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This is Chris Redgrave for Zions Bank Speaking on Business.
Vacations are a great time for us to take a step away from work, recharge and refresh, one reason paid leave makes up nearly 7 percent of total compensation in the private industry, according to Fortune magazine. It was during a vacation that Nate Alder of Klymit came up with the idea for a new business.
A simple design change was all it took to launch a line of camping pads that became the basis for Klymit. While scuba diving in Brazil, Nate thought how useful it would be to have a ski suit made from air. After returning to the U.S., he recruited his business partner Cory Tholl, an engineering graduate, and they started experimenting. Their first designs were for apparel, but the need they discovered was sleeping pads for the camping and hunting markets. The biggest complaint seemed to be the space pads took and the air needed to inflate them.
Cory says the air pads are designed using a specialized technology that welds the fabric, making it easy to store, and they inflate quickly. They're also comfortable, durable and lightweight. The Klymit line has expanded to include 60 products, including backpacks and sleeping bags. These backpacks have an air frame that can be adjusted with air to be stiffer or softer, based on how full it is.
These products are a hit with hardcore backpackers who like the comfort, ease and lightweight nature of the products. Klymit also sells to recreational campers with a line specifically for the military. Cory says a key to their success has been a strong engineering team and a design core of outdoor enthusiasts who personally use the products, in addition to their 8 employees. Klymit's product line is so popular they have international distribution.
The Klymit line is different enough that people often stop in their tracks whenever they see it and understand its use. Once they know how it works, they're excited to try the product out. You can find Klymit online at klymit.com or through their social media channels.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
Klymit 1-801-648-7189 www.klymit.com
