Buncombe County, North Carolina, has rivers to raft or kayak, backwoods trails to explore by bike or on foot, and mountains to climb. So it’s no wonder that it has become a sort of East Coast mecca for outdoor enthusiasts and gear companies that inspire adventure and, in turn, are inspired by it.
Story by Rachel Priest | Illustrations by Martha Park
Clipped into a harness on Looking Glass Rock in Pisgah National Forest, an 18-year-old Tom Dempsey looked out over the trees to the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains and knew he never wanted to leave. Dempsey had come to North Carolina to check out the climbing scene and fallen in love with a small town adjacent to Pisgah National Forest, 35 miles south of Asheville.
“The East Coast, to me, has the most wild outdoor adventure opportunities of anywhere … from climbing to kayaking to cycling,” Dempsey said. “I'm a small-town person, and it was a small town, but it had a really palpable fabric to the community. … There was a really diverse aspect to life here that was unlike most small towns, and I just fell in love with that.”
So while he was a student at Auburn University, he made a personal commitment that he would make the four-and-a-half-hour drive to camp, climb, and hike at least once a quarter for his well-being. And when the time came to choose a spot to establish his outdoor gear business, SylvanSport, in 2004, he knew exactly where he wanted it.
While most people may look west for innovative outdoor companies, Asheville and Buncombe County at large have become a mecca of sorts for companies looking to settle on the East Coast. The city’s proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains, Pisgah National Forest, and the Appalachian Trail, as well as one of the country’s oldest rivers, the French Broad, makes it a prime spot to both recruit outdoors-loving folks to work but also to capitalize on the large recreational market of both locals and tourists alike.
In fact, the Outdoor Gear Builders of Western North Carolina, established in 2013, was founded with the mission to provide a community and resources for folks in the outdoor industry. What began with a handful of members has since expanded to include over 60 businesses and nonprofits, including SylvanSport, ENO, Rockgeist, and Astral.
Many of those same businesses are also a part of the North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Coalition (NOREC). Established in 2017, NOREC exists to provide a united voice for the companies on a national stage, as well as to recruit new companies to the state and increase access and funding for public lands.
Dempsey, a NOREC board member, said it was important to not only promote the economic development side of outdoor businesses but also to work to ensure that public lands are well-managed, well-funded, and well-maintained. As he likes to say, “Nobody likes to buy our products to use in their own backyard. … The health and stewardship of those public lands are not only essential to our business, but it’s essential to the enjoyment of the outdoors.”
So for those looking to take on the region’s trails, rivers, mountains, and forests by bike, kayak, foot, or road, we’re taking a deeper dive into a few of the local companies that can help you do so. While the four companies create different products to experience the outdoors in varying ways, they all share one thing in common: a love of Asheville and a commitment to protect and preserve the outdoors for future generations.
For Greg Hardy, an Albany, New York, native, Asheville provides a perfect combination of people and mountains.
Hardy began bikepacking while in graduate school at Duke University and remembers his first trip being difficult, as much of his gear didn’t make it to the end. But through the challenging trek, he came up with the idea to pursue a concept for what has become one of the preeminent bikepacking brands in the industry: Rockgeist.
“I was a hiker before, but on bike, you're doing the same trails but seeing so much in a shorter amount of time,” Hardy said. “And so that really attracted me to it, and then just kind of camping out and riding new places was just really addicting for me.”
After he graduated from Duke in 2014, he found work as a research engineer but still continued to bikepack around the region and country. Then, in 2017, Rockgeist was born.
Rockgeist offers bikepacking gear ranging from custom-sewn triangle and full-suspension frame bags to bar jam harnesses and seat packs.
Drawing from the region’s rich history of textile manufacturing, Hardy said the talented sewers and makers with a passion for bikes made it the ideal place to set up his cottage business. Rockgeist uses premium fabrics known for their durability and performance.
“We pride ourselves on innovation and quality,” Hardy said. He cites the fact that Rockgeist is the only company in North America to make welded waterproof bags in the workshop as a differentiator that sets it apart from competitors.
The community’s embrace of its small businesses has also helped Rockgeist thrive. Hardy said a local spirit of entrepreneurship, mentors, and resources for growing a business have all played a critical role in Rockgeist’s success. The guidance from Asheville-based bike company Industry Nine — which manufactures one of Rockgeist’s parts — was helpful in terms of design work, manufacturing guidance, tips on where to source fabrics and buckles, how to ship internationally, and “all of that stuff that you need to know as a small business but you’ve never done before.
“It's so helpful to have more mature companies walking you through and guiding you through that process,” Hardy said.
Rockgeist, in turn, aims to give back to the community. To promote bikepacking in the area and make it more accessible, the company has published a series of one- to two-night routes on its website and also rents out gear locally.
“The rental-gear program has also been super-helpful for new bikepackers. So for people that aren’t looking to spend a lot of money to get a kit right off the bat, but they're kind of interested and [want to] kind of test the waters, this is a really great way to lower that barrier to enter into the sport,” Hardy told me.
The company has also donated welded frame bags to the Atlanta chapter of Radical Adventure Rider (RAR), an organization that works to put gender inclusivity and racial equity at the forefront of cycling and the outdoors through education, connection, resources, and support. Through RAR Atlanta’s gear library, community members can rent tents, bikepacking bags, and other camping gear they might not otherwise be able to afford.
Rockgeist also hosts fundraisers where they raffle off some of the company’s coveted gear that tends to sell out quickly; one recent event raised UNICEF funds for children affected by the war in Ukraine.
“Our reach is small, but I think it's still helpful to kind of spread it,” Hardy said.
If you happen to bikepack around Asheville, one of the things you may have strapped to your bike in addition to or in lieu of a tent is an ENO hammock. And if you happen to be biking along Art Loeb Trail, you may spot ENO’s marketing manager, Anna Rawlins, relaxing in her hammock after a day of hiking. Her favorite spot is a bit hidden, just through a dense grove of balsam fir trees, but “there are some epic sunrise views.”
While Eagles Nest Outfitters, better known as ENO, is widely associated with its top-tier hammocks and hammock accessories, the outdoor gear brand also sells a wide selection of bags and packs, chairs, and even an outdoor cornhole-esque game.
ENO was founded by Pete and Paul Pinholster in the brothers’ home state of Florida. They began sewing hammocks out of a garage and selling their products at festivals in Florida and then across the East Coast. They eventually set their sights on Asheville.
“I knew Asheville was an outdoor mecca of all kinds, with a thriving outdoor community and many up-and-coming outdoor brands,” Pete Pinholster said in an email. “Relocating to Asheville was a strategic move that allowed me to be around other like-minded outdoor entrepreneurs and gear designers.”
The city, within driving distance of hiking, paddling, biking, whitewater rafting, and camping spots within and outside of the Blue Ridge Mountains, also fit Pinholster’s laid-back lifestyle and passion for adventure and travel.
But even before ENO set up a small office and warehouse in 2005, the Asheville and Buncombe County community embraced them.
“From day one, we’ve felt at home here,” Rawlins said. “The energy of the community and outdoor industry in western North Carolina keeps us inspired to keep innovating, and it also keeps us grounded at the same time.”
Innovation for ENO often looks like making and testing an ultralight hammock designed for camping in the backcountry along the Appalachian Trail, for example, or getting customer feedback on its latest chair at a local music festival or a local product shoot at the top of a mountain, Rawlins explained.
Hammocking is also a very accessible way to experience the outdoors, Rawlins explained. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach to experiencing the outdoors — you don’t have to summit mountains. You can be laying in a hammock enjoying a book in a local park. Anything done outside is experiencing the outdoors.”
As a company that promotes the outdoors and also depends on trees to anchor its popular hammocks, ENO partners with Trees for the Future, 1% for the Planet, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, among other nonprofits.
“The community’s love for the outdoors helps to protect, preserve, and expand our places of recreation so that for years to come, Asheville will remain an outdoor destination,” Rawlins said. “We’ve worked for over 20 years designing products with the goal of getting people outside and building a community around our passions to explore, connect, and relax. We can’t imagine a better place to do it.”
The French Broad River, which cuts through Asheville’s downtown district, provides countless opportunities for visitors looking to kayak, paddleboard, canoe, and fish. The river brought Philip Curry, Astral’s CEO and founder, back to Asheville 20 years ago, but not for the reasons you might think.
After selling his first business to Patagonia in 1999, Curry found land in the small town of Black Mountain near the headwaters of the Rocky Broad River, where he began a biodynamic farm in 2002. Biodynamic farming, a form of alternative agriculture, takes a more holistic and ethical approach to farming, and Curry wanted to see if he could protect land and water by doing so. That same year, he produced four life jackets made from alternatives to polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Astral, an outdoor brand known for waterproof, durable, and sustainable footwear and life jackets, has been a leader in eliminating PVC from the life jacket industry.
Sales manager Bryan Owen said that prior to Astral’s entry into the market, most life jackets were made of PVC, a plastic that’s been shown to have a lasting damaging impact on the environment. Curry saw the irony.
“Here we are making these PFDs [personal flotation devices] that are meant to get people out into nature. And at the same time, the materials that make them were not healthy for the Earth and for the water,” Owen said of older life jackets.
Owen has been with the company and lived in Asheville for 15 years. But he’s been an outdoor enthusiast even longer. While in high school, he fell in love with canoeing after working part-time at a local canoe rental company in Atlanta. He further embraced his love for paddling sports and the outdoors while getting his degree in recreation management at Appalachian State University, and later found a job working for a canoe company in Colorado. But after living out west for six years, he began missing the Blue Ridge and the chance to paddle year-round. So he decided to move back to North Carolina for the chance to work his “dream job” under Curry — a good paddling friend — and Astral’s then–general manager, Yonton Mehler.
“You can kind of experience all four seasons in their fullest in the Southeast. I missed the leaves changing in the fall and the beautiful spring bloom here,” Owen said. “We have rivers that you can paddle any day of the year in the Southeast. You know, in the winter out west, you kind of switch to ski mode, which is great. And culturally, [Asheville is] such an amazing hub of art and music and creativity. And I really missed that and kind of wanted that in my life.”
Astral has also benefited from its proximity to outdoor spots. Owen said one of Astral’s most popular hiking boots was named Pisgah after the nearby mountain — a favorite of Asheville hikers — in the Appalachian range. Additionally, one of the company’s original shoes, the Brewer, as well as its top-of-the-line rescue PFC, the GreenJacket, were both designed, developed, and tested on South Carolina’s Green River, known for its whitewater sports.
Since being in Asheville, Owen has seen the community fully embrace Astral.
“We’re definitely the hometown shoe brand, without a doubt,” Owen said. “I think our shoes are designed and made for this … wet, humid, river-kind climate, so I think you see that in our product.”
Whether you take Astral’s shoes or life jackets out, Owen said that the company hopes people can get outdoors wherever they are.
“Whether you’re on the Green River paddling or on Mount Pisgah hiking, I think you’ll find that our products are truly going to make you enjoy your experience and keep you safe,” Owen said.
Even before he returned to Brevard to launch SylvanSport, Dempsey was no stranger to working in the outdoor industry. He worked at the companies Coleman and Perception Kayaks, then co-founded Fletcher, North Carolina-based LiquidLogic Kayaks.
While SylvanSport’s flagship item is the GO camping trailer, the brand also specializes in products such as daypacks, camp kitchens, and more that can be integrated into people’s daily lifestyles. This evolution and innovation of high-quality products was important to Dempsey in a world where we can borrow or rent products — from tents to tools to other outdoor gear — for temporary use.
“They’re things that can not only be used for recreation, but they can be used for a weekend soccer tournament if you’re a parent or to make a trip to Home Depot or Lowe’s to pick up building materials,” Dempsey said. “In order for someone to own a product, it needs to really have tremendous value and multifunctional use in their daily life.”
As one of western North Carolina’s biggest cheerleaders, Dempsey said the small-town community has also embraced SylvanSport not only for the economic development it brings by way of sourcing local products but also for how the company props up other outdoor gear brands in the region.
For customers who pick up their SylvanSport camper and other gear at the shop, their first night is typically spent at one of the local campgrounds or in Pisgah National Forest, so Dempsey and his team will often act as a concierge and connect them to other resources. If they want to hike, they may recommend buying one of Pisgah Map Company’s highly detailed, locally made maps. If they want to try their hand at thrill sports like whitewater rafting or ziplining, they may recommend booking a trip with Wildwater. If they want to get a taste of the local cuisine while enjoying the outdoors, they may recommend ordering a basket from Asheville Picnic Company.
Dempsey cites this influx of new businesses as part of the region’s third economic wave. Whereas the first wave was highly extractive — with logging and tannery businesses taking resources out of the community from the late 17th century through the late 19th century — the second wave of automobile, textile, and furniture manufacturing left a gaping economic hole once plants were shut down throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries. Dempsey thinks of SylvanSport and other outdoor gear brands as part of “the ‘manufacturing local’ movement.”
“If you think about agriculture and food, people have become very conscious about eating local as opposed to food that was processed in a factory halfway around the world. And I think that same philosophy is coming to our type of manufacturing, where they want to know where their things are made and who makes them,” Dempsey said. “We’re a blend of manufacturing and tourism all at the same time, [as well as] a made-in-the-USA-as-far-as-possible ethos.”
For those looking to get outside, Buncombe County provides a treasure trove of places to explore — in whatever way you’d like. And for someone like Dempsey, who’s been exploring the area for more than three decades, it’s always providing new spots to fall in love with.
“One of the things I love about the area is that there’s an endless supply of micro-pockets of beauty to find. Sometimes I’ll just be riding my bike along a gravel road in the forest and the sunlight will be shining on a stream in just the right way that lures me to look at it and want to get down there,” Dempsey said. “I realize that you can’t see any of this from the road … this is not a place that everyone’s going to think about going to, and it’s my new secret place. And three weeks later I find a new one.”
Rachel Priest is the assistant editor at The Bitter Southerner. She grew up in Minnesota but moved to Georgia in high school, where she continued her education at the University of Georgia. She is passionate about amplifying adoptee and Asian voices, traveling, and a good cup of coffee.
Martha Park is a writer and illustrator from Memphis, Tennessee. Her work appears in Guernica, Granta, Ecotone, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. She is currently at work on a collection of essays about faith and the South.
