Living Adventurously Have a Meaningful Specific - Don't Try to Please Everyone. Living Adventurously 53
David Hanney is the Co-founder and CEO at Alpkit, an outdoor and bike brand for enthusiasts and adventurers. We chatted about buying and selling stuff, what makes a good adventure film, the community of working in an outdoor brand, taking the elitism out of adventure, the need for a new approach to adventure, sustainability, and Blue Peter annuals.
THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY WildBounds, who deliver both exceptional kit from independent brands and inspiration for your next adventure.
(If your company or organisation is interested in sponsoring Living Adventurously, please get in touch!)
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE LIVING ADVENTUROUSLY PODCAST
(It’s completely free, zero hassle to do (click here), but very helpful for me. If you’re feeling extra kind, please leave a review on the app – that really helps.)
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn (“Alexa, please play the Living Adventurously podcast”) or on your favourite podcast platform such as Overcast, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Breaker, Soundcloud, Castbox, Castro.
SHOW NOTES
- If you enjoy listening to this episode over a cup of coffee and think it might be worth the price, you can buy me a "coffee" here: www. ko-fi.com/al_humphreys
- Keep up to date with future episodes (and my other adventures, projects and books) with my free monthly newsletter: alastairhumphreys.com/newsletters
- Say hello on Twitter and Instagram: @al_humphreys
- https://twitter.com/alpkit
- https://alpkit.com/
- If a product we develop is something I want to take to the Alps, and if it works in the Peak District, then it's a good product.
- Years of buying far too much stuff teaches you to manage stock - to flow stuff in.
- Good buying and retailing is about flowing stock.
- Being able to sell a t-shirt for £3 raises so many horrible issues
- SteepEdge - Video on Demand - https://vimeo.com/steepedge
- What makes a good adventure film - good narrative, good charaters, interesting people
- It's a very modern world when we all make films / social media about our holidays
- 52 Peaks adventure - https://www.matthewdickinson.com/52peaks/
- Lives on the edge of the Peak District deliberately - to be close to the outdoors
- Loves the community of working in an outdoor brand
- Alpkit doesn't see itself as 'hardcore' and therefore can help take the elitism out of adventure
- The queue on Everest - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/26/i-wont-be-joining-queue-everest-overcrowding-summit
- Can't justify flying to Nepal or Antarctica for "middle aged man going on holiday"
- Alpkit tries to make gear for UK conditions
- Arc'Teryx and Mountain Equipment are doing good jobs
- Patagonia have held good principles over 30-40 years
- Let My People go Surfing - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Let-People-Surfing-Education-Businessman-Including/dp/0143109677/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=58661334172&dchild=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwqML6BRAHEiwAdquMnZGqCfCRTFSF_lU9BV8YAsnvLebpFhO5Cpv4sp49YBSwmO7c_RyzNhoCfyAQAvD_BwE&hvadid=259100687418&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9044998&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=5075519006684598494&hvtargid=kwd-296089210690&hydadcr=18711_1817486&keywords=let+my+people+go+surfing&qid=1599130212&sr=8-1&tag=googhydr-21
- Alpkit founded by a group of friends who enjoyed the outdoors but were frustrated by the gatekeepers of the retail stores.
- Listen to your customers. Make a really good product. Serve your customers.
- Alpkit moved from online to stores. Retailers just have an urge to have shops. Commercially it makes sense as the internet isn't the free democratic space it seems to be. Google and Amazon are the gatekeepers.
- Web sales are stronger in places that they have stores. The stores make a sense of place. Becomes a hub to do stuff.
- Half of product searches are on Amazon.
- Rosie Watson's article: https://adventureuncovered.com/stories/building-a-sustainable-outdoor-community-after-covid-19/
- There's a contradiction of brands who make stuff claiming to be benefiting the environment
- Need to build a relationship with your equipment and make it last
- Blue Peter Green Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Peter-Green-Book-Laminated/dp/0563208864
- Really hard to make a work environment a 'green' place
- Don't want to be all doom and gloom - a 'shouldist'
- The outdoors is a good place, it's where we want to be, it can play a crucial role in the revitalisation of our cities
- Us outdoor enthusiasts can lead by example
- Alpkit Foundation - https://alpkit.com/pages/foundation
- We need better infrastructure to help larger numbers enjoy the outdoors
- Circular economy - the Continuum project finds good homes for old gear: https://alpkit.com/pages/continuum
- Have a meaningful specific - don't try to please everyone
- If you want to do really quality work that only appeals to a niche - go for that. Do it.