Who We Are
We're two brothers who grew up in a family where vacation almost always meant camping, and we did a lot of it throughout Washington, Oregon, California and other western states as we were growing up. It didn't involve motorcycles, but it was real, honest-to-god camping: heavy canvas tent, sleeping bags on the ground with no sleeping pads, cooking over a fire, fishing for breakfast, etc. In spite of all the shared camping experiences as we were growing up, the two of us took very different paths on our way to Full Throttle Camping.The Rider
"The Rider ", mid 80's
The Outdoorsman (as told by the Rider)
"The Outdoorsman" on left, May '76
In 1976, at ages 15 and 17, my two younger brothers rode bicycles coast to coast, by themselves, camping all the way. The youngest went on to immerse himself in the outdoors lifestyle - camping, hiking, climbing, snow-shoeing, Nordic skiing - and dedicating himself to the outdoor recreation industry, working for Seattle-based Outdoor Research and repping for some of the biggest names in the business. He has a wealth of knowledge about camping gear manufacturers and their products, connections throughout the industry, and extensive personal experience as an outdoorsman. If it has to do with high-quality tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads and the like, he knows about it. His expertise is what enables FTC to offer motorcycle riders only the finest camping equipment in the industry.
The Question
Outdoorsman: "Where do bikers get their camping gear?"Rider, shrugging: "Wherever. There's no special camping store for bikers."
Outdoorsman: "Let's change that."
The Result
FTC was launched at Sturgis in August, 2006. We chose that venue because it is a high-profile motorcycle event with a strong camping emphasis, and we wanted to make a point: Full Throttle Camping exists to outfit motorcycle riders with camping equipment. That is, motorcyclists aren't a sideline or an afterthought for FTC - they're our raison d’être; the reason we exist. From its inception, FTC has been "out there" where motorcycle riders gather and where motorcycle camping is going on. We try to make it to upwards of 20 motorcycle rallies a year in order to demonstrate the latest equipment, talk with riders one-on-one and stay thoroughly connected to the motorcycle camping world.Though FTC's focus was motorcycle riders who camp, a number of those very riders started urging us to consider bringing our "Pack Small, Camp Big" expertise to the private aviation community. It sounded crazy to us at first, but the more we listened the more it made sense: there's another motorsport out there with a strong camping subculture, the need to pack small and light and with no retailer specializing in its camping equipment needs. We realized that by adding fly-in airshows to our calendar we could meet a real need without altering our "Pack Small, Camp Big" focus. So in 2008, FTC is taking flight.
FTC isn't a mall with all the popular stuff, a discount store with all the cheap crap, or a frilly boutique with all the pricey wannabe gear. It's a serious camping supply store for motorcycle riders and pilots who want the best camping equipment available. Because FTC is a partnership between a rider who camps and an outdoorsman who's deep into the camping gear industry, we actually know both worlds and are uniquely qualified to find and offer the best, most rider-friendly camping equipment in the world.
From now on, the answer to "Where do riders - and pilots - get their camping gear?" is "Full Throttle Camping".
