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What companies should ADV riders avoid doing business with?


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Update: good intro video on what this whole topic is about

This is a great question that comes up time and time again.  I think the first company I heard about avoiding was Camelbak due to their funding groups who want to shut down riding areas.

 

I'm not an adv-fascist and you are certainly free to do whatever you want with your money.  These companies are the problem, not you.  I'm not going to try and shame anyone.  This is simply for you to make an informed decision.

 

On the one hand we have rabid OHV activists who are ever vigilant in protecting and preserving our off road areas and I applaud that.  On the other are the die hard green environmentalists who pretty much want to shut down everything to access via anything that isn't "human-powered."  In the middle you have those who say we have to work together to share outdoor spaces and support the outdoor industry.  I'll let you decide where you are and leave it at that.

 

 

I will try to keep this list up to date so follow along so as not to miss any updates.

 

Source 1

Source 2

Source 3

Source 4 (most current)

Source 5

Source 6

 

3Point5
4 Corners Riversports
Adidas Outdoor
ADS Ventures
Adventure Bound RiverExpeditions
AdventureCorps, Inc.
Adventure Photo & Film
Adventure Travel Trade Association
Ahnu footwear
All About Rivers, LLC
Aloft Group, Inc
Alpert-Tebrich & Associates
Alpine Sports
Altrec.com
American Alpine Club/Institute
American Alpine Institute
American RecreationProducts
American Sports Group, Inc.
ARTA River Trips
Asana Climbing
ASK Associates
Aspen Skiing Company
Atlas Snow-shoe
Babbitt's Backcountry Outfitters
Backbone Media LLC
Backcountry Gear
Backpacker Magazine
Backpacker's Pantry, Inc.
Backwoods Retail
Belinda Sanda Sales
Bellwether, Inc.
Ben Moon - Moonhouse
Bergans USA, LLC
Bergans of Norway
Bernzott Capital Advisors
Bidland.com
Blackshrimp
Blue Magazine
Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine
Bluesign Technologies
Boco Gear
Briggs & Riley Travelware
Bronwen Jewelry
Brook Hoopper Consulting
Brooks Sports
Broudy/Donohue Photography
Bryce Valley KOAKampground
Burlington Industries
Burton Snowboards
Burt's Bees
CamelBak Products
Cairn
Canada Goose
Candian River Expeditions & Nahanni River Adventures
Carmichael, Lynch, Spong Public Relations
Cascade Designs
Cascade Financial Strategies
CGPR Public Relations
Chaco Sandals
Clear Water Outdoor, LLC
Chalk Bag Specialist
Christoph & Company
Climbing Magazine
Consoltex Inc.
Creative Energies
Dansco
Darn Tough Vermont
Deer Hill Expeditions
Desert Bistro
Desert Rock Sports
Dong-in Entech
Dry Creek Enterprises
Eagle Creek Travel Gear
Eagles Nest Outfitters, Inc
Eastern Mountain Sports
Ecco
Eco-Heaven LLC
Eco-x Sports Inc
Eddie Bauer
Egan & Associates LLC
Edgeworks
Elemental Herbs
Elevation Outdoors Magazine
Equip
Everest Textile, Ltd
Excalibur Distribution/DMM Inc.
Far Bank Enterprises
Far Out Expeditions
Farm to Feet
Fathom Expeditions
Fendler Communications
Filson
Fishpond Inc.
Flamand Sports
Footloose Communications
FootZone of Bend
Free Heel and Wheel
Frontier Group, Inc
Garmont North America
GoalZero
GoLite
Grabber Performance Group/Grabber Inc
Graham Spencer
Grand Union Trading Co., Ltd.
Granite Gear
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance
Great Plains Mountain Stuff
Greenspace
Gregory Mountain Products
GTHI
GU Energy Labs
Guyot Designs
Headsweats
Healthbarn USA
High and Wild
Highgear USA
Hipcamp
Horny Toad Activewear
HotWax Media
HOWADesign
HydroFlask
Ibex Outdoor Clothing
Icebreaker
Idaho River Adventures
Imlay Canyon Gear
Indigitous
Injinji, Inc
Innate
International MountainEquipment
International Mountain Guides
IPA Connect
JAM Media Collective
Jansport
Jetboil, Incorporated
Jimmy Chin Photography
Johnson Camping/JWA 
Juniper Ridge, LLC
Justin Bailey Photography
Kiitella, Inc
Kennan Ward Photography
Kirwin Communications
Kling Mountain Guides
Kokatat
La Sportiva
Logan Outdoor Products/Camp Chef 
Loki Outerwear
Lotus Design
Lowe Alpine Systems
LowePro Camera Bags
Malden Mills Industries, Inc.
Mammoth MountaineeringSupply
Mammut Sports Group
MercuryCSC
Midwest Mountaineering
Montrail
Moonstone
Mountain Equipment Co-op
Mountain Gear
Mountain Lake Marketing
Mountain Tools
Mountain Waters Rafting and Adventure Co.
Nahanni River Adventures
National Geographic Maps
NAU
Neptune Mountaineering
Nester Hosiery, Inc
New Balance Athletic Shoe
New Belgium Brewing Company
New Normal Consulting
Nichols Expeditions
Nike, Inc.
Nikwax Waterproofing
Nite Ize, Inc
North Drinkware
Northwest Rafting Co
Noto Group
Nuu Muu
NRS
Oboz
Olukai
Oceanmedix.com, LLC
Onya Baby
Open Sky WildernessTherapy
Osprey Packs
Outdoor Gear Exchange/Gearx.com
Outdoor Industry Association
Outdoor Retailer
Outdoor Specialty Group, LLC
Outdoor Research
Outdoor Sports Marketing
Outdoor Utah AdventureGuide
Outdoorindustryjobs.com
Outpac Designs, Inc
Outside Adventure FilmSchool
Outside Magazine
Pachner & Associates
Pack and Paddle
Pack Rat Outdoor Center
Pale Morning Media, Inc
Patagonia, Inc.
Peak Design/Sports
Pearl Izumi
Penguin Brands
Perception, Inc.
Performance Bikes
Perpetual Motion NW
Peter McBride Productions
Phoenix Creative
Picky Bars
Pine NeedleMountaineering
Pinnacle Outdoor Group
Planet Outdoors
Point6
Polartec
prAna
Press Forward PR
PrimaLoft
Quality Bicycle Products
Quick Feat International
Rabbit Mountain
Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)
Red Desert Adventures
Rennie Publications, Inc.
Revolution House Media
Rising Tide Associates
River Magazine
River Runner Outdoor
River Sports Outfitters
Riverside Design
RLP Wealth Advisors
RLX Polo Sport
Roots Rated
Royal Robbins
Ruff Wear Inc
Runner Girl Races LLC
Saloman
Sanitas Sales Group
Saucony
SAXX Underwear
Scarpa North America
Schoeller Textil USA
Sea to Summit
Seaview Outfitters
Self-Propelled Outdoorsman
Shift Advantage
Sierra Designs
Sierra Nevada Brewing
Slingfin
Smith Optics, Inc
SNEWS
SNOCRU
SOAR Communications
Sorel
Sorensen's Resort
Spiker Communications
Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association
Stanley, a brand of PMI
Stio
STM Bags
Stohlquist WaterWare
Stonewear Designs
Sullivan-Bishop Agency
Superfeet
Teva
The Access Fund
The Base Camp
The Conservation Alliance
The Family Outing
The Forest Group
The Mountain Lab
The North Face
The Timberland Company
The Whiting Group
Thompson Manufacturing Inc.
Thor-Lo Sock Company
Thule
Timex
Toad&Co
Trails Illustrated
Treasure Mountain Inn
Tributary Whitewater Tours
Trio Restaurant Group
Ultralight AdventureEquipment
Under Solen Media
Unicorn Recreation Products
Ursack
Ute Mountaineer
Vapur
Vasque
Velocio Apparel
Venture Snowboards
Verde PR and Consulting
Veterans Expeditions
Vibram USA
Virasana Productions
Vishnu Temple Press
W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
Wasatch Touring
Waypoint Outdoor
White Horse ResidentialHomes
Whitewater West
Wild Iris Mountain Sports
Wild Places, Inc
Wilderness Press
Wildland Trekking Co
Wilson’s Eastside Sports
With Gaia Design
Woods Wheatcroft Photography
Wyoming Woolens
Yakima
Yonder
Young One
Zephyr Adventures
Zumiez, Inc
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Good thread.

Many of these fascists are even against the mountain bikers, claiming that ANY wheeled recreation is "wrong". They portray themselves as intellectuals and critical thinkers. They are neither. They are simply selfish.

I believe I read the gear manufacturer Black Diamond is very anti-ORV.

 

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Kelty was going to sponsor me with some gear but I've had to say no thanks.  I have a Kelty tent I bought years ago (Traildome 4) and Iike it a lot.  I also have a Marmot tent that I bought from REI!  I have an old Camelbak, JetBoil, Mountain Hardware shirts and some old Columbia boots too.  

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Wow,

Just took the time to read through the list (thanks for making it) and it looks like half of my current kit won't be returning. The only real zinger for me out of that list is Nikwax...I'm damned near addicted to their waterproofing for leather, anyone know of any good alternatives? Maybe a made in Oz product or something?

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Wow,

Just took the time to read through the list (thanks for making it) and it looks like half of my current kit won't be returning. The only real zinger for me out of that list is Nikwax...I'm damned near addicted to their waterproofing for leather, anyone know of any good alternatives? Maybe a made in Oz product or something?

Grangers

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Wow, kinda makes me wonder who else is in the closet on this. I know who I will not support, I'm also glad that some of my stuff is a good alternative. Thank you sir for putting this together. On a side note, I try not to buy from China as well, this list makes it a little more difficult. It's worth it though.

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The opposite of avoiding companies that do contribute to these groups is to patronized the ones who DO contribute to the groups trying to preserve access for us (and others like hunters, fishermen, jeeps, etc...)

 

Some of those advocacy groups:

 

Blue Ribbon Coalition

CORVA

Stewards of the Sequoia

AMA

 

ADV Addicts has just announced they will make a donation to CORVA for every Vapur bottle they sell and are making it retroactive to Jan 1, 2016!

 

I may start a new thread for companies like this

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Excellent idea, Eric!

In addition, I try to keep my local dealer in some scratch as well by purchasing most of my consumables there. They don't stock a ton of things I need but I purchase what I can. As an example because I do frequent the place the guy who runs the gear department knocked over 125.00 off the purchase of a new Scorpion Exo jacket for me. This made it FAR cheaper than it would have been with any discount from anywhere else. Therefore I won't balk at paying over 8.00 a quart for 2 smoker oil and I'll at least go LOOK at the Africa Twin (when they finally get one). I could surely save money by buying all my junk on Amazon or the 'Bay but these folks live and work in my neighborhood and I know most of them by name.

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Excellent idea, Eric!

In addition, I try to keep my local dealer in some scratch as well by purchasing most of my consumables there. They don't stock a ton of things I need but I purchase what I can. As an example because I do frequent the place the guy who runs the gear department knocked over 125.00 off the purchase of a new Scorpion Exo jacket for me. This made it FAR cheaper than it would have been with any discount from anywhere else. Therefore I won't balk at paying over 8.00 a quart for 2 smoker oil and I'll at least go LOOK at the Africa Twin (when they finally get one). I could surely save money by buying all my junk on Amazon or the 'Bay but these folks live and work in my neighborhood and I know most of them by name.

I would love to have a spot to buy adventure type gear from a local place. But the only local shops either carry cruiser type leathers and bags, motocross or sport bike track type. Tucson sucks for anything more then that.
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I would love to have a spot to buy adventure type gear from a local place. But the only local shops either carry cruiser type leathers and bags, motocross or sport bike track type. Tucson sucks for anything more then that.

Yeah but Sonoran Hotdogs though....
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Blue Ribbon lists these as supportive

  • BARLOW ADVENTURES, SEDONA
  • GOLDEN SHORES OFFROADERS, TOPOCK
  • LIBERTY MOTORSPORTS, YUMA
  • TRAIL RIDERS OF S ARIZONA, TUCSON
  • WINSTON MCINTOSH, PHOENIX
Perfect, thank you kind Sir.
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