Spring 2021, Hyperlite Mountain Gear Marketing Room –
"Remember that survey we sent out a while back? We got the answers sorted. Turns out that one of the most common responses to 'second favorite activities' is canoeing."
"No foolin'? Guess it's not too surprising–it's a sweet way to travel through the backcountry and get a different perspective on the contours of the land. I know a few canoe legends myself."
"Doing it in an ultralight way could really enable you to almost plan a route simply by direction – hike north, hit water, paddle, hit land and hike, hit water–you could see some rad stuff!"
And that's how this all began. We let the daydreaming turn into "what ifs" and move on to brainstorming. Coincidentally, we were also talking around the same time about doing a film of some kind at some point. Eventually, one of us uttered those fateful words that always seem to initiate the best kinds of trips, "You know what would be cool?"
The "what would be cool" idea this go-'round would be to send friends from varied backgrounds to a place they hadn't been to do things they hadn't done with other friends they didn't know.
It's a timeless hook for a story– "What happens when you take a group of strangers…send them to a foreign place…do hard shit…gotta work together…make popcorn and buckle up…"
In case you missed our film from late last year, grab a bevvie and give it a look! You can find out more about how this trip went down in this Q&A with the crew.
Who else has good stories about trips with strangers? Let's hear 'em!
