Campo is dedicated to providing urbanites with better access to nature. Through community-building, guided adventures, and gear rental, we facilitate outdoor excursions within striking distance of big cities.

I co-founded Campo in the winter of 2017 to help improve access between city and nature. Here, I took lead in all things design, from digital to IRL. This included everything from UX, web, social media, and hospitality design. Along with my co-founder, we created a community of over 2,500 outdoorsy New Yorkers and personally led over 200 people on camping and hiking excursions this summer.

Role | Co-founder, Head of Design

Team | Jaap Vergote

Scope | Concept, social media, web, hospitality, prototyping, marketing, communication (e-mail), guiding, partnerships

The Story

From Cityscape to Landscape

In 2016, my partner and I made a pact to introduce balance back into our busy lifestyles. The goal was simple enough - to leave the city once a week to spend time in nature. Quickly, these weekly adventures grew from walks in the park to midnight kayaking. It wasn’t long before we became the outdoor experts, leading our friends on microadventures around the city.

The Challenge

Improving Access to Nature

It was soon apparent we were spending more time planning activities than doing them. The best adventures required experience, equipment, and a car - none of which we had. We spent hours collecting odd pieces of gear from friends-of-friends houses, borrowing cars from God Mothers, and calling up mom and pop businesses with little more than a url for a website. After a particularly long planning spree, we dreamt of a way to go from city to nature that wouldn’t require hours of planning, gear, or a car. And so, Campo was born.

The Solution

Community, Education, and Gear

We began Campo by building up a community of outdoor enthusiasts through our Instagram account. Here, we shared actionable information about our favorite spots to hike and adventure within a few hours on NYC. All posts include location, directions, description, and gear needed.

The Experiment

The Pop-Up Adventure Camp

In the summer of 2018, we scouted, built, and launched our Pop-Up Campsite project in the Catskills. Here, we provided the tents, camping gear, and local info needed to camp and adventure. In just 10 weeks, we welcomed over 200 New Yorkers to BaseCampo Catskills.

But first, does anyone want to come?

Personalized Guidance

We partnered with local adventurers and teachers to lead outdoor excursions, such as kayaking trips, guided hikes, and nature yoga. Pairing up locals with city people provided hands-on guidance for urbanites who were weary of the outdoors and visibility to local small businesses.

Up Next

Your Personal Guide to the Outdoors

For two months, we spent every night chatting with campers around the campfire. We learned about their biggest fears, frustrations, and pain points as “Outdoorsy New Yorkers.”

Based on our learnings, we’re building a curated online resource for outdoor activities around the city. Think of it as The Infatuation for NY Outdoors.