

Since 2020, Sierra Designs’ Reach Out program has donated nearly $40,000 in equipment and proceeds from online sales to eight nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving economic, social and educational access for underrepresented groups in the great outdoors.

This year’s Reach Out partners are LGBT outdoors, SOS operation, Asian outdoorsand The Wilderness of Women.

The brand will support one each quarter, with partner organizations receiving $2,000 in product donations and 1% of web sales. In addition, Sierra Designs says it will provide education and event support and help raise awareness for everyone.

These organizations share a common goal of helping others break down barriers like accessing nature and sourcing essential gear. Socially, they promote inclusion through gender, sexuality, or race to grow the outdoor community.

Sierra Designs and the partners believe that the experience and knowledge gained through communicating with nature provides a foundation for future outdoor leaders.

Learn more about the Reach Out program
(Photo/LGBT outdoors)

Reach Out Program Partners

LGBT outdoors

LGBT outdoors states its mission is to “connect the LGBTQ+ community to nature and to each other”.

This network of like-minded people seeks to provide support, encouragement, and guidance to connect other members to find joy in the great outdoors. This includes feeling safe outdoors and developing new skills.

LGBT Outdoors showcases the variety of activities its members engage in to break down stereotypes that the broader outdoors industry has traditionally reinforced.

The organization has chapters in the US, Canada and Italy. She also promotes community through a Ambassador program and online events.

Learn more about LGBT outdoors
SOS Outreach participants pose on the slope; (Photo/SOS operation)

SOS operation

Founded in partnership with Vail Resorts, SOS operation has transformed the lives of over 80,000 underserved youth since 1993. The organization provides access to outdoor adventures, adult mentoring and leadership development.

SOS Outreach creates outdoor experiences that present challenges, along with support and guidance to overcome them. These experiences foster developmental skills that can pay off throughout life; These challenges start with learning a new skill like skiing or snowboarding. The aim is to convey a sense of achievement in a playful way.

From there, mentoring periods emphasize skill building as well as teaching core values such as discipline, compassion, humility and integrity. After all, young people can look after their peers and pass on the knowledge they have acquired.

With 15 locations in nine states, the organization looks after 3,000 young people every year.

Find out more about SOS Outreach
SOS Outreach Industry Day at Park City Mountain; (Photo/SOS operation)

Asian outdoors

Asian outdoors is on a mission to “create a diverse and inclusive outdoor community of Asian and Pacific Islanders.”

To achieve this, the group organizes field trips and workshops to provide a platform for future Asian and Pacific Islander leaders in the fields of outdoor recreation and the environment.

Its website and online community are a space to share experiences and opinions on nature and ecology. Its core values ​​include increasing access to outdoor recreation and building solidarity with Indigenous, Black, Latino and LGBTQ/Queer/Trans communities.

By encouraging more Asian peoples to be represented in nature, the group hopes to both grow community and challenge traditional narratives about nature and conservation.

Its educational component aims to promote different ways of knowing and experiencing our environment, from evidence-based scientific methods to more spiritual and cultural knowledge.

outdoor asian hat Facebook groups to keep up to date with each region’s group activities, meetings and volunteering activities.

Find out more about Outdoor Asian
(Photo/Frauenwildnis)

The Wilderness of Women

The Wilderness of Women is on a mission to “Empower girls, women and LGBTQ+ people to access their power and improve their health through connections with nature and community.”

This goal begins with guiding group members through outdoor experiences that can both challenge and humble them. A variety of excursions bring members into the great outdoors for hiking, conservation and conservation education, and some more adventurous pursuits like rock climbing and whitewater rafting.

These activities provide outdoor-related skills and knowledge, as well as interpersonal skills in an environment where acceptance is expected. Women’s Wilderness measures the impact of these experiences through the changes they bring to participants’ behavior, attitudes, knowledge and status.

It also hosts afterschool and summer programs. There, his mentors look for positive change in our four key areas: mental health, physical health, leadership development, and environmental stewardship.

Learn more about the wilderness of women
(Photo/Frauenwildnis)

This article is sponsored by Sierra designs. Learn more about the Reach Out initiative here.