A few years ago I was fortunate enough to meet Stefan Clauss, the founder of Heimplanet. Both of us had a very similar ethos when it comes to what we are trying to achieve and the way we live. Needless to say, we hit it off immediately and I now work in an ambassador role for Heimplanet. It’s a great journey and we have built a strong friendship and working relationship based on those few early exchanges.
Heimplanet are embarking on an ambitious, yet genius project in the UK, that I was part of a few years ago. Here’s more about their story: Words & Pictures - Stefan Clauss.
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Heimplanet was founded by two German surfers at the end of a frustrating surf camping mission around Portugal. “We couldn’t believe how ugly and impractical most tents were and what a pain they were to put up each day” says founder Stefan Clauss, “so we designed our own.”
Four years later, the result is an award-winning brand that marries innovative design with an action sports sensibility, and looks set to shake up the outdoor market.
Can you explain the “Cave away” project?
A lot of people supported us during our project. We tried to come up with an idea to say thank you, that’s how the CaveAway idea was born. We decided to send our tent The Cave from one person to another and give them one weekend to experience the result of our project. At the same time it was also a great way to test the durability of our design; if 20 people who never used this tent before take it on a tour for a weekend you learn a lot about your own product through their feedback. We were very happy when it arrived back in our office after a whole summer on tour, still in perfect condition.
“Heimplanet is all about finding a new side to the great outdoors and celebrating the good times away from home” says Stefan Clauss. “We reckon the UK is ready to join the movement”
How can people get involved in the project?
It’s a simple concept: for 20 weeks between May and September, Heimplanet will lend one camper a week a Cave tent (above) so they can take it on a UK outdoor adventure.
To take part, head to the CaveawayUK site and tell us how you’ll spend your weekend with The Cave. We’ll pick twenty winners and send the same tent from winner to winner for twenty weeks. We’ll then share these stories with the world.
Click here to find some examples of the adventures from 2011: http://www.heimplanet.com/en/blog-review-of-cave-away-2011.html
And to get involved in this years giveaway see here: http://www.heimplanet.com/en/cave-away-2014.html#show