Fishing for the Right Raft
The Gearhead Connection: Vol. 2
When Joshua Repman—a Backcountry Gearhead—isn’t helping a customer get ready for a journey, he’s out on one of his own, climbing up a mountain or skiing down one. Between alpine excursions, Joshua backpacks, runs, and teaches yoga.
Joshua’s philosophy when it comes to connecting people with their outdoor passions? Give a client a fish and they’ll eat for a day; give them a raft and they’ll go to Alaska and catch more salmon than a salivating bear—at least that’s what Derek did.
When long-time Backcountry customer Derek wanted to update his gear arsenal for an upcoming Alaskan adventure, he called to connect with a Gearhead and reached Joshua. Derek was happy to have a “go-to” person to help him prep, and he put his new Gearhead right to work. Derek’s unique passions of wilderness survival and fishing required precision-perfect gear and apparel, and Joshua was just the guy.
“After a few phone calls and emails, I knew I had a friend at Backcountry that would help me with advice and assistance for all my outdoor adventure needs.” —Derek
Derek started off easy, asking a litany of questions relating to lightweight gear, rugged apparel, and fishing fables. Once the little things were out of the way, Derek really put Joshua to the test: finding him a raft to navigate the hard-to-reach rivers he planned to paddle. Unfortunately, Derek’s dream dinghy wasn’t available on our site, but that didn’t stop Joshua from finding one for him at another shop.
“It was so impressive to me that Josh cared so much about what I needed for my trip that he would suggest a product that I would have to purchase from a different retailer. That’s outstanding service!” —Derek
Since Derek’s (super successful) Alaska trip, he’s kept in touch with Joshua for whenever he needs more expert outdoor advice. Over the years, Joshua and Derek have become good friends, swapping stories and pictures of new adventures with each other.
“There has never been a moment while working with Derek where it felt less than two great friends getting together to share stories. I’m grateful our paths have crossed and always look forward to our conversations.” —Joshua
Your Turn
Wherever your next adventure might take you, we can help. From expert advice on gear to outfitting your trip in the right apparel, our Gearheads can assist in everything except getting you out there—that’s on you. Call 1-800-409-4502 or chat online for gear guidance, help with your order, or just to talk adventure.