CEO and founder Davis Smith shared the story behind Cotopaxi, a company that creates innovative outdoor products and experiences that fund sustainable poverty relief. The photo is from Cotopaxi's nonprofit partner, Health & Ed 4 Nepal. It shows the faces of those who are directly impacted by our work. Located in Kumari, Nepal, this primary school was destroyed by the recent Nepal earthquakes. Cotopaxi is working with Health & Ed 4 Nepal on rebuilding efforts to get the school back up and running to provide these children with an education. My family moved to the developing world when I was four years old. My dad was an adventurer, so I grew up not only seeing heartbreaking poverty, but also spending a lot of time adventuring in the outdoors. After spending ten years as an entrepreneur, building a couple of different e-commerce businesses, I decided I was ready to build a business that was more meaningful to me. I moved back to the United States from Brazil, and launched Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear brand with a humanitarian mission at its core. 

We have a wide variety of products from water bottles, to technical backpacks, to lifestyle apparel and are continually working on new products and product lines to launch in the near future. Like any new brand, one of our biggest challenges is finding ways to build awareness around our brand. The outdoor category is very saturated, but we’re doing some really unique things to build brand awareness including our Questival adventure races and other experiences. Our Questivals have been an amazing way to create brand ambassadors, with thousands of racers participating, wearing our gear and sharing social media posts about our brand. We're always looking for unique ways to build brand awareness, particularly in ways that engage millennials. Along with giving back, it's important to us that we also work to sustainably and ethically manufacture our gear. One great example is our Luzon Del Dia pack, which is made entirely of repurposed material — fabrics that are remnants from the manufacturing of other brands packs.

We gave our sewers creative license to use the materials and choose their own color ways. The result is that every single pack is completely unique, helps reduced waste going into landfills, and showcases the creativity of the people who actually make the gear.**Update: Read my new review of this packing list after traveling for a year** How much can you fit into a 43-liter backpack? Surprisingly, you can fit a lot. Here’s what I’m packing for one year of travel in just one backpack. It includes a wide assortment of items I may need along the way, from nail polish to an iPad Mini. Backpack – The Kelty Flyway 43 was my choice of backpack because of it’s carry-on size and many separate compartments, including a shoe compartment. It also comes with a built-in rain cover and internal sleeve for a laptop or tablet. I also like the haul handle on the front which I can easily hold on to if I’m not wearing the pack. **Update** Upgraded my daypack for more comfort and style and am now using a Cotopaxi Kilimanjaro 20L Backpack.

Shoes – I’m bringing just three different types of footwear including Teva Kayenta Sandals, Nike Flex Experience shoes and Old Navy flip flops. Jackets – For the winter cold I’m bringing a Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket, which can compress down pretty small. For the rain I have a North Face rain shell and for regular day wear I have a cotton jacket. **Update** I picked up a Cotopaxi Sambaya Stretch Fleece along the way for additional warmth on the South American leg of this trip.randoseru backpack cheap Headwear – Since I’ll probably have many bad hair days while on the road, I have some headwear to help hide them including a North Face cap and 4 summer headbands, (not pictured). backpack otziFor colder weather I have a winter headband.ogio - renegade rss laptop backpack - black

Electronics – I have just a few electronics I’m taking with me such as a head lamp, iPad mini with a Logitech keyboard, Nikon Coolpix S9700 camera, iPod Shuffle with headphones, wristwatch and outlet converters. Miscellaneous – I’m taking an assortment of medicine, laundry soap and more. The full list includes a dry bag, paracord, Sea to Summit insect repellent travel sheets, dryer sheets, (to keep my bag smelling fresh), Woolite laundry soap, liquid soap, thread and needle, sink stopper, cough drops, Immodium, Advil Cold & Sinus, Pepto Bismol, Airborne, door stopper, collapsable bowl, spork, Kleenex, Band-aids, sleeping mask and gum.best 30-40 litre backpack Underwear – I’m taking a bikini, one sports bra, a regular bra, six pairs of Under Armor underwear, three pairs of Asics running socks and a pair of warmer Fits socks.nycfc backpack

Tops – For the trip I’m packing four T-shirts, two tank tops, one Columbia button-up shirt and a Columbia top base layer. Bottoms – I have a variety of bottoms including two pairs of shorts, Under Armor gym shorts, Columbia pants, REI yoga capris, a skirt and Columbia bottoms base layer. I was hesitant to only bring one pair of long pants, but I think we’ll mostly be in warm weather and I will end up wearing my yoga capris the most. Bags – While walking around the cities I’ll use a Cotopaxi day bag or a small black purse. backpack tibia venoreI also have two Eagle Creek packing cubes to help organize the clothes in my backpack. Toiletries – I have a lot of items in my toiletries such as razors and makeup, as well as a Conair travel hair dryer and hair straightener, (not pictured). Other items include a REI travel towel and Eagle Creek toiletry bag.After adding your outdoor adventure supplies to the online 'shopping cart,' you will redeem a Cotopaxi coupon code during the checkout process, which is illustrated below:Shop the Cotopaxi 'Sale' section to find discounted jackets, backpacks, satchels, and T-shirts that have been marked down in price.

When shopping for outdoor gear and apparel that stands up against the ever-changing elements of Mother Nature, Cotopaxi sells goods in the same vein of Patagonia, Yonder, Herschel, Kuhl Clothing, and The North Face. With Cotopaxi, you shop from an outdoor adventure retailer that bases their business model on creating a positive social impact to communities demonstrating the greatest need. In addition to selling tents, sleeping bags and ultralight shell jackets for men and women, the company has a hand in improving the living conditions in parts of India, Latin America, Myanmar, Sub-Sahara Africa, Nepal, Tanzania, Peru, Bolivia, and the Middle East.Women browsing the site will find Pacaya Insulated Jackets equipped with Polartec® Power Stretch® underarm panels, while men have a handful of Tianjin Down Vests and Sambaya Stretch Fleece to consider.An entire category devoted to Backpacks showcases lifestyle bags, technical backpacks, and the colorful Luzon Del Dia dayback line – one of the most popular backpack lines from Cotopaxi.

Employees in the Philippines have creative control over the design of these bags; and when one arrives at your door, it's a complete surprise. No two bags are ever alike. As you shop, don't forget to use Cotopaxi's Backpack Fit Guide to find the best-fitting packs to satisfy all of your backpacking and camping needs.Cotopaxi has a handful of Collections within their inventory, including their Camp-Ready Collection with packs, gear and apparel specially designed for outdoor pursuits. The Commuter Collection includes the Kilimanjaro 20L Backpack, Nazca 24L Travel Pack, Boma 13L Daypack, and Tianjin Down Jacket. The Kpong rugged canvas shoulder bag for daily commutes and travels abroad, comes with an external-access laptop sleeve and internal file organizer. Within the Luzon Family Collection, repurposed +200D nylon fabric is used to make backpacks in a variety of colors and sizes, including the Mariveles, the Bataan, the Taboche, and Kids' Luzon dayback.Cotopaxi is a B-Certified Corporation, which means they are a company that uses their influence in the business world to accomplish social, environmental, and economic good.

Cotopaxi doesn't accept proposals for their grants, but instead, actively researches and zeros in on high-impact organizations that help communities in great need to improve the health, education and livelihoods of their residents – from reducing preventable disease to improving literacy rates.Outside of selling outdoor gear and funding global relief projects, Cotopaxi also encourages customers to experience the great outdoors through their annual 24-hour Questival Adventure Runs. Combining excitement, fun activities, and achieving good for others, the races are held in major cities in the U.S., including Denver, Boston, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, and Phoenix. Even their employees enjoy 'in-the-wild' time, where 10% of their work hours are spent doing service or engaging in an outdoor adventure.In between browsing sale items and taking advantage of promotional deals, using a Cotopaxi coupon code from Giving Assistant can also help save money on your next purchase. In addition to the all the good that the company does, you can also take care in knowing that a Cotopaxi order placed using one of our links also translates into us donating one meal to a good cause on your behalf.

Questival Adventure Race videos are quite popular on Cotopaxi's YouTube channel; therefore, it's no wonder that one of the most-viewed uploads is titled 'Cotopaxi Questival Explainer Video 2015.'Cotopaxi on Twitter: Become a follower to share in the experiences of those who support and wear Cotopaxi gear, clothing and their message.Cotopaxi on Facebook: Follow the company on Facebook to learn more about upcoming events, keep up with the latest global accomplishments, and find special promo codes.Cotopaxi on Instagram: With a feed that highlights the results of spreading social good through global projects, there is also plenty of visual inspiration for your next outdoor adventure to enjoy.Cotopaxi on Pinterest: Some of the Boards you'll find provide outdoor adventure highlights, travel tips, Questival information, wild pursuit inspiration, gift ideas, and llama love.Cotopaxi on YouTube: The bulk of videos on this channel allow you to learn more about the company, keep up with footage from Questival Adventure Races, and browse outdoor gear.