Is Vancouver’s favourite outdoor brand implicated in war profiteering?
Theodore Abbott (he/him) // News Editor
Ren Zhang (they/them) // Illustrator
This piece was originally pitched with the simple title of “Don’t Buy Arc’teryx.” As a prominent Vancouver brand, with their head-quarter mere blocks away from Capilano University’s North Vancouver campus, the intent was to expose a side of Arc’teryx that most people are unaware of: Namely, Arc’teryx LEAF. Arc’teryx LEAF is a dedicated branch of the company that manufactures clothing for Law Enforcement and Armed Forces, hence the acronym LEAF.
Over the past several years, LEAF, which was recently rebranded as “Arc’teryx Pro,” has emerged as a leader in the military clothing industry. And, as it turns out, this industry is a relatively crowded field.
When I first stumbled upon the LEAF website a few years ago, I thought I had discovered a unicorn; a branch of the company that was not only unique to Arc’teryx but also somewhat controversial and poorly hidden. I’ll admit, I took pleasure in telling people their latest Arc’teryx kit was made by a company that also puts their logo on tactical clothing manufactured for all sorts of shady outfits, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
However, a little more digging revealed to me how difficult it is to find an outdoor brand that doesn’t make military clothing, than it is to find one that does. Even Patagonia, which has worked hard to cultivate a progressive brand image, is responsible for the ‘Lost Arrow Project:’ a small branch of the larger company that has been making gear for American special forces since the 1990s.
Other big names like Mountain Hardware, The North Face and Outdoor Research have all—at one time or another—manufactured military clothing, thus implicating their brands in war profiteering.
Thankfully, a more ethical alternative exists. Founded by comedian Nathan Fielder, who was born and raised in Vancouver, Summit Ice Apparel is the only outdoor brand working to combat Holocaust denialism. In 2015, Fielder started Summit Ice in order to troll Taiga—another local Vancouver brand—after they commemorated the life of a known holocaust denier in their newsletter. At the brand’s launch event, folks could bring in their old Taiga jackets and trade them for a free Summit Ice jacket. Summit Ice is also a non-profit organization, with 100 per cent of their profits going to the Holocaust Education Centre in Vancouver.
If there’s any takeaway here, it’s that consumption under capitalism is broadly unethical, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t search for the more ethical option. When it comes to outdoor brands, there are some with less blood on their hands than others. For example, in addition to making military clothing, Patagonia also has a section of their website dedicated to supporting environmental activism. Arc’teryx, on the other hand, is frequently endorsed by their unofficial brand ambassador Drake. And, then, there’s Summit Ice Apparel, a brand that on their website states “In this new era we stand for everything™. Now that’s something nobody can deny.”