How We Integrate Brands Into Our Outdoor Content
Some trails don’t change, but the way we walk them does.
The Superior Hiking Trail
Yesterday we returned to a section of the Superior Hiking Trail we’ve hiked more times than we can count. Familiar terrain, familiar trees. But this time? The river was the lowest we’ve seen in years. Fresh blowdowns had reshaped the trail. Trees uprooted and spread across the trail to where we had to navigate around them, was enough to make us look closer, slow down, notice more.
We hadn’t been up on the north shore in a week. So yesterday we loaded up some gear and our 4 kids in our 2024 Chevy Suburban Z71 named “Strider”. After retiring our Suburban with over 300,000 miles of stories behind it, this one’s a symbol of everything we’ve built and everything still ahead. Rugged, capable, and ready to carry us through the next chapter, just like we carry the brands that align with the life we’re building.
On my back? The 51 Pack from Duluth Pack, simple, solid, and unapologetically Minnesota-made. It’s not about looking good on camera (though it does that too); it’s about feeling like your gear belongs where you are. Like it was made for this.
We’re not just throwing logos into content. For us, brand integration isn’t about slapping a name on a post, it’s about telling real stories where the gear actually matters. If it’s in our frame, it’s because it earned a place in our life. And when you tell stories that way, honest, lived-in, rooted, it doesn’t just showcase a product. It tells a story and builds trust.
The Suburban, the 51 Pack, they weren’t just along for the ride. They shaped it. And in telling that story, we’re inviting others to not just see the trail, but see themselves on it.
If you’re a brand that believes in real stories, real connection, and content that is raw real and bold, we should talk. We don’t sell out. We show up. And we bring people with us.