Specializing in innovative camp goods with thoughtful, functional design details and clean aesthetics, Evolved Supply Co. is not your average outdoor brand.
The brainchild of Nic “Darwin” Rakestraw, a.k.a. Darwin on the Trail on YouTube, and co-founder Ajay "Juice" Pickett of Juice's Journeys, Evolved emerged out of the countless ideas that have percolated up during the duos combined 20 000 miles of on trail, adventure experiences.
“Evolved's products are made by people who actually use them in the field on the regular,” explains Ajay, “as a company founded and run by full-time adventurers, we develop and test our products all around the world.”
From the Himalayas to the High Alps, Evolved’s offerings are continually put to the test in rugged real world environments so they can be upgraded and tweaked whenever necessary to be the best they can be.
“Our goal is to always improve on what's out there from efficiency, function, and style, which is what you see in our products," says Ajay. “We are always trying to scratch our own itch and make what we want to use in the field first.”
It turns out those items are also things the rest of us want to use too: like their modern twist on the classic ultralight titanium 750ml pot, updated with an easy pour spout, a convenient bail handle, and a smart wooden knob on the lid to keep you from burning your fingers when you check to see if the water is boiling.
They also offer a simple, streamlined 35L backpack with optional add-on accessories, a lightweight insulated jacket, titanium sporks, a classy camera sling for easy adventure carry, and their ultra comfortable ultralight sun hoody: The Mirage.
“The Mirage has been our most popular product so far. Darwin spent 2 years developing it independently and testing it on his thru-hike of the CDT in 2021,” says Ajay, after finally landing on the right materials and design, we believe it strikes the perfect balance of function, comfort, and style plus, it's made with almost all natural materials.”
Since officially launching Evolved Supply Co. in 2022, the team, which has now grown to three full-time members, has learned a lot about the highs and lows of a small start-up.
“We're small, so once we have a product that we're happy with and is ready for production, getting that product made to the standards we expect, in a timely manner, has proved to sometimes be extremely challenging,” explains Ajay.
But those challenges are offset by what the trio feels are some of the best parts about the business.
“Designing products is a blast,” explains Ajay, “but it's really exciting when you hear other people's feedback on how it improved their experience outdoors. That's where the magic is.”
While Evolved Supply Co. partners with respected companies like Zpacks and Enlightened Equipment to help produce some of their soft goods line, the company will be moving their production in-house for any new items going forward, allowing them to have even more control over production and instantaneous product tweaks and upgrades. This supports their mission to continue providing the best outdoor gear to true enthusiasts.
“It's crazy to look back and see how far we've come as a small grassroots company just creating gear for ourselves,” says Ajay. “We'll never stop innovating and looking for that next 'perfect' piece of gear to use in the backcountry.”
Ali Becker is a freelance writer and adventure storyteller who spends half the year backpacking and bikepacking and the other half sleeping in strangers' beds as a professional house sitter. She and her partner, Mathieu, share their ups and downs on their IG channel at @trip.longer and hope to inspire others to get outside, adventure in nature and find their own freedom. You can learn more about them here: triplonger.ca.
