It’s Halloween this week. The skies are going gray. There’s candy and pumpkins everywhere. Last night all of our friends got together in ridiculous costumes and partied the night away. The dark night drizzled on us as we drank beers around Ryan’s miniature fire pit in North Seattle. Each arrival brought hugs and massive smiles, followed by the same question: “You excited for winter!?” I’m a fan of Halloween for the costumes and the excuse to hang out with everyone. But the best part? It’s almost winter. The anticipation is viscous.As the night swam on, plans were made, aspirations set and excitement stoked like an ember, buried under the heat of summer, finally glowing as thoughts drifted toward those cold, crystalline days.
I’ve been working on VASSR for about a year now. We’re deep into the process of product design and engineering. It’s a fledgling little company that’s all hope, dreams and an educated guess at the moment. The concept has been proven with an early prototype but it’s come time to make it real. The challenges are already tangible. All I can do is take it step by step, navigating this new perspective on an outdoor industry that has shaped my entire life. I’ve come at this part-time, next to a career in biotech. It’s a completely different world, but it also feels like home. Winter is my happy place. And allI want to do is bring a product to life that enhances the wonderland experience.
My name is Erik. And if you’ve made it this far, I want to say how much I appreciate you being here. Whether you’re new to winter, considering whether or not to brave the cold or an old friend of the flakes and ice, I see you and welcome you to explore whether VASSR might amp up your season. At the end of the day, the reason I decided to build this is simply because I want one.
The variety of experiences I’ve had in the Cascades is what brought me to try this out. I’ve been taking laps at Stevens and Crystal for over30 years. At one point the big peaks caught my attention. Specifically, my first experience climbing and skiing Mt. Hood. That was the first of countless trips to that summit and many others. To me there is nothing better than clicking into skis at the top of mountain. It was after one of these days, skiing the NWCouloir on Mt. Shuksan, that it dawned on me what I wanted to create for the outdoors. We climbed fast to stay warm. The descent was incredible. But after so much exertion, I ran out of water. Despite the known futility, I stuffed snow into my Nalgene, hoping that this time it would melt. It didn’t. In the car ride home, I sat there thinking about it, highway 542 winding into the woods, and VASSR was born.
Winter equipment has come so far. Skis and snowboards have been engineered and produced to the point that there is something for every combination of skill level, style, snow condition, geographic location, and artistic preference.The same goes for boots, clothing, backpacks, avalanche equipment, stoves, snowshoes, snowmobiles, helmets, goggles, you name it. Hell, even poles come in a variety of different options. In my mind, winter water systems are the only thing that have been overlooked – even though hydration is essential for peak performance and safety. It’s something many of us, myself included, often find frustrating.
Winter enthusiasts constantly try to shoehorn systems that work well in summer into their day trips. I’ve learned over the years that I need a lot of water to stay on top of my game. As I mentioned, one liter is never enough. I’ve packed bladders and have spent the entire day gnawing on the end of the hose trying to break up the ice, even with an insulating sheath. I’ve sat frozen on the side of a mountain, pissing off my partner, desperately trying to spark a lighter with numb fingers and wasting the day away as the brew ran its course. I’ve shoved multiple water bottles into my pack and busted the zipper as it pressed against the pile of conditional gear. Sometimes carrying it back to the car. And I’ve eaten snow like a zombie, marching away the miles on long spring tours.
The great irony of winter is that you’re surrounded by water, but without the right tool, you can’t use any of it. The goal of VASSR is to be a purposefully crafted water system for winter. It unlocks the frozen landscape and gives you the flexibility to always have the right amount of water. It simplifies the packing process. It will hopefully encourage you to drink more to stay hydrated and performing your best. If everything goes the way I envision it, the bottle will be a simple, efficient way to melt, purify and heat your snow on the move so that all of your potential water-related needs are addressed, no matter what your adventure.
We’ve got a way to go. It’s not a simple task to pack all of this into a water bottle that will be simple, reliable, balanced against weight, and built to withstand the elements. As I write this, we are working on the microbiological testing requirements to include a UV purification system.The engineering team at Facture (the product design firm I’m working with in Seattle) has put together the first snapshot of the system architecture. We just launched vassr.com. Please give it a visit and submit your email if you’d like to learn more and get an early discount! And follow social platforms @vassrbottle. I’d love to hear your feedback. Please reach out at vassrbottle@gmail.com with your questions or ideas. I’m building this for all of us who love winter or who think they might. I hope you’ll come on this journey with me and we can finally have a capable water system for the best season of the year.
Happy Halloween! And don’t forget to DRINK YOUR SNOW.
Erik
