EP 214: Under Armour Product Release 2021 with Travis Gessley

Hunting season's right around the corner, but you know, it's really hot out there, so we really wanted to focus on keeping you cool. I love the challenge of finding something. I love it. Like, I don't want this scouting season to end. Anything to do with Western big game.

Welcome to the Epic Outdoors podcast, powered by Under Armour. Hey everybody, Jason Carter, Adam Bronson coming at you from southern Utah. It's a rainy, flooding, water everywhere southern Utah, Bronson. You got water at your house? What a difference a few weeks makes. We were talking about, you know, wearing face masks just to keep the dust out of your lungs, and now we're not. Yeah, now there's no dust problem. No. We need windshields. I needed windshields the other day. We got rained on running cameras. You been running the trap line a little bit here and there? I know you went scouting this weekend up on top. The mountains look absolutely beautiful. It's, again, amazing what three or four weeks of basically constant rain can give you. Yeah. And it's not too late for range land, or range conditions, but it's too late for deer antlers. We're not going to do jacks.

It's too late, but we're still looking great. I love it. The weather, wind, rain. Vibrant. Yeah. I don't love it in my basement. No. There's been a lot of that going on. Chris, are you guys doing okay? We're all right. We got it, like, about a week ago. We got a little bit in our window wells, but we took care of it, dug everything out, and we haven't had a problem since. Well, yesterday, here in Cedar City, Utah, you guys can Google it, but there was, like, 200 homes that were major flooding, and that's a lot for this area. It's not like we're not talking. We're not Vegas or Salt Lake or Provo. I mean, it's a small town. And this suburb, I guess, or North Enoch. Yeah. North Cedar, Enoch. Yeah. 200 of them. They said, it's not like one in 10 homes. Yeah.

I got an email. We're supposed to take shovels and buckets this week, help people. I mean, like, standing water. It's crazy. So, anyway, well, we've needed it, but not the violent storms, and it's day after day. We're looking at a hot, dry week. Well, not, yeah, just sunny. Fortunately, not even in the 90s here, so. Well, yeah. 80s. Nice. But sunny and clear. Weather in some other places of interest. Like where? I don't know. Warm places. So, anyway. Yeah, it's pretty. It's that time. It's August. So, here we go. Bowhunts are going to be kicking off in a week in Nevada. I just saw an antelope, a dead antelope. I guess archery antelopes cranking in Nevada. Yeah. Wow. Oh, yeah. By the way, Bronson, this is when Nevada's coming out with their new turnback tag reissue allocation process. Stay tuned for that. No question. It's going to happen. In a day or two.

Yep. And that'll start, and it'll proceed through the fall because you got, you know, hunts kicking off when it gets between, what, two weeks before a hunt? Yeah, two weeks before, and there's. They can't go to an alternate. They're just going to go throw them online and buy them. It'll take your points, but we'll see who gets a good tag or not. It'll be fun. Tell us about it if you get something good. From what I understand, there's like 117 tags getting ready to be. Going to hit this list. Yeah. How many of them are doe antelope? Well, I don't know, but 70 of them. I don't know, but there's going to be archery deer. These will take your points, and, you know, waiting periods are going to be incurred in species that it matters. There's only probably two things I would take, and that would be probably one of my elk or a good sheep tag. Yeah.

So things are going to, it's going to crank throughout the remainder of the fall. They're doing some testing, you know, like some, they got bandwidth. Make sure they got the proper bandwidth. Like when you go through a reallocation, they got to say, okay, is this guy eligible? Is he a felon or, you know, whatever. And then, and then is he not within the waiting period? And then all of the eligibility requirements. So the counter type sales situation in Nevada, per se, they don't know what a, these other states like Colorado, other places that deal with people crushing websites, they figured out the bandwidth and the IT people know what they're doing. Nevada, they're praying. A little bit new. Yeah. And then, yeah. So you're logged into your account and then you, to see the list, you're going to have to be logged into your account.

Yeah. It's not like they publish a list like Colorado does. Not an easy public link. You're going to go on to your account and you're going to be logged in and then you're going to see this list, click it. And if it's, if you're eligible for it. But make sure you want it. Your points are gone. It's not, this isn't a true freebie tag. That's right. And if you don't want it, then, I don't know, maybe we want it. Exit. I don't know. Exit your account. We have a problem with that, Bronson, is letting go of things, of opportunities that, just an opportunity. We just get excited about the opportunity and we fill up our schedule. Just make sure you want it. Just make sure you want it. That's all I'm saying. I've got a tag right now that, you know, or two or three that I don't really. Well, I mean, because I'm supposed to want it, I think I want it.

And the kill of getting the tag, that kill sometimes is more exciting than the actual, oh, now I've got to go and make good on this tag. So be careful what you want. Be careful what you wish for, right? That's right. All right. All right. Well. What else? We've got something new to talk about. Some new gear. Yeah. Hitting market, hitting web. So we appreciate Under Armour out there. They sponsor about everything we do here, right, Chris? You're dealing with them all the time. Yeah, that's right. Different things, social media stuff. And, you know, as one of our major sponsors, they are coming out. They came out with new products this year, trying to make things a little bit cooler, you know. Kind of, I guess I've been in there pretty heavy on, it's just hot. Some of the stuff. You hunt. 110 degree weather. You hunt. Some shiz. And you would think. You hunt some places, man.

With a company that, you know, that makes products for everybody and everything and every sport, I'm thinking makes them, you know, breathable, real breathable. And it's been awesome stuff, and now they've done it. There we go. So. Well, let's find out more about it, I guess. So let's give Under Armour a call. We'll call Travis. He's been there for years, and he's right in the middle of all the research and design. Chris, I think you've dealt with him a bit, too. Travis Guestley, and he knows his stuff, part of the design process and creating these products. So we're going to call him, and we'll hear a little bit about maybe the backstory of some of this stuff, where it came from. All right. Okay, let's get him on the line.

Hello? Is it Travis? Yes, Travis. Hey, Jason Carter, Adam Bronson, Chris Peterson, Epic Outdoors Podcast. How are you doing? I'm doing great. How about you guys? We're good. We're good. We got a little more moisture, water here than we're used to. How about you guys? How's your weather? It's nice today. It's about sunny and 80, so no complaints. Wow. Well, you get a lot. You guys are used to probably a little more moisture. We're kind of an arid environment, and then we get hammered with a storm, and people die here. Yeah. It's just runoff on that water, huh? Yeah. Just because it's normal. Too much. Yeah, we're just three inches in like an hour, you know, hour and a half or something like that, with a lot of concrete and asphalt and canyons. Yeah. It all funnels out right to people's houses, unfortunately, basements. Oh, that's terrible. Anyway.

But you guys are probably used to some of that. Anyway, but no, not so much here. But hey, let's talk about some of the new things you guys have got going on there at Under Armour. Maybe start off with your role there at Under Armour. I know you've been there for quite some time. We know you well. But just for the listeners, kind of give us a little bit of background on your affiliation with Under Armour and your role there. And then we'll jump right into it. Okay. Awesome. Yeah, so Travis Guestley, category manager for hunt and fish and all outdoor products, apparel specific. I've been here 10 years. So, you know, got to go through the great, you know, the growth that Under Armour's had. And, you know, a lot of consistency and love where we're going right now with the hunt fish categories. Awesome. Wow. So, you've seen it all.

I mean, basically, 10 years ago, if you roll back time, I mean, you know, it was in its infancy. Feels like infancy. In the hunting category compared to today. So, you've seen it. You've seen it all. For sure. And, you know what, especially like the Western hunting focus, you know, with the brands jumping in and really paying attention to that, you know, pinnacle athlete that's just out there, you know, grinding out there in the mountains. So, I think that's been the biggest change over the last 10 years. You know, it's going from what was like still our stagnant hunting on the East Coast and now just for brands focusing out West. Well, it's awesome. And so, you know, it's leaps and bounds. I remember, I want to say it was, I don't even have it in front of me.

But like three or four years ago, let's say, when you guys made the huge change with all new product lines, the Alpine Ops and Pro Shell, Windstopper, all of these came out. It's just incredible gear. Still is incredible. And then I think, you know, it seemed like kind of the push for this year, and I'll let you expand upon it, just, you know, dealing with maybe the warmer weather climates.

Yeah. And you know what? You nailed it. You know, with the Gore Pro, the Alpine Ops, the Infill Windstopper, like, those are like our, you know, our workhorses in the line. And the feedback's been phenomenal. We're just tweaking them just to make them even better. And I can get into that. But you're right. You know, this year we really wanted to focus on the warmer weather climate. So, you know, specifically even for right now. You know, it's August, hunting season's right around the corner, but, you know, it's really hot out there. So we really wanted to focus on keeping you cool. So our new Raider Lite pant is made out of 100% air vent. So it almost gets, it's 100% breathable just for those high temperature, you know, August heat days. And then we have our ISO chill technology for the top. And that just basically has body mapping, mesh material, four-way stretch.

It's got our ISO chill cooling technology in it, which is being used on the fish side for all of our offshore anglers who are out in the Gulf of Mexico right now, you know, in the Caribbean when it's over, you know, 100 degrees. So it keeps them dry and cool with a lot of breathability. That's what I think's awesome about Under Armour. They've done so well in all the different categories that you don't, it's not like we have to invent the wheel here. This product probably has been used in other categories for multiple years and we just got to paint it camel. You know what I mean? At times. I know it's not that easy. There's obviously some, you know, the ribbed knees and different things like that that are, you know, maybe specifically designed for hunting. But there's so many different categories.

I mean, some of the golfers, they have incredible, you know, golfing attire that's breathable and whatnot. And just to kind of, you can overlap categories at times. And I've said that, but I know it's not that easy. I'm way oversimplifying it. But there is, it's not like you're new to this product line, so to speak, or technology. Right. And you know what? You hit the nail on the head. It's basically leveraging. You know, we're in so many different engines. It's like you said, golfing and fishing and all those other sports where you need to stay cool and dry with a lot of breathability. So we just tailor it for, you know, the pinnacle hunt athlete. You know, like you said, we bring in some more mobility, some stretch, some reinforced knees, and those type of things just to make it specific to hunt. And the obvious thing is we add camo to it. Yeah.

Carter doesn't have to spray paint his golf clothes anymore. Hey. Right. Hey, we've done a few things. Back when it was in its infancy, Under Armour's had the products, and we're just like, hey, let's bring it to the hunt side. You know, and the hunt side was evolving. And Under Armour's a big company, right, Travis? I mean, and to get each category to talk to each other and overlap a little bit, a little bit challenging at times, but we got there. And it's awesome. The products are great. Yeah, we love it. And, you know, it's those heritage names, too, you know, like Raider. It's been in our Ridge Reaper line for several years. Same with Infill and same with Alpine Ops. So it's like we start tailoring and bringing these, you know, tweak adjustments to it just to make these platforms even better each and every year. Okay. So we've got this launch going on.

Basically, it happens roughly this time each year, you know, July-ish, August, first part of August, and that's kind of where it launches the new product. I've always kind of wanted them to do it earlier in the year because everybody's buying gear a little bit earlier. But that's just the way Under Armour rolls with all the different products throughout all the different categories, it feels like. So anyway, it's always been in July. And with this year, we've obviously been talking about the heat and kind of focused on that new lineup. With that, we've also got the heat zips and the heat dumps added to the Raider pants. So anyway, maybe jump into that a little bit. Yeah, so exactly. You know, the Raider material, it's got a ton of stretch.

But, you know, it's kind of for that September, early October season where, you know, it could be hot during the day but a little chilly in the morning. So we built it to where, you know, if you're climbing or it's starting to get warm, there's heat dump ventilation zips. And when you kind of unzip it, it's on the legs, so it's on the thigh. And then there's the air vent material under your arms and the jacket. But when you unzip it, it actually unzips to a fully mesh breathable material. So that way your skin is not, you know, right there with – it's got a little bit of still protection. So it's not bare skin facing the elements. Not going to get a weird suntan, you know, down your thigh. No.

So you got to protect that. Well, yeah. And like I said, you did it in the jacket too in the pits, you know, area like that. Just for increased breathability while you're moving, basically. The Raider stuff is built to move in. I mean, that's what we've used it in heavily. It's stuff you wear and you work in. You're trekking, you know, usually earlier season we're hiking the glass of knobs before daylight and getting out. I mean, you're – we don't sit a lot in it. You move a lot, it feels like. Right. And it's ventilation when you need it, and then you can close it off when you don't. So if you feel like, you know, it is a little chilly and you want to trap some of that heat, guess what? You just don't use the ventilation. So it gives that ultimate versatility for that temperature change. Okay.

So with all this, with the new kind of emphasis on this particular product line, everything else is staying the same. So everybody, you know, anybody that's hunting a little bit later season, anywhere from September on or October on, can still rely on the fact that, you know, the Alpine's not going away. Pro Shell, Enfl, Windstopper kit, all of those things are going to continue, you know, with a valid SKU and products continuing to be shipped out, developed and shipped out. Correct. Yeah. So our Gore Pro rain gear, it's staying just like as is. Like it's awesome for us. So we didn't see a need to update that. Same with the Alpine Ops that's got the 800 fill goose down and that's more of your glassing kit or, you know, you can even sleep in it for extreme cold weather when you're up on the mountain. But we did supplement the line a little bit this year.

So we came out with a Ridge Reaper down hoodie and that's basically just it's got 700 fill goose down, but it's a layering piece to where, you know, if you're wearing the infill wind stopper system, it's going to protect you from the wind. But this this down hoodie, which is ultimate packable, you can layer underneath it just to trap some more of that body heat, especially in the cool mornings or when it's, you know, really getting kind of below freezing. But you still need to be moving and still need to be active. This just basically compresses underneath that infill system to keep your body and your core nice and warm. And when you don't need it, you just pack it up and it just takes up, you know, it's very packable and basically takes up no room in your pack and it's extremely lightweight. Yeah. So I let's just say, you know, it's kind of it's nice to have these packable Bronson.

We've used them those down. You pack them up, put them in the bottom of your pack. You don't know when you're going to need them, but but you always got it in your pack. You don't even need to take it out because it's not an issue. It's not heavy. So tiny. And it's nice, too, because some of the other ones are big and heavy and thick and they are to be used as an outer shell when you're not really moving. Just sitting there, bump on a hill, glass and taking it on the chin. And these are a lot slimmer, a little bit more form fitting. You know what I mean? They fit your body better. Like I said, you put something over it to cut the wind, but they they're not just you're just not a marshmallow man up there. They're a little bit more to, you know. Well, and when he's talking to this down hoodie, it's you know, you get a hoodie in your mind. Yeah. But it's actually I mean, I like it.

It's just kind of I call it a let's call it a light jacket. Yeah. And I like it just just for that. Yeah, that's right. So anyway, well, that's awesome. Travis is I mean, obviously, how do people where do people go to, you know, look at the different specifications and the different kits that are available and whatnot? Really, the easiest thing is just to check out UA Hunt on Instagram. You know, it goes through tech videos. It's got all the features, you know, UA dot com, Sportsman's Warehouse, Bass Pro. You know, they all carry, you know, all of our full range of hunt gear. And, you know, one of the thing I wanted to add on is, you know, working with you guys and working with our athletes, you know, Epic Outdoors, Remy Cam, you know, Lee and Tiff. One thing, you know, these products get better because we work with you all.

And something else we did for the Ridge Reaper collection this year is we put a little bit more durability and comfort into the pants. So, you know, the moto knee, the function of it is to keep your pant in place and not so the bottom cuff doesn't come up over your boot. But we want but what we did this year is we reinforced the knee and we actually elongated it. So that way, when you're on your knees and you're crawling, you're on the ground, whether it be thorns or rocks or whatever it may be, even brush, you get a little bit more comfort and actually a little bit more padding in the knee area. So you still get the full functionality of the moto knee or the longevity of it. But you also get a little bit of padding for that extra durability and comfort. Yeah, that's awesome. Yep. No, we've been we appreciate working with you guys as well.

I know that the heat thing was kind of near and dear to my heart and Bronson. I mean, just and at times we've had some aggressive conversations that things need to be breathing a little bit better. And then later on, you know, you guys nailed it in all the other aspects, product category, dealing with, you know, later season stuff. And so anyway, I think this is just such a great addition. Good to see it coming out. And, you know, we appreciate your work on it as well. You've done great work over the years. And anyway, it's just awesome to see the innovation. Yeah. And you know what? When you guys are beating this new stuff up, you know, there's always room for improvement. So we love it. We love where we're at. But you know what? You guys, the more feedback you can give me. In fact, I would take the negative stuff over the positive stuff because that's only going to make us better.

So beat it up and let me know what else you guys need, especially for coming around in fall 22. Okay. Sounds good. And then as far as the general public, you guys, I think, are pushing comments and feedback, product feedback to go to UA. Seems like UA.com on some of the different reviews and whatnot. And anybody out there that wants to be heard and maybe has a suggestion or just likes the product, we'd appreciate going on there and leaving a review. Exactly. That's the perfect space. You know, we look at those on a daily basis and anything less than like a four star, we want to fix. So we're shooting for five stars on everything. So yeah, the more feedback, the better, whether it's on UA.com or even leaving messages or, you know, comments on Instagram. Okay. That sounds great. Chris, do you have anything else? How is the best way for people to get their hands on the new product?

You know, the way things are moving these days, you know, everything's online. It's very simple. You know, obviously if you want to buy it, but if you just want to go check things out, you know, Sportsman's Warehouse, you know, out west is great. Even the Bass Pro Shops, I would say stop in there if you want to get your hands and try it on before you actually buy it. Okay. Sounds good. Yeah. Yeah. UA Hunt. UA Hunt on Instagram, UA.com, and then as well as Sportsman's Warehouse, Cabela's, and, you know, other stores. I don't know all the outlets. I don't have a list right in front of me, but there's- Brow West. Those are the two main ones, right? Bass Pro. Bass Pro. So, okay. Sounds good. Anything else? I think that's it. You know, I can't thank you enough, and I'm so appreciative of what you guys do for us. So, you know, I love working with you guys, so keep the feedback coming. Okay.

We're about ready to start wearing it hard here. It's August, so, yeah. We're going to get it bloody and let you know how it works. Love it. Send me some pictures. All right. All right, Travis. Appreciate you. Thanks, guys. All right. You bet. Talk to you later. Bye. Bye. All right. What are you going to get bloody with? That's just back to the next question, Carter. I'm not sure. Hey, any more, Bronson? We've been talking about how picky you and I are. Dude, we've been around a long time. I don't want to say how long, but lots and lots of years. And it just takes a lot to get us amped up. It's getting harder at times, I guess. I will agree with that. Not that we're... I love the scouting. I love the challenge of finding something. I love it. Like, I don't want this scouting season to end. I pulled all my cameras out of Nevada.

You know, things are coming down to the wire, and I'm thinking, I don't want the scouting to end. And I like the challenge of that is as much or more to me than the kill. That's the find. Yeah. Well, sometimes the kill, it's you and an animal and maybe not a lot of other people. Other times, it's you and the whole world. And it's like, am I really got a chance to, you know, because I found this animal, but it's right on Main Street. You know, out there in the middle of a unit. Like, it really... I wish I didn't even see that, because I got to try to hunt it. But yeah, you're right. It's about time. And it's... I don't know. I guess the older we get, I guess what I will agree with you on is, yeah, we're getting more selective in certain cases about where we really spend a lot of our time. We've also got kids that are very involved in it, too. So we got...

You know, it used to be us, and our kids couldn't hunt. So everything was us. Now you got some kids' hunts sprinkled in. And some of those are taxing and take a lot of time, and they're fun. What do you mean, some of them? And they're awesome. All of them. But they... Kid hunts are taxing. They are. So you got those plus ours. And yeah, it makes young men old pretty fast. That's right. So anyway, I don't know. It's good. I mean, you know, we want the big stuff. And that's... I mean, that's the drive for me, personally, I know. And we like the different adventure and opportunity. And I like learning new units. So I'm a glutton for punishment. We're going to be... Most of the time. We are scattered. I don't know. We're learning 10 new places between you and I, if not more. We got a lot of new stuff we're trying to learn this year. Yeah. And that's exciting, too.

And there's a big learning curve. And there's not a quick... It's not like going to the old stomping grounds. Boom. I went for a three-day weekend. I got three bucks to hunt because I hit all my honey holes that I've learned over 15, 20 years. It's not like that. No. We should do more of that. But then it hurts the business. You need to be out and about doing... Other stuff. Yeah. But... And it's also some of the old honey holes as dry as Nevada, southern Utah's been. They're not honey holes right now. No. They're crusty. They're crusty on the edge when you can't even open the top off of the old honey. That's what they are. You're dealing with the crust crumbles. And they're green and pretty now. And they're going to be pretty-looking range now. But as far as what they grew, it's not looking great.

So, yeah, we're forced to look other places, other states, things that we haven't done before, which is great. We're stretching. And when you stretch and you go somewhere new and different, the learning curve is very steep. And we're hitting that head on. We're learning some stuff. So, anyway, so is Wyatt and Devin. They went out and scout. And I saw them in the hills for a brief second. And then they went out and found some good stuff for getting prepared for things they got going on. And, Chris, you've been out and about. Of course, being a newlywed, I don't know. She lets you out very often. Oh, yeah. She drags me out. Drags you out. Remember? She was the one that you said you guys would be fighting over the tags and guns and equipment. I like it. I like it. All right, everybody. Okay. Find a giant.