How retailer Jimmy Funkhouser “spreads the gospel” of adventure
The founder of Feral Mountain Co. saw an opportunity to create a product that aligns with his shop's mission, so he built it from the ground up.
Get access to everything we publish when you sign up for Outside+.
It’s not often that a retail store makes its own products. Sure, there are branded caps and tee-shirts in all the best shops. But founder of Denver-based Feral Mountain Co., Jimmy Funkhouser, actually made the conscious decision to keep’s his store’s name and logo off his new Basecamp Journal, in hopes that it becomes a collaboration with other like-minded outdoor specialty shops, who will place orders and carry it within their own four walls.
The Basecamp Journal is 120-page prompted diary, made with vegetable-based ink on FSC certified paper, designed to inspire individuals to find adventure in their life and record the journey in their own unique way. The Journal is available in a paperback version, and also housed in a beautiful, Colorado-made, regionally-sourced, leather cover. Inside you’ll find blank space to help you plan the trips you’ve been dreaming of, lists to help you pack, and plenty of pages to plan, sketch, and write down the stories of your adventures.
Take a look inside the Basecamp Journal
Let your inner artist out.
Use the dotted grid pages to create your own maps or plot your hikes.
We caught up with Funkhouser, a 35-year old former corporate exec who embarked on a “Year Without Fear” and then opened his 900-square foot shop in a hipster Denver neighborhood, to find out what made him decide to start producing journals.
SNEWS: What sparked this idea?
Jimmy Funkhouser: We are constantly looking for new ways to support our mission and spread our gospel. We were founded on a simple principle, “Create adventure”. We’re always brainstorming around that concept. We want to be more than just a purveyor of goods. We want to live and breathe our mission, and we will always go wherever that takes us.
Learn more about how Funkhouser keeps it real in our short video interview.
SNEWS: Why the Indiegogo campaign to fund it?
JF: As a small retailer, our community is critical for us. We wanted to bring them along for every aspect of this project, and crowdfunding is a unique and exciting way to do that.
SNEWS: What would success look like for the Basecamp Journal?
JF: While this started as a fun project for us, we have built it for scalability. We will carry the Basecamp Journal at Feral first, but we will likely approach a handful of shops that we would love to explore wholesale partnerships with. We will consider it a success if it inspires one individual to experience something new, but we would be thrilled to leverage this experience as an opportunity to collaborate with some of our favorite like-minded shops in a new way.
SNEWS: Any plans for other product launches?
JF: Not immediately but we’re always brainstorming. Everything is always on the table. As long as it is consistent with our mission statement we’re always exploring new ways to create adventure for people, even if it’s inconsistent with the standard retail approach.
Learn more about the Basecamp Journal and/or contribute to the campaign here.
