Hey there, Camp Aficionados!

If you really like discovering the stories and histories of the companies who work alongside us here at Everything Summer Camp as much as we do, then you’re in luck; today’s post features Teva—a footwear company whose shoes we are very proud to offer.

Teva (pronounced teh’-vah and not tee-vah for which it is sometimes confused) got its start in 1984 when a youthful Grand Canyon river guide changed the game as far as the footwear industry’s concerned. What this river guide did is he came up with the world’s very first sports sandal from the original concept straight down to the product itself!

From this conceptually impressive sports sandal arose the brand name, the footwear, and the adventure that started it all for Teva. And now, for nearly thirty years, this company has only grown!

For a company that’s foundation is built on product development, what else would you expect? The team at Teva stays pretty busy year round working hard to come up with new ways for you to get the most out of the footwear on your feet and the adventures you take.

Isn’t it great to know that there are companies like Teva out there who are constantly striving to perfect the products they’re getting to their customers? Teva knows what you require on your feet in order to truly appreciate the adventure that summer camp holds for you.

Water is as essential to Teva as it to life on earth! While presenting Teva with its own set of challenges and frustrations, water has also been what keeps Teva on their toes and continuing to develop the footwear they create.

Take a pair of Teva shoes with you to camp this summer season! That’s all for today Camp Fans!

Hey, Camp Aficionados!

Ya know, we think we’re pretty cool here at Everything Summer Camp. Not that we’ve got big heads or anything, but we are a one stop shop for everything you might want throughout your summer camp stay. However, as cool as we may be, we can’t take all the credit.

That’s why I like to post about other amazing companies whose products can be found here at Everything Summer Camp. Some of them have rich histories and amazing stories. Today, I’d like to tell you about another great company with whom we work—let’s hear three cheers for Three Cheers for Girls!

You can find great summer camp accessories from Three Cheers for Girls right here at Everything Summer Camp like their innovative Lap Desk and a Three Cheers Autograph Pillowcase.

The story of Three Cheers for Girls really sort of starts on Broadway where Cinthia Russiyan—the founder of Three Cheers for Girls—used to be a costume designer for such classic Broadway plays as Cats and Tap Dance Kid! That’s pretty impressive.

Cinthia and her husband, a former Broadway stage manager, started up a company called General Awards, Inc., which became rather successful in manufacturing medals and trophies. And by 1996, Cinthia started Three Cheers as an extension to General Awards.

Three Cheers was not Three Cheers for Girls just yet. It wasn’t until 2002 that the company shifted its focus to a narrower market. They noticed that their best-selling products were ones that said BFF and Friends Forever—that kind of stuff. Now Three Cheers for Girls is targeted toward 7 to 12-year-old girls as they seem to be the niche that’s most interested in those types of items.

Since 2002, Three Cheers for Girls has enjoyed the steady growth they see from helping younger girls embrace their creativity and self-expression.

Till next time, Camp Fans!

Hey, Camp Enthusiasts!

For today’s blog post I want to tell you about a very courageous company with whom Everything Summer Camp is more than happy to be working—and that company is CamelBak. What’s so brave about CamelBak? Just keep reading to discover the history that led to the success of this great company.

One might think that in our modern times, a company has next to no chance of success when it’s based on one of the most basic of human needs such as thirst. But thanks to a bicyclist named Michael Eidson and the Hotter ‘N Hell 100 biking competition that he raced in in 1988, he brought a semi-simple, yet brilliant idea to the hands of many.

The Hotter ‘N Hell 100 is indeed a hundred mile road race in the scorcher southern summer of Witchita Falls, Texas. To make it through this race, you’ve got to have water! And there are only a few different opportunities along the way to refill your water bottle.

Michael Eidson had enough forethought to fill up an IV bag with his drinking water which he then slipped into a tube sock. He then stuffed this apparatus in the back of his racing jersey. He put the thin IV tube over his shoulder and clamped it with a clothespin.

Pretty smart, huh?

Well, he didn’t look too cool and got laughed at by the other racers. But they all had to fumble around with their water bottles during the race. And more importantly, Michael Eidson had made hands-free hydration a simple possibility.

Once CamelBak developed the hydration pack, another competitive cyclist named Jeff Wemmer was so impressed with Michael Eidson’s product that he started bringing packs along with him to races so he could sell them to other cyclists. Eventually CamelBak hired Jeff and then, in 1993, sent him off on a road trip visiting every bike shop from Florida to California.

They were tough times for the company and for a while, every day, Jeff was bringing in just enough profit to continue opening CamelBak’s doors the next day.

It’s simply amazing to have turned an IV bag in a tube sock into quality hydration packs, but to then turn that into a successful company—that’s awesome. We’re proud at Everything Summer Camp to work alongside a company like CamelBak.

Thanks for reading, Camp Fans! Until next time.

- John

Hey, Camp Fans!

For today’s blog post I’ll be discussing one of the great water bottle suppliers whose water bottles can be found right here at Everything Summer Camp. Keep reading to discover the story behind Klean Kanteen’s success. This clean company is incredibly charitable and environmentally-conscious.

Did you know that in 2002—just eleven years ago—there were no stainless steel water bottles? It also wasn’t very common knowledge that health and environmental issues were linked to plastic water bottles. But having understood the issues at hand from the start, Robert Seals, founder of Klean Kanteen, started putting together prototypes.

Only two years later, Robert started marketing the first 27 oz. Klean Kanteen. It was an introduction to a different route than plastic. Klean Kanteen’s stainless steel water bottles offered a safe, healthy, lightweight, and reusable water bottle option. It was a bottle that contained no BPA or any other toxic substances.

Back then, Klean Kanteens were sold at music festivals and environmental fairs. In another year, in 2005, the company was passed on to the Cresswell family who quickly faced challenges of growth and expansion. However, word was beginning to get around about the dangers of BPA. Consumers turned to Klean Kanteen.

According to Klean Kanteen as it says on their Web site, “Nationwide, even worldwide, we are seeing a massive shift away from single-use plastic bottles as more people choose a healthier, refillable option, often a Klean Kanteen.” Klean Kanteen’s success was about as sudden as it was certain.

Since the company sold its first water bottle, Klean Kanteen has been looking for ways to considerably lower their environmental footprint. In 2008, Klean Kanteen became a member of 1% For the Planet in which they donate 1% of their annual sales to nonprofits that are working to protect Mother Earth.

Everything Summer Camp is happy to work with people who are as environmentally conscious as Klean Kanteen. Stay quenched, campers!

- John

Hey there, Camp Aficionados!

Today I want to tell you about another great company whose products can be found right here at Everything Summer Camp—it’s High Sierra Sport Company. Read on to discover some rich company history that dates back to the late forties, though the brand High Sierra Sport Company was not incorporated until 1978.

It doesn’t matter what kind of gear you’re getting from High Sierra—whether it’s luggage for summer camp, a convenient duffel for a hiking adventure, or even a backpack for something as simple as school, you can bet that it’s a high quality product you can count on because High Sierra backpacks are built to last.

High Sierra is one of the world’s most trusted brands, being the Official Supplier of bags to the U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboarding, and U.S. Free Skiing. The fact that High Sierra’s bags see so much action just goes to show how resilient the bags are.

It all started in the late forties when a man named Harry Bernbaum bought surplus Army supplies and sold them to wholesalers and retailers. But the company evolved quickly and by 1978 Harry Bernbaum was exporting Levis to Japan in order to raise capital for a new company, H. Bernbaum Import & Export Company which would soon be renamed High Sierra Sport Company to better portray their outdoor product lines.

By the mid-eighties, High Sierra had established themselves as the go-to company for quality backpacks, duffel bags, canvas bags, luggage, outdoor tents, other outdoor gear, jackets, and gear for foul weather. And by the late nineties, the company had introduced new product lines to adventure travelers and winter sports.

Most recently, High Sierra has added the new Tech Series collection along with their Pack N Go duffel bags, new Ski and Snowboard bags as well as Day Packs and the Evolution Duffel Bag. Everything Summer Camp is delighted to work together with a company that’s so vested and successful in their line of work as we are.

Thanks for reading, Camp Fans. Till next time!

John