Woolrich Blog – The Original Outdoor Clothing Company

Tips From Black Owl Outdoors – Wool Blanket Camp Chair

April 15, 2014 By Woolrich In Partners With Purpose

Krik of Black Owl Outdoors shows you how to turn a wool blanket, some cordage and some sticks into a comfortable, versatile camp chair. Perfect for when you’re sitting in the forest practicing bushcraft, reading field guides or just enjoying what nature has to offer; the wool blanket camp chair is both comfortable and warm.

Click here to watch the video: Blanket Camp Chair

Having a comfortable place to rest in the forest is essential. Check out the Woolrich Blanket selection to make your camp chair even MORE special. Click here our Made in USA blanket selection.

WOOLRICH x West America XII

April 10, 2014 By Woolrich In Partners With Purpose

Woolrich, whose apparel has been worn by explorers and adventurers since 1830, has teamed up with Jordan Hufnagel and James Crowe of adventure outfitter West America on an epic motorcycle odyssey from Whistler, BC to Patagonia and back. The duo will be wearing Woolrich apparel while documenting their trip and have developed a capsule of apparel inspired by the journey. Below is the a new post in a series of report from the road.

“When looking at Central America there are two traditional routes, either you stay on the coast going through El Salvador or take the longer high route through Honduras. Since boarder crossings take several hours of paperwork for the motorcycles, we opted for the high road avoiding El Salvador. Honduras has a bad reputation for its instability and it’s capital Tegucigalpa has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Our experience through most of the country was great. The areas we rode through did not have any tourism which was refreshing, and the landscape was very reminiscent of the pine forest of the high cascades in Oregon. We wanted to avoid Tegucigalpa, but there was no good route around it. About 30 miles out of the city we could see the dark skies of a massive storm brewing, and before getting engulfed by it we pulled over to suit up. Sure enough the skies unleashed a down pour as we pushed on trying to get in and out of the city before dark. As we descended into the chaos bellow we noticed a bypass around the city, what looked like a freeway turned into a traffic jam with flipped and burning cars filling the road side. People would just stare at us wondering what two tourists were doing in the slums of the most dangerous city in Central America. The whole experience was a blur and we were relieved to make it out the other side. We settled for a shady motel off the highway and made it to the Nicaragua border by the morning, it turned out to be a quick and painless crossing. The volcanoes that filled the distant landscape made my thoughts fade away and the miles melted in turn. Good pavement and some nice dirt sections had us at the notorious Costa Rica boarder. Costa Rica shares only one boarder crossing with Nicaragua and its always packed. Five hours later we where finally back on the road, well kind of, two flat tires insured progress was slow.

We rode through the night trying to avoid Costa Rica’s horrible police and strict traffic laws, making it 30 miles from the Panama boarder by midnight. We crashed in hammocks for a quick nap before crossing into Panama in the morning. The sleepy boarder crossing on the Caribbean proved to be painless and Jordan played with the local kids while I submitted bike papers. The people of Panama were very warm and welcoming, personally escorting us in the right direction after a wrong turn put us in the middle of a banana plantation. It was Christmas eve and Jordan and I split ways for a week, I headed to Bocas Del Toro to visit friends from home while Jordan raced to Panama city to be with his fiancee for the holidays. A bit of time off the bikes sounded great after jamming through Central America.”

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WOOLRICH x West America – Part XI

March 21, 2014 By Woolrich In Partners With Purpose

“The boarder crossing into Guatemala is a hectic crossing. Far from what we are accustomed to. After ducking under a gate we found ourselves in the slow motion process of importing the bikes. Stamps, photocopies and a wait in a never ending line to pay for the temporary permits. With about an hour and a half of daylight left we were on our way into the deep canyons leading into Guatemala. The scale was massive, shear cliffs reaching into the clouds and dropping down into the swollen rivers bellow.

We had our sights set on reaching the fresh water pools of Semuch Champey. The route climbed through rugged river valleys and fertile fields filled with crops of various fruits and veggies. The land was very lush and alive. The next morning we jumped in the back of a 4×4 for a bumpy ride into the hills. Its easy to forget how beat the roads are here when you have a dirt bike with a foot of travel soaking everything up. We decided to jump in with a group on a cave tour so we could explore the various water caves that filled the hillside. Guided by candle light we hiked and swam deep into the mountain side.

A short walk from the caves lies the pools of Semuc Champey. A lava flow filled a section of the valley causing a handful of streams to flow into a series of pools rather than the raging river flowing beneath them. It was insane watching the whole valley’s drainage disappear underground only to reappear at the other end of the lava flow. Being the wet season meant the river was running full bore. In the clear pools above the river we found wonderfully warm water. Swimming back home means jumping in and out as quick as possible, it was a nice change. The afternoon was spent soaking in the various pools and jumping off cliffs. Our time in Guatemala was awesome and we both wished it could have been longer. Since we left Oregon later than planned we had to move south pretty quick to reach Patagonia for the end of there summer.”

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Tips From Black Owl Outdoors – Winter Fire Starter

March 18, 2014 By Woolrich In Partners With Purpose

Fire making is an essential skill. During the winter months, natural fire starting materials can be scarce. But if you know where to look, the forest will provide. The bark from the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) is present year around in the eastern United States and north into Canada.
In this video, Krik of Black Owl Outdoors shows how to find and use this fire starting resource. Watch the video here!

WOOLRICH x WestAmerica – Part X

March 14, 2014 By Woolrich In Partners With Purpose

“Our first rest from the road came in Zipolite. Its a nice little spot on the coast that is know for its nude beach and tranquil vibe. We checked into a sweet hostel built into the cliffs overlooking the ocean for a couple days of sun. Ever since we left the cold NW Jordan has been fighting his beard, at this point it was full of road grime and sadly time to go. Over the coarse of an hour the poor electric shaver bogged through the mess and Jordan came out the other side stoked and ready to hit the beach.

We flailed in the water like seals and bodysurfed the waves. Neither of us have much experience in the ocean so when a big set came in we got checked pretty hard and learned what an undertow was the hard way. The town was super mellow and it was nice to be off the bikes. After a full day in the sun we both went from being two pasty gringos to fully lobstered. Time to cover up and get back on the road. Zipolite was about as far south as we where going before heading east into the mountains and the state of Chiapas. Once again the scenery changed drastically. We went from 90 degrees on the coast to shivering our asses off as we climbed up to over 6000 feet and into the town of San Cristibol de las Casas. We avoided the toll road and found an amazing secondary road that took us through tiny towns of indigenous people living very simple lives. The sunset was insane and we were loving the cool dry air. The night was spent exploring the amazing architecture of the city and roaming the streets for cheep food and pastries. This would be our last stop in Mexico before heading into Guatemala. After our fiasco in Baja we where sure to be more prepared for the crossing ahead. Morning brought rain and it was hard to motivate the body to get on the bikes in the cold after so much sun and nice weather. Luckily, just out of town the road drops its elevation and we where sweating in the sun as we rode towards the border.“

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Meet the guys behind BlackOwlOutdoors.com

March 11, 2014 By Woolrich In Hardy Men, Brave Women

“Two brothers bridging the gap between nature and the modern pursuit.” Black Owl Outdoors is comprised of two brothers from Pennsylvania who have an unrelenting passion for the outdoors. And part of that passion manifests in video form. Stony, the eldest of the two, is the one behind the camera (above at left); and the younger, Krik, is the one in front. Their videos range from plant identification, to bushcraft, to outdoor adventures, to outdoor equipment reviews. “One of our goals is to share the beauty of nature. We understand there are lots of folks who want to spend more time outdoors and are unable to do so. So, when you can’t get outside, we hope to provide a gateway,” says Krik. And by capturing that beauty, the brothers hope to bring awareness to natural resource protection and preservation. “There’s a value in nature that can’t be described or quantified. We want to do our part in preserving these wild places for generations to come.”

You can find their entire library of videos and photography at BlackOwlOutdoors.com. And check back here monthly as we will feature videos, photos and stories from the guys as they continue the outdoor adventure that is Black Owl Outdoors!

WOOLRICH x West America – IX

March 7, 2014 By Woolrich In Partners With Purpose

“The ferry ride to Mazatlan was a much needed rest. We both passed out pretty much the whole way and woke to an amazing sunrise as we got closer to the mainland. The bikes needed some love after 1500 miles of dusty desert roads so we found a hostel that would let us catch up on maintenance and work. Neither of us like being in cities much, but luckily the beach was just a minute away and we were able to get some swims in between wrenching on the bikes.

With fresh oil and tune ups we where ready to make some distance again. The mainland was a hole different world, wide roads, new cars and vegetation was a nice change. We worked our way down the coastal highway 200 spending our first night getting eaten alive by sand flies after our map showed a detour that dead ended at a dump on a lagoon. It was too late to backtrack so we just suffered through the night. We woke up bummed and had to ride an hour back to the main road. By the time we made it to Sayulita we where both ready to call it a day and found a nice camp spot up on the hill above town. After setting up camp we got our swim gear on and headed to the beach. As luck would have it we ran into an old friend that we had no idea was living down south for the winter. She was stoked to show us around and took us out of town to an amazing deserted beach where we continued practicing our body surfing for the afternoon.

We had been warned about the two states bellow us, Michoacan and Guerrero. They were both described as lawless states and that we should avoid if possible. After a little discussion we decided to stay on the coast and hope for the best. Our experience was mixed but for the most part everything went smooth. We got off the main road by accident a couple times and where reminded very quickly that we shouldn’t be there. Just like anywhere in the states there are places you avoid. The roads where deserted and there were no police anywhere so we could ride however we wanted. We made good time, and made sure we got into decent towns to spend the night. We got lucky and found some nice small beach towns where we could set up our hammocks for cheep. We had made it through the no go zone and where stoked on the experience. Almost everyone we met put off a very warm and welcoming vibe, but you could tell there was a lot of tensions between the people and the military.”

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WOOLRICH x West America – Part VIII

February 28, 2014 By Woolrich In Partners With Purpose

“We pulled into La Paz after dark and all we could think about was finding some decent food after a week of rice and beans. We hit the main strip and found a good spot with internet so we could start planning our ferry ride to the mainland. Neither of us where ready for the bad news ahead. In our lack of planning we overlooked the fact that Mexico had changed its policy on where you could get your tourist permit that is needed to import the bikes into mainland Mexico. We had planned on getting them in La Paz but things had changed and now we where over 1000 miles from the closest border that could issue us what we needed to get out of Baja. The joy of making it to La Paz was wiped away and now we were in a rental car doing a cannonball run to Tijuana for our permits. We left La Paz at 11pm, got to Tijuana at midnight the next day and found a way to sneak back into the Mexican immigrations from the exit side. Within 10 minutes we where pointed south and racing to get out of the mayhem of Tijuana on a Saturday night. 24 hours later we were back where we started with a smashed rental car bumper and an angry rental agent. We both really wanted to get out of La Paz and decided to try to make the ferry for that day, otherwise it would be a two day wait. We pinned it to the ticket office, imported the bikes and got one of the last spots on the boat. As we sat in the blazing sun waiting to be loaded we could finally rest our minds, and soon enough we would be passed out on deck for the 16 hour boat ride to Mazatlan. We got the green light to drive the bikes on board and strapped them to the railing. We opted for the cheap tickets which put us with all the truck drivers in a sweaty room playing Fast and Furious in Spanish. Jordan was stoked, I set up on deck and tried to forget about the last 48 hours. Lesson learned, a little research goes a long way.”

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Join #PlaidNation – show your love of all things plaid!

February 26, 2014 By Woolrich In American Roots, Seen and Herd

Few patterns are as enduring or American as plaid. While simple in concept – crisscrossed bands of color in different widths and sizes – plaid is infinite in possibility. Our buffalo check flannel plaid has been a cold weather favorite for generations, valued for its versatility and rugged good looks. And with that as our starting point, we’re pleased to offer our spring collection – chock full of plaids in brighter, trend-right colors and lighter, cooler fabrics for the warm weather ahead. Whether it’s one of our many popular shirts, or a blanket woven in the USA, we invite you to join the Plaid Nation.

Don’t miss your chance to show your love of all things plaid and your photo just might appear on one of our social media sites or Woolrich.com! So hashtag #PlaidNation and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Tumbler @WoolrichInc.

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Woolrich White – Sneak Preview

February 25, 2014 By Woolrich In Seen and Herd

Woolrich, the Original Outdoor Clothing Company, is proud to introduce a sneak preview of Woolrich White, the brand’s new contemporary men’s and women’s collection. By visiting the new Lookbook Review site and signing up with an email address, customers and retailers will be kept up to date on all the latest news, sales dates and special offers leading up to the fall 2014 launch. The site features the entire Woolrich White lookbook, shot in and around the brand’s headquarters and the historic Woolrich Woolen Mill in Woolrich, PA.

The Lookbook Review site can be found here: http://bit.ly/woolrichwhite

About Woolrich White

“Woolrich White will be a focused assortment of styles that are deeply influenced by our storied legacy. But it’s more than a take on classic pieces. We set out to design a collection that would be relevant to today’s modern customer while staying true to our outdoor roots,” said Josh W. Rich, Woolrich Executive Vice President.

Woolrich White, which features modern cuts and fitted silhouettes, is a direct link to the company’s vast archive and is inspired by the brand’s authenticity, craftsmanship and tradition of honoring the American landscape.

Continuing the brands commitment to increase its domestic manufacturing, many of the pieces from the Woolrich White collection utilize wool from the historic woolen mill in Woolrich, PA, the oldest vertically integrated woolen mill operating in the country. With a focus on outerwear, which has always been synonymous with Woolrich, the collection includes a variety of jackets and vest as well as sportswear in various wool fabrications.