Ryan Kibbee
I currently live in my native state of New Hampshire with my wife and two young daughters. Despite spending a number of my adult years away from the state, NH is where my heart is, and where my wife and I have happily returned to raise our family. A love for the outdoors was instilled in me from a very early age, where nearly all family vacations and outings evolved around backpacking, camping or paddling. My fondness of the wilderness has only grown over the years, and I now carry on these traditions with my own family. I continue to spend as much time outside as I can.
My day job is that of a leather worker and small business owner. Leather craft began as a hobby several years ago and has since transformed into Failsafe Goods LLC, a lifestyle brand that provides hard working and hard wearing wallets and daily carry essentials. I feel like I’ve finally found my calling; working with my hands and creating this business has given me a career path that is incredibly exciting. I’m able to blend these passions and create inspired gear not just for the general population, but for the outdoor community as well.
Tell us about one of your most memorable experiences outdoors.
One of my favorite outdoor experiences was hiking to the summit of Mt. Liamuiga in St. Kitts. Mt. Liamuiga is a semi-dormant volcano in the West Indies, topping out at just over 4K feet. The steep, craggy summit sits atop a cloud forest and overlooks a large crater, before giving way to 360 degree views of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. It was a truly wild experience to sit on that peak, and so very different from the mountains I'm used to back home.
You’re headed outdoors for the weekend but can only bring a rifle, an axe or a knife. Which one do you choose and why?
If I'm headed outdoors and can only bring a rifle, axe, or knife... I'm definitely bringing a knife. I've carried a knife for as long as I can remember and it is the tool I feel most naked without. With the right knife, used in conjunction with other found natural materials, I feel I can competently handle just about any outdoor task set before me.
What is something you learned that could only be learned while being in the great outdoors?
Something I've learned that can only be learned in the great outdoors... Would be self sufficiency and the ability to improvise. In the outdoors, one needs to be able to make do with the things they have on them, or things they find nearby. Away from civilization we have to work with limited provisions and be mindful of our supplies, we have to slow ourselves down and take extra care.
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