Zpacks, Ursack, Farm to Summit among upstart brands with big discounts during Small Business Sales Week

As the days grow longer, the temperatures begin to rise into the realm of get outside weather, and the snowpacks melt into roaring streams, it’s always my own inclination to begin daydreaming about getting back on my feet and into the woods.

I’m far from alone in that regard. This time of year every year is precisely when route planning, booking, and gear preparation begins for those of us dedicated to spending time in the outdoors during prime weather season, and fortunately the producers of the most innovative outdoor sporting equipment on the planet long ago took notice.

As a result, the run-up to Memorial Day Weekend typically means it’s prime sale season, and the fine folks at Minnesota’s Garage Grown Gear have something pretty incredible that just kicked off. They are spearheading Small Business Sales Week, a consortium of over 80 different outdoor industry gear businesses who are pooling their marketing resources for a week-long sale of their goods.

Garage Grown Gear is an excellent clearinghouse for ultralight gear as-is, often serving as direct retailer for many of the brands participating in Small Business Sales Week the other 51 weeks of the year – so even if you don’t see something on this sales list this week that piques your interest, I’d suggest keeping GGG in mind down the road if you suddenly find yourself in need of new gear (and don’t want to simply roll into the big-box store for the logos that went global long ago).

The list of businesses who have partnered up for this particular Small Business Sales Week is impressive, and I’ve either used (or been on treks with someone who has used) products from a number of them. In fact, just last month I picked up some Green Chile Mac & Cheese and Three Bean Chili & Cornbread from Farm to Summit that I’ll be toting with me this summer through Rocky Mountain National Park and Yellowstone National Park while backpacking. The Green Chile Mac & Cheese I’ve had twice before (and loved), and on its reputation alone I’m excited to try their Three Bean Chili & Cornbread for the first time.

*See? It’s really Farm to Summit’s Green Chile Mac & Cheese! It was delicious even as the hail was bonking me on the head a few minutes later.*

Speaking of trail meals, I’ve also had my eyes on Pinnacle Foods’ Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits & Herbed Sausage Gravy for around camp this summer, and they’re offering it at 20% off as part of this sale.

As for gear, Zpacks is running a 20% off deal for all of their Did You Know? collection, and the ultralight tent stakes that I swear by are included there. (I should add that while none of the ultralight backpacks they’re known for and that my friend George swears by are on sale, their non-pack products have always been of the highest quality.)

That’s my Nemo Equipment Hornet 2P tent by the Colorado River in the bottom of the Grand Canyon. While I love Nemo, they aren’t part of this particular Small Business Sales Week…but the tent stakes I picked up from Zpacks are what’s holding that tent down in the photo. Swapping in those saved me vital ounces of weight and saved me half a liter of storage space which came in handy while packing for a 7-day trip!

Need a bear-proof container and don’t want to be bogged down with the weight of a plastic bear can? Allow me to point you to Ursack and their kevlar bags, one of which I’ve been toting into bear country for years now. Their Ursack Major line is Certified Bear Resistant and allowed in most every National Park that requires bear-proof storage (which their handy approval map allows you to double-check before purchasing).

*The soft-sided (yet bear proof) Ursack Major bag!*

If you’re in the market for a tarp to use in lieu of a bulkier tent, I’d point you to Six Moon Designs. Want an ultralight trowel for when you need to do your business and make sure it’s buried properly? BoglerCo is the place for you!

If anything, this is more an exercise in making you more aware that there is a vast array of incredible outdoor equipment at your fingertips beyond just what you find at the established, name-brand retaliers. I’m making no commission at all from recommending any of this, for the record, but wholly endorse the idea and am doing my small part in getting behind these companies as a testament to how much I’ve appreciated their gear after finding it.

The entire list of companies offering deals as part of Small Business Sales Week can be found courtesy of Garage Grown Gear at this link. Most of the sales went live yesterday and today and will run through May 21st, so get in there and gear up while the gettin’ is good!