GoLite is an outdoor hiking and backpacking gear company that relaunched as an apparel manufacturer under new ownership in 2018. Humanitarian and environmental initiatives are a key part of the new ownership. As of 2018, GoLite has donated 14,000 uniforms to help health care workers in Uganda and Guatemala using company fabric resources. The new sustainable clothing collection is intended to combine outdoor performance and athletic functionality. GoLite is headquartered in Seattle, WA.

History

In 1998 GoLite was founded by Kim and Demetri "Coup" Coupounas as an outdoor equipment and clothing manufacturer based in Boulder, Colorado. In August 1998, the company launched with 12 simple and innovative products for the ultralight backpacker, designed by outdoors adventurer and author

Ray Jardine Ray Jardine (born in 1944) is an American rock climber who, along with Bill Price, in May 1979, was the first to free climb the ''West Face'' of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. Jardine is also a mountaineer, sea kayaker, sailor, hang glider pilo ...

. During 16 years of operations of the original corporation, GoLite positioned itself as an innovator in lightweight outdoor products with a focus on technical performance, simplicity, and sustainable business practices. GoLite was widely viewed as the spark and driving force behind the

ultralight backpacking Ultralight backpacking is a subset of lightweight backpacking, a style of backpacking which emphasizes carrying the lightest and least amount of gear. While no technical standards exist, some United States hikers consider "ultralight" to mean an ...

movement and the overall shift towards lighter gear from other outdoor manufacturers that occurred in the decade after GoLite was founded. GoLite designed and manufactured light and ultra-light

clothing Clothing (also known as clothes, apparel, and attire) are items worn on the human body, body. Typically, clothing is made of fabrics or textiles, but over time it has included garments made from animal skin and other thin sheets of materials ...

, footwear,

backpacks A backpack—also called knapsack, schoolbag, rucksack, rucksac, pack, sackpack, booksack, bookbag or backsack—is, in its simplest frameless form, a fabric sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders ...

tents A tent () is a Shelter (building), shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over, attached to a frame of poles or a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usual ...

sleeping bags A sleeping bag is an insulated covering for a person, essentially a lightweight quilt that can be closed with a zipper or similar means to form a tube, which functions as lightweight, portable bedding in situations where a person is sleeping ...

hydration pack A hydration pack or drink bag is a type of hydration system built as a backpack or waistpack containing a reservoir or "bladder" commonly made of rubber or flexible plastic. The reservoir contains a capped mouth for filling with liquid and ...

s, and accessories. GoLite products were and are used for

backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A His ...

thru-hiking Thru-hiking, or through-hiking, is the act of hiking an established end-to-end trail or long-distance trail with continuous footsteps. In the United States, the term is most commonly associated with the Appalachian Trail (AT), the Pacific Cres ...

adventure racing Adventure racing (also called expedition racing) is typically a multidisciplinary team sport involving navigation over an unmarked wilderness course with races extending anywhere from two hours up to two weeks in length. Some races offer solo co ...

trail running Trail running is a sport-activity which combines running, and, where there are steep gradients, hiking, that is run "on any unpaved surface". It is similar to both mountain and fell running (also known as hill running). Mountain running may, ...

, mountaineering,

snowshoeing Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreatio ...

adventure travel Adventure travel is a type of niche tourism, involving exploration or travel with a certain degree of risk (real or perceived), and which may require special skills and physical exertion. In the United States, adventure tourism has grown i ...

, and

alpinism Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, ...

. In 2008, GoLite became one of the first Certified B Corporations in the world - and the first outdoor brand. In 2010, GoLite became one of a handful of global brands to release a sustainability report] rated at the A+ verification level by the

Global Reporting Initiative The Global Reporting Initiative (known as GRI) is an international independent standards organization that helps businesses, governments and other organizations understand and communicate their impacts on issues such as climate change, human righ ...

. In 2012, after achieving success with a growing e-commerce business, GoLite switched to a direct-to-consumer model, rapidly opening storefronts and continuing holiday warehouse sales across the country. At one time, GoLite outdoor products were sold in retail shops in 23 countries and in over 20 wholly owned retail stores in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

. However, in October 2014, GoLite filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. In 2018, Outside Online interviewed a former employee, Andrew Skurka, concerning the demise of the original company. The article reported that the GoLite's 2014 bankruptcy stemmed from its overextension into athletic and lifestyle apparel to provide inventory for its brick-and-mortar stores. Skurka stated that “One mistake of the original GoLite was changing their identity every year or two” By 2014, the company had tied up too much cash in lifestyle apparel it couldn’t sell and moved to dissolve the business.

Current operations

In May 2018, GoLite relaunched under new ownership. Today the company no longer manufactures outdoor camping and backpacking products, but instead produces sustainable athletic and lifestyle apparel.

References

{{reflist

External links

GoLite Website
Manufacturing companies based in Boulder, Colorado Clothing companies established in 1998 Sporting goods manufacturers of the United States Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2014