Design Assistant
Established:
2014
Must have camping gear/gadget:
For backpacking a good pair of camp sandals and some sort of coffee making “tool” are a must. The Halulite Ketalist from GSI Outdoors has been my go-to cook set for a while. I’ve been a self-named unofficial product ambassador for the Patagonia R1 Hoodie for a while now. I own three and live in them in the Winter.
Favorite adventure destination:
I love exploring new places. Unguided, seat-of-the pants travel is what I love. That said, I grew up camping in the deserts and mountains of New Mexico and Colorado. They hold a very special place in my heart.
Worst/funniest outdoor story:
Against my better judgment I made an attempt at climbing Cotopaxi in Ecuador a few years back without spending much time acclimatizing. A group of Australians said they had climbed it with no problem and they were from sea level. I scoffed thinking that the fact that I lived in Denver and had spent the better part of a month at or above 10,000 ft. in Ecuador meant climbing to 19,000 would be a cakewalk. I ended up writhing in a cot at 15,000 ft. with some pretty intense altitude sickness while my buddy and our guide climbed ahead. After a few hours of fighting altitude induced anxiety, sleeplessness, a headache, and a pounding heart I finally found a little relief in being able to vomit…on my boots. It was a humbling experience.
Go to Mountainsmith gear:
Tour TLS all day long. It’s perfect for carrying my daily work needs or for fly fishing gear. I love its versatility. If I ride my bike into work I carry a Wraith 25. Despite the fact that it’s a hiking piece it’s pretty at home on the bike as well.
Fun fact or unknown tidbit about Jacob:
In my early twenties I won a hula-hooping contest. Before the contest I hadn’t hula hooped since elementary school and I haven’t since.