What’s Trending in the Outdoors Right Now

1. DIY Outdoor Brand Stories (r/CampingGear)

On Reddit’s r/CampingGear, posts about launching your own little gear brand and turning a home setup into a workshop have struck a chord.

2. Motorcycle Camping Gear Solutions

Also on r/CampingGear, there's a surge of interest in gear suited for motorcycle camping—specifically compact solutions that can endure wind and rain. Practicality matters, and people are actively comparing setups designed for small rigs.

3. Utility Fabric Fashion Crossover

The Anglercore/Gorpcore aesthetic keeps spreading outside just functional gear. Expect commentary popping up on Instagram and Reddit where fashion communities embrace cargo gear, technical vests, and outdoor jackets for urban wear. This styling trend continues to fuel fusion between function and everyday fashion.

4. Kühl Wearability Debate

In r/WildernessBackpacking, users are debating the performance of Kühl hiking apparel—praising comfort and fit, while questioning long-term durability. Unfiltered community reviews like these are an authentic take companies can’t buy.

5. Vaude Brand Praise in EU Circles

On r/BuyFromEU, Vaude—a smaller German outdoor brand—receives heartfelt testimonials for durability and responsible manufacturing.

Insight Table

Product Pre-validation Project

I’m delighted to report huge interest in this. So we’re going ahead. It’s the best way to knowledge share - actually see the process - and the results.

So, we’re building the landing page at the moment and I’m happy to invest and build this into a report or benchmark. If we do it right, it can be updated annually, as benchmarks change regularly with algorithms.

So I’ll fill you in on the full outline and structure next week. But the report will outline:

• the pre-validation process that we use,

• the Landing Pages, along with design narrative, and customer journey

• the ad creatives, and,

• most importantly, the results and how they compare, when bench-marked

• Finally: The Go - No Go decision for the product, and all expenses incurred

Watch this space….

Exxel Outdoors: How Two Hustlers, One Alabama Factory, and a Big 2015 Deal Built a Quiet Giant in Camping

Anyone who’s tossed a kid’s sleeping bag with a cartoon character into a cart at a big-box store—or strapped a Kelty pack on for a weekend in the hills—has brushed up against Exxel Outdoors.

What’s interesting isn’t just the products. It’s the way Exxel grew: a founder story rooted in cut-and-sew grit, one very strategic manufacturing bet in Alabama, and a portfolio-defining acquisition that pulled legacy brands back into the spotlight.

From Pasadena to Haleyville

Exxel’s story starts with Harry Kazazian, an Armenian-American immigrant who learned the sewing trade early in his family business. He wasn’t a gear designer chasing first ascents; he was an operator, someone who saw opportunity in logistics and production. Alongside longtime partner Armen Kouleyan, he built up experience in soft goods through government contracts and offshore manufacturing.

In 2000, they did something unexpected. Rather than chase cheaper labor abroad, they bought a shuttered sleeping bag factory in Haleyville, Alabama. Brunswick Corporation had been set to close the 250,000-square-foot facility, but Exxel moved in, restarted the lines, and committed to domestic production.

That Haleyville plant became the hinge of the whole story. It would grow into the largest sleeping-bag factory in the U.S., capable of turning out 1.5 million recreational bags a year, plus advanced systems for the U.S. military. Productivity was higher than expected, quality control improved, and Exxel could market something no competitor in its category could: Made in the USA at scale.

Through the early 2010s, Kazazian even waded into trade debates in Washington, lobbying to keep import rules from gutting U.S. production. Agree or not with the policy, the message was clear: Exxel was betting on keeping Haleyville alive.

The Big Move: Acquiring American Recreation Products

By the early 2010s, Exxel was already selling plenty of kids’ bags through licensed programs with Disney, Marvel, and others. Volume was strong, but the company wanted brands with heritage and credibility.

That chance came in 2015, when Exxel acquired American Recreation Products (ARP), the parent company of some of the most storied outdoor names: Kelty, Sierra Designs, Slumberjack, Wenzel, Ultimate Direction, Mountain Trails, and Insta-Bed.

The impact was huge:

• Brand credibility. Kelty and Sierra Designs gave Exxel immediate cachet in specialty retail and among core outdoor consumers.

• Value ladder. Wenzel and Slumberjack secured mass and sporting goods channels, while Kelty and Ultimate Direction reached technical and specialty audiences.

• Operational fit. Sleeping bag production could flow through Haleyville, while Colorado remained the creative hub.

After the deal, Exxel restructured as Exxel Outdoors LLC, keeping Colorado as HQ. Kazazian stepped in as CEO, Kouleyan became chairman, and Brett Jordan (then ARP’s CEO) took on the role of president.

This wasn’t a trophy acquisition. It was a disciplined portfolio play—taking legacy brands, plugging them into Exxel’s operational backbone, and preserving their individual identities while centralizing back-office functions.

Beyond Camping: Expanding into Hunt and Fish

Exxel followed up with a more surgical acquisition in 2020, buying Compass 360, a Huntsville-based maker of fishing waders, rainwear, and camo outerwear. It was a tidy fit. Slumberjack already had traction in hunting; Compass 360 deepened the “hunt/fish” side, broadened seasonality, and gave Exxel another foothold in regional specialty stores.

Compass 360’s founder even joined Exxel’s board, ensuring the brand voice and expertise stayed intact. That’s become part of Exxel’s playbook: buy businesses that align, keep the DNA, and plug them into shared services.

The Revenue Picture

Because Exxel is private, exact numbers aren’t published—but industry trackers and the footprint make it possible to triangulate.

• The Haleyville plant alone can output 1.5 million sleeping bags a year. Even at low price points, that’s tens of millions in potential revenue.

• Licensed kids’ products move volume in mass retail, a steady cash engine.

• Legacy brands like Kelty and Sierra Designs anchor specialty channels and DTC.

• Compass 360 adds new category depth.

Industry models place Exxel’s annual revenues in the $45–70 million range today. Some trackers list it closer to $47 million, others push north of $70 million. The variation makes sense in a business so tied to seasonal demand and retailer inventory cycles. In good years, when camping booms and retailers stock deep, Exxel leans toward the higher side. In leaner years, numbers contract—but the portfolio mix keeps it resilient.

Operating the Machine

The Haleyville Advantage. That Alabama plant remains Exxel’s not-so-secret weapon. It allows the company to reshore SKUs when shipping costs spike, deliver quick turns for mass retailers, and retain U.S. government contracts. Competitors that rely entirely on imports can’t match that flexibility.

House of Brands Strategy. Exxel has kept brand voices distinct—Kelty doesn’t look like Sierra Designs, and Slumberjack doesn’t look like Wenzel. Behind the scenes, though, shared finance, logistics, and operations in Colorado drive efficiency.

Channel Mix. The portfolio covers it all: specialty (Kelty, Sierra Designs, Ultimate Direction), mass/sporting goods (Wenzel, Slumberjack, Insta-Bed), licensed goods (Disney/Marvel), and hunt/fish (Compass 360). That balance means Exxel isn’t exposed to any single channel downturn.

Leadership Continuity. Kazazian and Kouleyan still guide strategy, with long-tenured teams in Colorado and Alabama ensuring stability. This isn’t a revolving-door PE story; it’s founder-driven scale.

Modern Moves

Exxel hasn’t stood still since the ARP acquisition.

• HQ Expansion. In 2019–2021, the company built out a new 39,000-square-foot headquarters in Broomfield, Colorado, giving its portfolio brands modern creative and product development space.

• Distribution Relocation. In 2024, Exxel shifted its national distribution center from Nevada to Tupelo, Mississippi. That move cut freight times for Eastern retailers and placed logistics closer to the Haleyville factory.

Both moves reinforce Exxel’s identity as a portfolio operator, not a one-brand play.

A Founder Story Built on Operations

In an industry where many founders lead with athlete resumes or product design, Harry Kazazian stands out. His focus has always been operations, manufacturing, and supply chains. That’s why Exxel’s acquisitions feel different: each brand or category added has clear operational synergy, rather than being driven by hype.

It also explains Exxel’s longevity. By straddling specialty and mass, leaning on a unique U.S. manufacturing asset, and acquiring brands that fit rather than clash, Exxel has outlasted many flashier names.

The Road Ahead

Looking forward, a few themes stand out:

1. Selective acquisitions. Expect more Compass-style bolt-ons where Exxel can add value through sourcing, operations, and channel access.

2. Made in USA leverage. As supply chains remain volatile, the Haleyville plant gives Exxel a card no one else in its space can play at the same scale.

3. Brand revitalization. Kelty and Sierra Designs still carry huge equity; tighter, focused product lines and strong DTC storytelling will be the levers.

4. Steady revenue band. Exxel will likely stay in the mid-eight-figure range, swinging up or down depending on retailer demand. It’s not chasing unicorn valuations—it’s building a durable house of brands.

Timeline Snapshot

• 1997: Exxel founded in Los Angeles

• 2000: Buys Haleyville, AL sleeping-bag plant, restarts production

• 2010–2011: Trade lobbying to protect U.S. sleeping bag manufacturing

• 2015: Acquires American Recreation Products (Kelty, Sierra Designs, Slumberjack, Wenzel, Ultimate Direction, Insta-Bed)

• 2019–2021: Opens new HQ in Broomfield, CO

• 2020: Acquires Compass 360 (waders/rainwear/camo)

• 2024: Moves national distribution to Tupelo, MS

Bottom Line

Exxel Outdoors isn’t a lifestyle juggernaut chasing headlines. It’s a quiet, mid-sized giant—a company that has stitched together a portfolio of outdoor brands, kept U.S. manufacturing alive at scale, and proven that operational discipline can be just as powerful as design flair.

For retailers, it means breadth, supply stability, and price-point flexibility. For competitors, it means Exxel can play in multiple lanes at once—specialty, mass, and government contract—with unusual resilience.

And for the founders, it’s validation of a bet made back in 2000: that sometimes, bringing production back home can be the smarter long-term play.

Here’s a video of the story.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU6I9LEldLs