Outdoor enthusiasts working toward a better world

Support

The Outdoor Kind, LLC, is a new organization, specifically founded to help support North American first responders in rural and wilderness areas. A significant portion of the proceeds from all of our products goes to help the people who help us when we need it the most! **Our donations program is temporarily on hold due to financial duress caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. We hope to resume the program in 2021.

Education

In addition to direct financial or material support, what better way to help first responders than preventing dangerous situations from occurring? Our educational materials help outdoor enthusiasts avert problems before they start! In addition to handouts provided online, we also attend events in person and virtually so we can spread more safety information far and wide!

Outreach

Our staff is committed to delivering critical information directly to hikers, canoeists, kayakers, campers, and bicyclists. We’ll meet and talk with anyone who spends time in the great outdoors and wants to make our favorite places safer from fire and other emergencies. From classrooms to club meetings, and from major events to media outlets, there’s no place we won’t go to discuss real-world safety!

Fun

Our line of clothing, stickers, and outdoor-related products helps fund all of our initiatives, from supporting first responders to working with school-aged eco champions! Plus, our designs tell the world you have the right priorities: You are The Outdoor Kind!

When you shop with The Outdoor Kind, LLC, you’re doing more than just purchasing cool apparel; you’re helping first responders save the people and environment you care about!

Shop…and Help!

We are currently moving our store to another platform.

For durable vinyl stickers, please go to our newly opened sticker shop!

American & Canadian shoppers also can order from a smaller selection of our shirts in our Amazon store.

We hope you’ll bear with us as we set-up our new store so we can support North American first responders!

Upcoming Events!

Meet Outdoor Kind founder and Safety Educator John Van Barriger at these events!

Quiet Adventures Symposium
MSU Pavilion, Lansing, MI
1 p.m., Red Cedar Room
February 29, 2020


Canoecopia 2020
Alliant Energy Center, Madison, WI
March 13-15, 2020

See John’s three presentations,
and stop by The Outdoor Kind’s booth in the lobby!

Select Archived Events


21st Annual Winter Camping Symposium
YMCA Camp Miller
Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota
October 24-27, 2019

Attend our presentation and stop by our booth!


Wild & Scenic Film Festival
(A Fundraiser for the Solon Springs Educational Foundation)

The Atrium
Solon Springs, WI
4 – 8 pm, October 20, 2019

Stop by our booth to pick up free safety info!

“Packing the Perfect ‘Oh Sh!t’ Emergency Kit”
REI WillowbrookStore
Houston, Texas
6:30 – 7:45 pm, June 10, 2019

“Packing the Perfect ‘Oh Sh!t’ Emergency Kit”
REI Downtown Store
Austin, Texas
6:30 – 7:45 pm, June 4, 2019

 

“The Yukon Journey Charitable Canoe and Kayak Expedition“
Marathon County Public Library
Wausau, WI
6:30 – 8 pm; May 14, 2019

University of Waterloo;
Theatre of the Arts
Waterloo, Ontario
April 13, 2019

Visit our booth in the lobby!

Alliant Energy Center;
Madison, WI
March 8-10, 2019

Visit our booth in the lobby and
attend our presentation!

The Indianapolis Public Library;
Glendale Branch
March 6, 2019

MSU Pavilion;
East Lansing, MI
March 2, 2019

The Outdoor Adventure Show
Paddler’s Paradise Stage & Best of Canada Stage
Toronto
February 24, 2019

America’s Boating Club
Central Wisconsin Sail & Power Squadron
Schofield, WI
January 12, 2019

Ontario Winter Camping Symposium
Theatre of the Arts, Waterloo, Ontario
November 24, 2018 


Midwest Mountaineering
Minneapolis, MN
April 27-29, 2018

Attend two presentations by The Outdoor Kind!

“That’s Gonna’ Leave a Mark:
Packing the Perfect Outdoors Emergency Kit”
Marathon County Public Library
Wausau, WI
6:30 – 7:45 pm; March 27, 2018

Alliant Energy Center;
Madison, WI
March 9-11, 2018

Visit our booth in the lobby and
attend our three presentations!

MSU Pavilion;
East Lansing, MI
March 3, 2018

Visit our booth and our three presentations!

Midwest Mountaineering;
Minneapolis, MN
November 18-19, 2017

Wilderness Preparedness Class Presentation
Spencer High School
Spencer, Wisconsin
September 26, 2017

Alliant Energy Center;
Madison, WI.
March 10-11, 2017

“Paddling The Palmetto State”
Marathon County Public Library
Wausau, WI
January 16, 2017; 6:30 – 8 pm

Our Mission

  • Supporting the First

    A portion of all our sales goes to providing financial and material support to the courageous first responders who put their lives on the line in rural and wilderness areas.

  • Educating Outdoor Enthusiasts

    We’re creating the messages and materials outdoor enthusiasts need to not only play safer in the wild, but to help preserve the areas they love best.

  • Taking it to the Streets (and Trails!)

    We’re working hard to get critical information out to user groups, school organizations, university clubs – any group that loves and uses the great outdoors.

Recent News & Posts

Meet Our Team

John E. Van Barriger

John E. Van Barriger

Co-Founder, President
As president of The Outdoor Kind, LLC, John wears a lot of professional hats. That’s not surprising, though, as he has done so during most of his career. Prior to founding The Outdoor Kind, LLC, John was an award-winning writer and photographer. He has had hundreds of articles and photos published in periodicals in Australia,...
Jan Van Barriger

Jan Van Barriger

Co-Founder, Treasurer
Jan Van Barriger, co-founder of The Outdoor Kind, LLC, has spent the bulk of her career as a project manager and analyst in the information technology field. Her ability to plan and execute projects is particularly helpful when starting a new company, and bodes well for our efforts to expand and do even more good...
Tanya Riemann

Tanya Riemann

Volunteer
We formed The Outdoor Kind, LLC, in order to do good works but if we didn’t have the help of Tanya Riemann, we wouldn’t be able to reach as many people nor do anywhere near as much as we’d like to do. Tanya has selflessly volunteered her time for The Outdoor Kind since day one....
Clare Gibbs, M.D.

Clare Gibbs, M.D.

Volunteer
We first met Clare on the Yukon River in 2013, when she was canoeing the 444 miles/715 kilometers from Whitehorse to Dawson City with a group of friends. Since that time, the British Columbia native enrolled in and completed training from the medical school at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Dr. Gibbs is currently completing...
Chad Willemssen

Chad Willemssen

Volunteer
It generally seems like there are two kinds of people in the world – those with a good breadth of knowledge, and those with a depth of knowledge in a chosen field. Chad is one of those rare individuals who has both an extraordinary breadth and depth of knowledge. That makes the Wisconsin native a go-to resource...
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  • Marshfield, Wisconsin; USA
  • info@theoutdoorkind.com
  • 608.492.KIND (5463)