Interview and Giveaway: Demerit Wear's Merit Badges for Outdoor Mishaps

I definitely earned this one!

Once upon a time, I was completely new to backpacking. I packed cotton long sleeve shirts for a November trip in Virginia. I had no idea what a compression sack was. I thought I was cool because I carried a foam sleeping pad, but assured myself I didn't need it, not knowing the ground would suck all of the warmth out of me. I'm awarding myself the Heavy Pack Demerit Badge. Another time, I wasn't new to backpacking, but the tent I planned to spend an incredibly rainy night in leaked. It leaked enough that I abandoned ship for a trip mate's shelter. I'm awarding myself the Flooded Demerit Badge.

Demerit Wear founder Steve Kosinski believes that we're too stuck on celebrating our successes. We should make an effort celebrate those special situations that make amazing stories after the trips are over - the failures, the mistakes, and the mishaps we've all had on our adventures. But Demeritwear also has badges for accomplishments, too, like summitting one of Colorado's 14ers or skiing a double black run.

Steve took some time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions about his unique company and why we should all adorn our packs with Demerit Badges.

What inspired you to start Demeritwear?
I was a failed Scout! My first two weeks in scouting consisted of a camping trip in late November. We were in tents, it snowed, I was ill-prepared with one of those cotton flannel sleeping bags with the ducks and hunters printed inside, I froze every night, and was clammy every morning. I was the new kid, so I was on cleanup every day, and I was afraid of the latrine. When I got back home my mom asked me how the camping trip was and I said "I QUIT!". Fast forward about 20 years, and I met my wife. She was deeply involved in the outdoor industry and taught me all about the right clothing and equipment. Looking back at that first experience, I thought I deserved an award just for surviving that trip.

Who did you create the patches for? Definitely someone who can laugh at themselves!  In fact, often when telling the story of a trip, it's the mishaps that are most remembered. At my first trade show, my booth was located in a far-off corner. No one came by for hours at a time. So when a woman stopped to ask about the badges, I gave her my best 30-second pitch. She looked at me, confused. "You mean they are for things you did WRONG?" I nodded with a smile. She said: "Who on earth would want THAT?" So I guess I made them for--NOT her.

Huge thanks to Steve for providing these for me to try out! They're super easy to attach to anything you own. I'm proudly sporting my "Heavy Pack" badge on my Lilypond Magnolia Tote, which I carry with me every day.

What do you want folks to gain from having the patches? A bit of healthy pride in ALL aspects of themselves, even if you did something stupid, even when you should have known (or did know) better. Around here we say "Awards for the Rest of Us!" which means that sometimes it seems that everyone else knows things that you do not, or has skills that you do not--but of course everyone was a beginner at some point, and that mistakes and mishaps can happen to even the most seasoned veteran. (Just ask them--I hear their stories all the time!) Demerit Wear is about telling your own story--the WHOLE story, both good and bad.

yep, I earned this one too!

Are there any others born out of personal experience? I definitely earned the new "Road Rage" badge. (I'm working on it!)  I have a 9-year-old, so I have earned everything from the "Crybaby" badge to the "Snowman Sculptor",  and "French Wine Snob" was actually made specifically for me. (My wife said I would never sell that patch to anyone else, but she was wrong about that!)

I'm most proud of earning the "Apres" patch.  I struggled to learn to ski. It took years of getting hurt, and x-rays, and lessons, and multiple seasons of being the slowest person in the group of professional double-black tree-skiers I hang around with before I could finally go everywhere they went and have fun doing it. Finally one year we were all sitting around after a long day having a beer when it hit me that I wasn't an outsider anymore. My wife leaned over to me and said "See? The best beer you'll ever drink is the one you've earned!"

Win a Demerit Wear Demerit Badge of Your Choice! 

To enter, leave a comment on this post with a story about an outdoor mishap or accomplishment you believe is deserving of a badge. It can be about anything from setting marshmallows on fire to forgetting to pack toilet paper, even running out of water. If you need inspiration, check out all of the patches for potential story subjects. Be creative; you might even inspire a new patch! 

Submit all entries by 5pm EST on Friday, September 7th, 2012. When you comment, be sure to leave a method of contact. The best story, as chosen by Steve and I, will receive a patch of their choice from the Demeritwear collection. To receive an extra entry, give the Adventure-Inspired facebook page a "like" and leave a separate comment letting me know you have. (If you already have, that still counts. Leave that extra comment!) Good luck! 

Keep an eye on the Demerit Wear website this fall. They're launching a customizable hoodie, a t-shirt with an oversized print of any patch in our line on the front, and re-launching the customizable neckerchief for dogs!