I’ve never made any secret about the fact that I’m a big fan of Vedavoo – the small company from Leominster, MA that makes great gear for fly anglers – and lots of other outdoor enthusiasts. If you see me on the river, chances are I’m going to be wearing one of their sling packs. It’s been with me for years and it’s seen hard use. It’s dirty and worn, but it holds just the right amount of stuff. Every seam is still intact and every zipper still works. I can’t give it up. Their slogan – “Simply Better Gear” – is just the straight up truth.
I love the gear, and it’s worthy of that love. But it’s also about the company itself. They get stuff done. That’s a reflection of the boss at Vedavoo – Scott Hunter. In the interest of full disclosure, let me say right up front that he’s a Wyoming guy like me. And that’s important. Because he came up fishing and camping and hiking in some of the best country and on some of the best water in America. And he learned some things along the way. One of those things was that some packs are not necessarily made for fishing. Scott knew what a fishing pack should look like and feel like.
So he did what we do in Wyoming. He went to work. In his garage in Massachusetts, with a classic sail-making sewing machine that he bought on Craiglist, he began designing and making packs. The goal was elegant in its simplicity: Make packs that were more comfortable, more versatile and easier to use in the field. And make them right here in the USA. Vedavoo was born in 2009. Fast forward more than a decade, out of the garage and into the New England workshop where local craftsmen hand-build each of their products using the best materials (American and reclaimed wherever possible) for quality you can count on. That can-do spirit permeates their culture.
When our proposal to remove four dams on the Lower Snake River in eastern Washington came along, I knew he would be in 100 percent. I was right. Here’s what he said: “Our lives are full of problems that have no clear answers. Often, the simple solution is hard to find, and the black and white is hidden somewhere in all the gray areas. This isn’t one of those situations. If we want to have wild salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River Basin, the Snake River is the place. These fish are now at only 1 to 2 percent of their historic populations. Why? Dams. Vedavoo is proud to stand with our partners at Trout Unlimited in support of the proposal to Remove the Lower Four.”
We appreciate the vote of confidence from this great company. We’re proud to stand with Vedavoo to support this epic conservation move.