Written by Lou Dzierzak (@WriterLou) for the July/August issue of Outdoor Insight Magazine
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Pemba Serves, the sales rep firm founded by Brad Werntz in 1999, is fundamentally changing the way it conducts business.

Located in Madison, WI, Pemba Serves represents outdoor brands like Mountain Hardwear, Montrail, Petzl, Leki, Adventure Medical Kits and Atlas. The eight-person firm covers 800,000-square miles in the Upper Midwest.

Traveling from Madison to the far corners of Wisconsin or Minnesota requires a great deal of time in the car. It’s not uncommon to drive 12 hours in a single day to visit two accounts for as little as one hour.

Werntz is committed to championing the brands his firm represents with face-to-face human interaction but he takes a different road in how he travels from place to place. Whenever possible, Werntz and his team leave their cars behind and rely on mass transit, public transportation or human powered activities for travel.

Calling the initiative “car free” Werntz explains the rationale. “First, it seemed like the right thing to do. One of the hidden impacts of the outdoor industry is the amount of travel that we all do. If you want to go backpacking in the Rockies you have to get there, right?”

Supporting retail accounts prosper in the down economy, Werntz and his team suggested promoting outdoor activities like paddling, hiking and longboarding closer to home to inspire consumers who had previously planned outdoor equipment purchases around travel-oriented adventures like trips to Yellowstone.

Werntz says, “The more we talked about that message with retailers, we looked at ourselves and it became a natural extension to do parts of our job car free.”

Getting from Point A to Point B without a car requires improving logistic skills and mastering often complicated mass transit schedules. For automobile centric skeptics who may scoff at the inflexibility of being tied down to a transportation schedule, Wenrtz counters, “We in the United States are under the illusion that being in a car means freedom. If I want to stop for a latte, I can stop for a latte anytime I want. The truth is if you need to make a 1 p.m. appointment in the Twin Cities and you leave at 9 a.m. you have time for just one 5-10 minute pit stop to be on time. On the train you truly can get a latte anytime.”

He adds, “It’s an illusion we’ve allowed to frame our worldview. Which in turn creates behaviors that aren’t in line with a good work ethic, good business ethic and good planet ethic. It’s just a waste in every different way to drive when you can take the train.”

From a business perspective, Werntz describes an even more powerful benefit of moving form driving a car to taking a train. He reports, “We found the more we tackle the logistical challenges the more residual [benefits] we get from our investments.”

Comparing a trip from Madison, WI to Minneapolis, MN Werntz says that equipped with a wireless laptop he can be productive for five hours compared to driving and trying to make telephone calls in spotty cell phone coverage areas to accomplish something productive. He reports, “Five hours of productive time on a train is invaluable versus driving, which is absolutely dead time.”

Initially, Werntz didn’t actively promote Pemba Serves car-free approach to the firm’s clients and retailers. even as conversations about the topic increased the brands represented could see a difference. Werntz notes, “There are tie-ins that you can make with car-free travel that people don’t expect. One thing everyone noticed is our response time has gotten a lot quicker, especially electronic and phone communications. We don’t have as much down time driving ourselves to remote corners of the planet. We are able to serve our customers better.”

Personally, Werntz does 80 percent of this travel car-free. That doesn’t yet include plane travel. Since starting the car free initiative Pemba Serves has saved over 5,000 miles of automobile travel miles by using alternate transportation methods. The firm is using a Twitter account #carfreeme to promote the car-free initiative to a broader audience and looking for a charity partner to raise money for causes that align with the firm’s work.

Devaki Ananda Murch, Park N Pedal says, “carfreeme is not only a great way for people to see the calculated difference they are making not just in parking fees and co2 reduction. It offers tangible benefits to the participant as well as the industry that supports it.”

Pemba Serves commitment to changing the traditional travel paradigm calls the larger outdoor industry to look at the way they do business. Werntz comments, “Being on the cutting edge or not, that is not the idea. If you do what makes sense logically for us as individuals and finding that you are on the cutting edge that’s exhilarating. It’s been a transition in my life towards being virtually car-free on little step at a time. It’s been a two-year journey that makes it exciting to come to work.”

Huge feature article “A Fast New World” recaps the 2010 Western States 100; Montrail athlete, 2010 champion and WS100 course record holder Geoff Roes is in the spotlight.

Montrail athlete Matt Hart quoted in the “Ups and Downs in Colorado’s San Juans” article

The Sabino Trail GTX makes the 13 shoe review lauded for its “comfort and fit during long runs on technical and hilly terrain.” They call out the Sabino to be more ‘run-able’ than its predecessor, the Hardrock 08. Tester-monial: “The excellent tread enabled me to motor up steep parts of the Colorado Trail and bomb down without feeling intimidated or worrying about slipping.”

Sabino Trail GTX Men’s | Women’s

Perfect for family adventures the PETZL TIKKINA² retails for $19.95

Here’s a great customer letter recently received at PETZL Headquarters

Just a quick note to let you know of a situation where Petzl saved the day.  My family and I were going through Lewis and Clark Caverns in Montana last week with about 28 other people.  They had electric lights that went down through the cave and allowed the visitors to see the amazing cave formations.  At the halfway point in the cave, and unknown to us, a huge thunderstorm swept through and took out the power so we were all thrown into darkness.  The park ranger who was leading us had one, wimpy Mag-lite and it became obvious that we were going to be stuck for sometime.

People started to panic but then we pulled out our Petzl headlamps.  With the four of our headlamps, my kids (8 and 12), my wife, and I were able to lead the group out.  The ranger was very thankful (and a bit embarrassed) and we received a standing ovation.  One thankful person even gave us a pound of coffee in the parking lot!

Anyway, we wanted to share our story with you.

Love your products!

Ed

We get requests, yes we do: “I’m [going somewhere/doing this thing/really rad], so give me stuff.” And, most of the time, we don’t. (We have a name for people who need our gear; we call them “customers.”) But Patrick Schirf had us at “hello,” with a real need for real gear, and a great opportunity to test it, also. Plus, there were bears involved. We like bears. And bear conservation, we can’t forget that. We sent him a Mountain Hardwear South Col, which seemed to us to be the perfect pack for what he was doing, and it seems as if we were right. Here’s Patrick’s story: Enjoy…

I arrived in Edmonton, Alberta on May 13th, ready for adventure. After an annoyingly long process dealing with customs I met up with my supervisor, Bogdan Cristescu. For some reason Canadian customs couldn’t understand why someone would come all the way from the States to volunteer to study grizzly bears. Bogdan is a Ph. D. student studying the impact of open pit mining on grizzly bear ecology. Alberta is Canada’s wealthiest province due to its natural resources. The mining of these resources has a major impact on the environment, and therefore the need for the grizzly bear research.

The rest of the volunteers trickled in over the next few days and we eventually made the move to the hamlet of Cadomin, population 54 and home base for the project. Things got off to an awfully slow start due to heavy snowfall.

The excitement began when we went to our first kill site cluster. A bear’s radio color sends out a GPS location once an hour. If a bear is within a 50 meter area for more than three hours then it is considered a cluster. We survey all of the larger cluster sites. We arrived at the kill site in a fairly dense wooded area  There was hair and bone everywhere.

The four volunteers and our supervisor had a look around the area. We came to the conclusion there were two different kills right near each other. Both kills were made by a large Cougar. Male Cougars in this area can get well over two hundred pounds. The first kill was an older deer. The second kill was an elk. It looked as though the cougar had made the kill and a female grizzly came in later to scavenge. She moved the elk kill to another area and tried to cache it by covering it up with earth.

It was a very different feeling being surrounded by death and knowing the creatures responsible could still be nearby watching you. We continued on with the protocol, taking all the proper measurements and began to hear something big moving around the woods close by. We made plenty of noise but never saw anything, so we got back to work. The noises continued for the rest of our stay at the site, almost circling around us. Everyone was on high alert and was working as efficiently as possible. We finally finished the site and made it out safely. We never knew what was watching us. Being in such a situation makes me realize just how wild this place really is. It’s an amazing feeling to be a part of it all.

We went back to survey the random site a few days later. On our way back from the site we were walking in a meadow and saw two heads pop up over the ridge in front of us. My first wild grizzlies!

They were two young cubs a couple of years old that had been let go from their mother. We stopped to watch them and one of them popped up on his hind legs to get a better look and catch our scent.

He then fell lazily on to his sibling as if there wasn’t anything to be too worried about. They then headed cautiously over the hillside into the woods, stopping to have another look at us along the way as if they still weren’t sure what to make of us. We watched them disappear into the woods with the great peaks of the Canadian Rockies hiding in the fog in the background.  It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, a moment I won’t forget.

Once we became proficient with the site protocol we split into teams of two to be more productive. One of the other volunteers and I headed out to a very large cluster. This female bear spent over a week in the area so we couldn’t help but assume it was a large kill site. After several hundred yards of bushwhacking we made our way down an incredibly steep canyon to a stream bank.

If the forest floor didn’t have a thick layer of moss to allow us to dig our heals in on the way down the canyon then I don’t believe we could have even made it down to the stream.  We arrived at the site and found massive amounts of hair and bone everywhere. After looking around and seeing the amount of hair we determined a large cougar had killed an adult moose.

Cougars, as well as other species of feline, shear off all the hair of their kill. There was also evidence of wolves and of course, our bear. Part of the protocol of a kill site is to bring back the bones of the prey animal to identify species, sex, health, and age of the animal. We were unable to find the skull, femur, or the pelvic girdle so the next best thing was the lower leg. We found a large lower leg with skin and hair still present, along with a lovely smell of rotting carcass.  After a couple of hours we finally managed to complete the protocol and packed things up.

I had the privilege of putting the 10+ pound moose leg on the back of my pack.  We began hiking and my mind began to get the best of me. I couldn’t help but think about the fact that I’m carrying a rotting moose leg on my pack in dense forest with several species of large predators in the area with a 2 km hike ahead of me. After what felt like hours of bushwhacking we made it to a quad trail but we weren’t out of the woods yet. There were wolf tracks in the mud along the trail. My nerves were completely on edge; I couldn’t help but be startled by the slightest of noises through the trees. We eventually made it back to the house tired, sweaty and my nerves shot. My stomach wasn’t felling its best either, the wind was to our back the whole hike home and the heat and smell of the moose leg blowing in my face made me feel a bit queasy. It was a long day for everyone.

I would have to say my experience in Canada was life changing. Being surrounded by large predators forces you to always be in the moment. You can’t let your mind begin to wonder. You will either terrify yourself picturing what might happen or walk into a dangerous situation without even realizing it.

I explored some incredible landscapes. My Mountain Hardwear South Col pack worked out perfectly for my trip. I could load it up for overnight trips and it compressed down to be a great day-pack as well.

The Canadian Rockies are a beautiful place and I hope that our research will help keep it wild. The mines continue to destroy the landscape and eat up the habitat. We must find alternative forms of energy before grizzlies become a distant memory.

Brad presented his OIA / Outdoor University Webinar yesterday, The Evolving Role of the Independent Rep. For those who are interested, here are the slides.

(If you want to hear a recording of the presentation, follow the instructions, below…)

Brad was honored and humbled to have been asked to present, and really sweated over the content. It went pretty well, we’re thinking.

Attendance exceeded expectations and there were some really excellent questions. Though Brad went a bit long (the blabbermouth), just about everybody held in there until the bitter end. Thanks for all of those who attended and contributed to the discussion.

For those of you who couldn’t make it, feel free to leave a comment. Brad reads ‘em – we gather – and we’re pretty sure he’ll respond.

Contact events [at] outdoorindustry.org for the link to the recording.
Outdoor University webinars are free to OIA members and SNEWS subscribers and $99 for non members.

Pemba Serves and Mountain Hardwear are stoked to have Chicks Rock! back again for a session at Devil’s Lake, Wisconsin September 11th – 16th.

Here’s how you can win a spot on their co-ed weekend skills clinic.

At the co-ed weekend skills clinic, which precedes the full Chicks Rock! experience Sept. 13-16, our infamous Girly Guides will be giving clinics on topics such as:

• Self rescue (Saturday)
• Intro to trad leading (Saturday)
• Working a project/red point tactics (Saturday)
• Anchors (Sunday)
• Intro to big wall climbing (Sunday)
• Intro to multi-pitch (Sunday)

The cost for one of these clinics, which run from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., is $100 per day; or $180 total if you sign up for the full weekend.

But, because we are ready to rock in Wisconsin, and want to see some men take advantage of this opportunity to learn from some of the best guides in the world, we are giving away a total of two passes to one of these full-day clinics!

So, how’s this contest going to go down? Well, we want you to get creative!

In order to enter the contest you must submit a photo of an artistic creation you design, or capture with some climbing related piece(s) of gear on our Facebook page.

A Chicks Climbing committee will select one winner, while the Chicks Climbing fan base will select the other. The fan base winner will be selected by adding up the number of “likes” the photo receives on the Chicks Climbing Facebook page. So, when you enter, make sure you encourage your friends and family to show their support and vote for you!

Read more at www.chickswithpicks.net

Derrick Mayoleth | KayakQuixotica.com

Excellent review of Montrail’s Sabino Mid GTX from Derrick at KayakQuixotica.com

I’m a trail runner. After an ankle injury early in the season the doc said that I needed to find trail shoes with ankle support.  Right!  Well, with a bit of help for the folks at Pemba Serves I’ve had the opportunity to put a pair of Sabino Trail Mids by Montrail to the test.  2 month on, and I have to say,  the Sabino Trail Mids were just what the doctor ordered, and then some.

Trail runners know that having freedom and flex in your ankle is paramount to good balance on rough terrain.  That’s why you don’t find high-top runners.  But when you injure an ankle or simply feel your age coming on, you sometimes need a bit of support.  Ankle braces that do any good are usually over-kill for runners or worse, they run a band under your arch which can be painful to run on.  Hiking boots are simply too heavy and clunky to run in.  This is where the Sabino Mids by Montrail really come to the front.

Read the rest at KayakQuixotica.com

Are you a blogger and interested in reviewing gear from our brands? Contact us.

See you there!

 Mtn Hardwear | Fluid 26 pack sale supports Outdoor Nation
All Day Tuesday and Wednesday
Get a Kid Outside Fluid 26 pack fundraiser. You can own the pack that everybody is talking about – light, amazingly comfortable with a load, simple! Sixty percent of the purchase price goes to support Outdoor Foundation’s future Outdoor Nation youth events to get more youth outdoors. $40 a pack.

 Mtn Hardwear | One Mountain Thousand Summits Book Signing
Tuesday 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Join Mountain Hardwear and American Alpine Club alpinist Freddie Wilkinson for a meet and greet book signing in honor of the release of his first book, One Mountain, Thousand Summits. The book closely examines the mysterious tragedy that cost the lives of 11 men on the unforgiving K2, the world’s second highest mountain, in August 2008. Come have a beer and meet Freddie. Books will be available for a discounted price of $20 and all proceeds will benefit the American Alpine Club.

 Montrail | Wasatch Wobble – Badrock Battle
Thursday 6:30am – 8:00am
This annual fun run has become a show classic. Sign up in advance at Montrail booth #25001. The $10 entry fee is a donation to the Conservation Alliance and you will feel better for it! Buses will pick up runners in front of the Salt Palace main entrance at 6:00 a.m. and drop you back off by 8:00 a.m. The theme is Superhero!! Badrock Battle is a nod to the new Spring 2011 trail running shoe from Montrail, the Badrock, as well as Badrock the superhero. Dress up in Superhero costume for a chance to win the costume contest.

 Montrail | fundraiser for American Hiking Society
Wednesday 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Superhero Rockridge trail shoe fundraiser . Here’s your chance to buy a new pair of Montrail Rockridge trail shoes and be a Superhero to the American Hiking Society by raising funds for the trails we all love to run. One hundred percent of the purchase price will go to support AHS. $40 a pair.

 Outdoor Retailer Tweetup (sort of)
Tuesday · 7:30pm – 10:00pm

Bonneville Shoreline Trail – Salt Lake City, UT
Benefiting the Conservation Alliance

Details: Thursday August 5, 2010 – Run Start: 6:45 am

Check-In: 6:00-6:30 am Bonneville Shoreline Trail, just north of Red Butte Gardens
(approx. 3 miles from the Salt Palace)

Theme: SUPERHERO!! Celebrate the new Badrock trail running shoe from Montrail with a nod to Badrock the Superhero. Dress up in costume for a chance to win prizes. Grand prizes for the day will go to the best Superhero costumes.

Registration: Come by Montrail’s booth #25001
$10 entry fee will be donated to the Conservation Alliance

Course: 5km (just over 3 miles) of single track trails along the Bonneville Shoreline trail network. Fun course challenges will be required throughout the run. Snacks provided by Clif Bar and Jetboil at the start/finish area. hydration provided by nuun.

Take a Bus: Don’t drive, there’s very little parking! Take a bus instead. Buses will stage at the Salt Palace east entrance at 5:45 am and depart at 6:00 am. Buses will return runners to the Salt Palace after the race.

Mountain Hardwear and Montrail are sponsors of the 2010 Alpine Shop and Lone Wolf Coffee Company Off Road Racing League

For the past several summers, the Alpine Shop Short Track Dirt Crit Series has drawn large crowds of racers and spectators to Castlewood State Park in Ballwin each Thursday night in July. With after-race food and beverages provided by Lone Wolf Coffee Company and a fun, welcoming atmosphere, every one from first-time racers to experienced top-tier competitors have made it a St. Louis summer tradition.

Short Track Dirt Crit Series
Thursday Nights 7/1 – 8/1 at Castlewood State Park

Trail Run Series
Thursday Nights 8/12 – 9/5

Paddle
7/18 Meramec River Marathon River Race

More information at: www.offroadracingleague.com