REI, America’s largest consumer co-op, just dropped a new line with the goal of supporting a wider range of hikers and backpackers. The Trailmade collection consists of intentionally affordable gear and apparel that is designed to be gender-free and features a wider range of sizing options across the line.
“Trailmade is all about alleviating the feeling of having to fit into a limited mold,” Amy Marks, REI Co-op product designer, said in a press release. “We’ve created a line that’s intended to fit more bodies and lifestyles, and help people feel more comfortable outside, without compromising durability and performance.”
According to REI, the collection was a collaborative effort with the company’s inclusion advisory panel of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, body-positive and adaptive communities along with Unlikely Hikers, Latino Outdoors, 52 Hike Challenge, and Fresh Tracks at the Aspen Institute. The panel’s feedback helped inspire familiar and approachable designs for each piece including sleeping bags, backpacks, trekking poles, and hiking clothes and jackets.
“For too long, we’ve had to make outdoor gear work for us that wasn’t made with our unique access needs—be they fit, function or financial—in mind,” Jenny Bruso, founder of Unlikely Hikers, said in a press release. “The Trailmade collection is more than an invitation to the table. It’s an invitation to getting our best lives outside.”
The Trailmade collection is currently only available to REI members in-store and online. The line opens to the broader public at the beginning of May of this year.
Cover photo: REI Co-op’s new Trailmade collection is designed for new hikers and backpackers. Courtesy of REI.
