Author: tshepherd

Meet the Family: Outdoor Research is at Shepherd & Schaller in Wausau

At Shepherd & Schaller we’re all about family.  The people and companies we partner with are our friends and family as we work to support you and yours.

Meet the Family: Outdoor Research, where they think that life gets better the minute you step out the door on a new adventure, no matter how big or small. We learn about ourselves, each other and the environment every time we get out. We come home a little wiser and stronger. We see the world more clearly, and that compels us to treat it better. More than anything, we’re convinced that if we inspire more people to get outside, the world will be a better place. 

@Outdoor Research Core Beliefs:

A Culture of Respect: We listen, value and empower each other and our fellow adventures while striving to protect the planet we live on. Innovation That Works: Make it better, not just new or different. Improve Every Day: Sweat the details and strive to be better in everything we do. Beauty in Function: Create differentiation through clean, simple solutions. The Power of the Journey: Through challenges we grow, and have fun along the way.

Visit Shepherd & Schaller in downtown Wausau’s River District for OR’s famous dry sacks, compression bags and more. The perfect compliment to your paddling and camping kits.

 

https://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/about/our-story/

Our Partners Lead with Integrity. Meet the Family: Patagonia

We are so grateful to partner with the most inspiring people and companies. We’re going to highlight them each Wednesday this season so you can see why we chose them to compliment our mission to support you in your outdoor adventures while paying attention to the greater good. We think you’ll be inspired too, by their commitment to social and corporate responsibility, sustainability and so much more. We’re all in this together. Meet the Family:

Patagonia

They wrote the book.  Literally.  You can even buy the book from Patagonia, the most well know outdoor activist company in the industry.  From Fair Trade Certification, to environmental preservation to Environmental Responsibility and transparency, Patagonia coined the terms we all look for as businesses and consumers.

Their tagline is the test for their every decision: Build the best product,
cause no unnecessary harm,
use business to inspire and
implement solutions to the
environmental crisis.

 

 

Our Partners Lead with Integrity. Meet the Family: Toad & Co

We are so grateful to partner with the most inspiring people and companies. We’re going to highlight them each Wednesday this season so you can see why we chose them to compliment our mission to support you in your outdoor adventures while paying attention to the greater good. We think you’ll be inspired too, by their commitment to social and corporate responsibility, sustainability and so much more. We’re all in this together. Meet the Family:

@Toad&Co
Their Mission: To lead with integrity and weave optimism
into everything they do; To create meaningful change
through socially and environmentally smart business; To
inspire people to live their fullest lives.

Formerly known as “Horny Toad” brand, they are known for organic cotton styles, a cool travel collection and their new Trail to Tavern collection. You buy they give. Click to learn more then visit us in downtown Wausau to shop their awesome clothing for men and women.

Toad’s tagline is “Keep Good Company.”  It’s fitting on so many levels.  Visit their site to learn and be inspired.  Find out why they are Good Citizens, how they Design for Good, create Access for All, their commitment to Corporate Responsibility, Design Philosophy, eCo Fabrics and Fibers and much more.

Live Aloha in the Badger State. Olukai is at Shepherd & Schaller!

What does it mean to live “Aloha” and can you live it in the heartland?

Our search for products that accent and support your outdoor lifestyle leads us to the most amazing companies.  Brands that begin with integrity and end with generosity, tried and true midwest values.  This season our search lead us to beloved OluKai footwear, whose premium sandals and shoes compliment the sense of adventure we have here in Wausau, Wisconsin, thousands of miles from the ocean.  And so we say Yes! You can live Aloha here, and everywhere.

Our friends at OluKai explain it all:

The Aloha Spirit

While you are on the Hawaiian islands you may hear references to the “Aloha Spirit”.  This is one of the largest signs that Aloha means much more than hello/goodbye.  The Aloha spirit is what we strive for in life, and is a good guideline for treating people around you with love and compassion.

Hawaiians say the best part of Aloha is that the more you express your love and compassion for yourself and those around you, the more it comes back to you.  That is why it has become such a part of everyday language in Hawaii.  That is why people say it when greeting or saying goodbye – they want to perpetuate the feeling so that the Aloha Spirit continues throughout the day.

So we encourage you to make Aloha part of your vocabulary, but please do it knowing the true meaning, so that you can say it with significance and sincerity.

With that, we will say “Aloha” to you and your Ohana!

  • ROOTS

    We view our approach today as part of a path; a journey that started with our ancestors that have passed down stories, values, and spirit. We believe that sustainability and positive living is less about an ethos and more about the choices that you make everyday. It’s about your actions, and inspiring the actions of others.

  • b-corporation

    Certified B-Corporation
    OluKai heritage of good works stems from Hawaii’s cultural value system. Since inception we have consciously guided our business practices with the ideas of:

    Malama – by giving back to our community we support a collective effort greater than our own.

    Island sustainability – those who live where resources are inherently limited naturally adopt practices that are efficient and sustainable.

    In an effort to formalize our business practices we became a Certified B-Corporation in January 2014. We work parallel with 1,000+ other Certified B-Corporations across 33 nations and 60 industries to revive social and environmental performance standards. With our drive, we plan to create change across our communities and economies.

    To become a Certified B-Corporation, we meet the higher standards of social and environmental performance and accountability. We’ve continued to increase our B-Corporation score with the implementation of new processes and procedures, as well as continuing to reinforce our current sustainable business practices.

    OluKai makes the most impact in the following areas:

    1. Community: We are assessed on our relationship with local communities, which includes community service and charitable giving, diversity, and relationships with our business partners.
    2. Environment: We are evaluated on our environmental performance through energy usage, facilities (including manufacturing), materials and other resources. In particular, our selection of only Gold Certified tanneries to source our leather products helps to ensure we minimize waste water, use of water based cements in manufacturing helps to reduce hazardous substances, and lastly building a quality product that lasts longer helps to minimize our manufacturing footprint.
    3. Workforce: We are measured on our organization’s relationship with its workforce, which includes company culture, compensation, employee benefits, training and work environment.

    For more information on B-Corporation, please visit: BCorporation.net
    OluKai’s B-Corporation Profile: BCorporation.net/Community/OluKai

    the-conservation-alliance

    The Conservation Alliance
    As a member of The Conservation Alliance, OluKai partners with others around a common purpose to protect wild places for their habitat and recreation values. We serve as a catalyst and direct our collective nature to seek out grassroots conservation plans.

    For more information on The Conservation Alliance, please visit: ConservationAlliance.com

  • ama-olukai

    Ama OluKai Foundation
    Founded in 2014, the Ama OluKai Foundation is a private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) located in the State of Hawai‘i. The Foundation partners with other committed and progressive organizations interested in the preservation of Hawaiian culture, and honors those who cultivate cultural heritage and the Aloha spirit of Hawai‘i.

    In correlation with other Hawaiian based organizations, The Foundation works to preserve land and ocean, serve our communities, and maintain the Hawaiian culture and traditions. This is conducted through targeted programs designed to explore ancestral past to present day. The Foundation provides encouragement to those who benefit from its partnerships to carry forward the spirit of giving for future generations.

    For more information on The Ama OluKai Foundation, please visit: AmaOluKaiFoundation.org

How to Care for Performance Outerwear

If you bought your outerwear at Shep’s and you’ve worn it around making great memories and looking awesome along the way, chances are it will be time for a wash at some point.

First rule: follow manufacturer’s printed instructions, usually located on a tag inside the garment. Or, visit their website for fabric and care information.  Any manufacturer’s warranty may be nullified if their instructions are not followed.

Second rule of thumb: unless it’s faux fur, don’t take it to a dry cleaner!  Their process and chemicals will ruin your waterproof/breathable garment. Happily, you can wash and maintain your performance outerwear easily  at home whenever you feel it’s time to be refreshed.  If it’s looking dirty or water is soaking through the shell fabric, then it’s a good time to launder it again.

Your performance outerwear has two lines of defense between you and the elements: the DWR finish on the face (outer) side of the fabric, and waterproof/breathable coatings or laminates on the inside of the fabric.  Waterproof/breathable coatings and laminates will last for the lifetime of your garment with proper care.  All such coatings have microscopic pores that are too small to allow liquid water to pass through, but large enough to let water vapor escape.  Dirt and grime can disrupt the waterproofing and breathability by clogging the pores, which lets water soak through and also prevents water vapor from escaping. Careful cleaning and drying will reopen these pores and restore the effectiveness of the coatings.

image: offpistemag.com/nikwax-dwr-treatment/

The DWR (durable water-resistant) finish is applied to the face side of the outerwear fabric, enabling it to resist exposure to ultraviolet light.  If you splash some water on the outside of your garment, the water should bead up and roll right off.  If it doesn’t, then try careful washing and drying to restore the DWR finish.  If careful cleaning does not restore the effectiveness of the DWR finish, you can reapply a DWR finish yourself.  We recommend Nikwax TX Direct, which can be sprayed on or washed in.

 

 

Here’s how to properly wash your performance outerwear to restore it’s appearance and function:

  •  DO NOT DRY CLEAN.  Check the care tag that is attached.
  • Unzip all the zippers and turn your garment inside-out.
  • Wash in COLD water, separately.
  • DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTENERS OR BLEACH.  Fabric softeners will clog the pores of the garment.  Bleach will ruin it.
  • Use a non-detergent cleanser or very mild powder detergent.  We recommend Nikwax products.
  • Minimize soap usage.  Better few bubbles than many.
  • If you’re using a wash-in DWR restorer, add it to the wash cycle.
  • Use your machine’s GENTLE cycle, or hand wash.
  • Rinse throughly.  Even better, rinse twice.
  • Gently squeeze out most of the water.  DO NOT WRING.  Wringing the water from your garment can cause the waterproof/breathable coating to separate from the inside of the shell fabric.
  • Use a powdered non-detergent cleanser.  Liquid detergent can clog the pores in the waterproof-breathable coating.  If one is not available, use a very mild powdered detergent, and use it sparingly. Powdered detergents rinse more throughly than liquid detergents.  Gently rinse your garment, preferably twice.  If you must use a grocery-store brand, we recommend Dreft detergent, used sparingly.
  • LINE-DRY your garment until it is completely dry.  Do not hang it over a heat source, which can damage the fabric and the coatings.
  • If you want to restore DWR and did not a wash-in type, you may apply a spray-pn DWR restorer after washing.

We Offer Nikwax products alongside our great selection of premium outerwear.

Nikwax Tech Wash, a non-detergent cleanser for most outerwear

Nikwax Down Wash, a non-detergent cleanser for outerwear and mid layers insulated with down.

Nikwax TX Direct, Wash-in or Spray-on.