On saying goodbye to an outdoor gear affiliate program
I will continue to gleefully rep this brand I love! But I do not need more stuff, free or not.
Last summer Stio’s marketing team invited me to their affiliate program. I was psyched. I knew their gear was quality thanks to a few friends out west—and I was honored to be seen as a voice in the “outdoor” community after so many years boxing myself into “just dog” stuff online.
My excitement was well placed. Sean and I received our first Stio pieces in July and proceeded to wear them almost every day. In the fall we were welcomed back to the program—this time I added the coziest fleece and joggers to the mix—and come winter I snagged another sweatshirt, a duplicate pair of those aforementioned joggers, and a bright beanie I am wearing as I type this.
(Actually, I am wearing almost entirely Stio as I type this. Socks. Sneakers. Yellow patterned fleece. Joggers.)
Obviously we love the brand.
This spring I’m an official Stio affiliate once again. Sean and I each got a pair of shorts that will be perfect for summer in New England, and I ordered yet another shirt from the Hylas line (with which I am obsessed for keeping my tattoos safe from sun damage).
But I don’t want more gear after this season.
Or maybe I do want it—there is something forever satisfying about opening a fresh package, especially full of items you know you’ll enjoy—but I don’t need it.
And I think not needing more is a testament to how great the clothes actually are.
One of the best things about our favorite Stio pieces: They’re holding up to lots of wear. Living in a van means we don’t have much closet space, so the clothes we keep need to be functional. If something doesn’t serve multiple purposes? It doesn’t make the cut. My standards for material belongings have never been higher.
Right now, four out of my ten pairs of pants/shorts are from Stio. Three out of my five sweatshirts, too. One out of two pairs of sneaks. One out of two beanies. My only pair of gloves. My favorite running shirt. All in all, about half my wardrobe boasts Stio’s whitebark pinecone logo—it’s a similar ratio for Sean—and when asked about my favorite outdoor wear I will quickly point to their lightweight UPF protection and almost-too-soft turpin fleeces and brightly colored shorts. (Even when not asked, I will still mention them regularly.)
I just don’t need them to send me new stuff because I already have plenty of stuff. Hell, even with my increasing lean towards minimalism, I have too much. Continuing to acquire clothes (even if they are lovely clothes) does not align with my value of trying to consume as little as possible.
This decision to opt out of an affiliate gifting program is particularly exciting for me because earlier in my “influencing” days I felt like I couldn’t say no to free things. I mean, gifts were cool! They made me feel vaguely important! And it also felt harmless—I could donate what I didn’t actually use, and the stakes were low as long as I didn’t enter into some wild contract that demanded a bunch of labor in exchange for product (terms I learned to avoid after my first clumsy experiences).
But even just sharing new thing after new thing on quick story slides can perpetuate a culture of consumption. And if I say yes to every free product… how can people know what I truly do and don’t like?
Maybe part of me is jealous that I’ve never understood how to authentically, comfortably make more income on Instagram. Part of me is also happy about that though, especially as I step back from social media (and don’t have to worry about missing monetization opportunities like I would if we’d come to rely on them). I cheer for my friends who rock the “influencer” space in a way that feels honest. I cringe from accounts that post a seemingly constant stream of new new new—of waste waste waste.
If you are looking for some outdoor gear? Please still use my affiliate link and discount code (pawsandreflect). Goodness knows I will still live in Stio clothes! But please don’t let anyone make you feel pressured to buy new things just because they have new things.
While we’re here, my favorite Stio pieces I wear often:
Turpin fleece crewneck and mockneck
Hylas line with 50+ UPF protection
Glide tech joggers
CFS board shorts
CFS slip-on shoes
Aiko beanie
Seeker gloves