We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sara Cathey, Janet Chikofsky, Amy Kryston, Kimberly Maddox, Rebecca Ainis, Chloe Coletta, Kate Price. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sara Cathey, Janet Chikofsky, Amy Kryston, Kimberly Maddox, Rebecca Ainis, Chloe Coletta, Kate Price below.

Sara Cathey, Janet Chikofsky, Amy Kryston, Kimberly Maddox, Rebecca Ainis, Chloe Coletta, Kate Price, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.

Switchback’s primary focus is serving communities that have been historically and actively marginalized in outdoor spaces, be it due to limited resources, discrimination, stigma, or lack of community. Our vision is rooted in liberation: the idea that everyone deserves the opportunity to be in nature on their own terms, regardless of income, status, or identity. Ourwork ensures access to the gear and knowledge required to recreate outdoors safely and comfortably, and access to a community that is inclusive and welcoming to people with all levels of outdoor experience. We intentionally engage with communities that are marginalized in the outdoor space, including women, people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, those with limited income, disabled persons, families with children, and all others who have been denied full and enjoyable access to the outdoors and recreation. We believe our mission is critical to the health and well-being of our community. The outdoors, access to nature and to recreational activities, is a necessity, not a luxury. That nature and access to the outdoors is beneficial to physical, mental, and emotional health is well-documented, but many communities are not provided the opportunity to fully receive those benefits. By ensuring free access to knowledge through our Camping 101 and similar workshops, and access to outdoor gear through our pay-what-you-can pop-up sales and sliding scale group rentals, we are working to make the outdoors closer and more accessible to everyone in the Triangle.

Sara Cathey, Janet Chikofsky, Amy Kryston, Kimberly Maddox, Rebecca Ainis, Chloe Coletta, Kate Price, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Switchback Gear Collective is a community-driven, women-led 501(c)3 non-profit organization committed to advancing equity in the outdoors. Our mission is to reduce barriers to outdoor activities by providing: access to low- to no-cost outdoor gear, opportunities to gain knowledge and skills in outdoor recreation and safety, and intentional community around sustainable outdoor recreation in the Triangle. We do this through our pay-what-you-can second-hand gear pop-up sales, sliding scale Group Gear Library, free outdoor education (e.g., Camping 101) workshops, and more. Switchback was founded when we realized there were very limited options to purchase gear, whether new or second-hand, which limited our ability to participate in some outdoor activities. What started first as collecting and selling second-hand gear has expanded into multiple programs, partnerships, and projects to get people outside.

One recent example that illustrates the tangible impact of our work involves a young woman who participated in one of our free Camping 101 workshops, held at a local library. Empowered by the knowledge and confidence she gained, she took the initiative to reserve a campsite we had recommended—marking her first-ever camping experience.

Recognizing a need for gear, she reached out to us shortly after the workshop. Although we did not have a scheduled pop-up gear sale at the time, our team met her at our storage facility to provide access to quality second-hand equipment at an affordable cost. Equipped and supported, she went on to enjoy a successful, restorative outdoor experience.

This story reflects how our programming not only reduces barriers to outdoor access—through education, resources, and personal support—but also builds self-reliance and fosters a sense of belonging in nature. It is a clear example of the outcomes we strive for: increased confidence, access, and joy in outdoor spaces for those historically and currently underrepresented.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Switchback is based first and foremost on trust: trust in our partners, trust in the community, and trust in ourselves. Starting this organization has taught us multiple valuable lessons, but none more so than the importance of remaining flexible while always maintaining our core values and vision. Switchback was always about outdoor equity and inclusion through the redistribution of outdoor gear, founded in the belief that everyone, everywhere deserves to safely enjoy the outdoors. But our original plan was simply to host second hand gear pop-ups (collecting donations and reselling at a “pay what you can model”). That quickly changed when we realized how much the community wanted this and recognized this as a need. We have since expanded to include free workshops, a free Gear Parts Shed (i.e., for tents poles, rain flies, and more), and a sliding scale Group Gear Library, all supported by dozens of local partners. Our offerings are far beyond what we imagined when we first began collecting gear in our co-founder’s basement. Our resilience is not illustrated in a single story, but rather in the unwavering commitment of our volunteer-based organization, surviving and thriving three years later. In that time, we have redistributed over one thousand gear items and outfitted hundreds of people to get outside.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

As a volunteer-run non-profit organization run by deeply committed individuals, we have had to learn and relearn how to set boundaries for ourselves, and ensure that our growth is sustainable. But we’ve also had to unlearn the idea that because we are a small and volunteer-run organization, we can’t run independent programs. For years, we searched for a partnering organization to co-own and -manage a Gear Library with us but, due to understandably limited capacity of other organizations, we struggled to find such a partner. Finally, we decided to create our own: a Group Gear Library for organized groups and organizations that want to get their members outside. It’s a small first step toward making gear more accessible, and we are excited to continue growing the library and other programs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://switchbackgear.org
• Instagram: @switchbackgearcollective
• Facebook: Switchback Gear Collective

Image Credits

Pictures taken by Switchback Gear Collective.