Bold Betties Outfitters: Women’s Gear Rental

November 24th, 2014 • BY Hilary Oliver

Trying a new sport is thrilling—and empowering. But it can also be intimidating, especially when you don’t know what gear you’ll need to start with, or how much you should pay to try out a sport you’re not sure you’ll fall in love with. That’s one reason Niki Koubourlis recently launched Bold Betties Outfitters—an outdoor gear rental outlet online, just for women.

After leaving behind the security of an 80-hour-a-week job to find a life with more adventure and purpose in Colorado, Niki found support and inspiration among the women in her outdoor Meetup group. They focused on getting out and trying new things, without the pressure to be super hardcore—or the fear of getting dirty or breaking a nail.

From that group sprung the idea for a gear rental outlet where women could shop without any commitment, so they can try new sports without investing an arm and a leg in it. She hopes it will take away one more barrier between women and experiencing the outdoors.

We chatted with Niki to find out how she turned her love of adventure into a gear rental business idea—and picked her brain for her ultimate backpacking gear list.

WomensMovement.com: When did you first get the bug for the outdoors?

Niki: I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and, as a child, attended a summer camp called Adventure Bound in Moscow, Idaho. This was where I was first exposed to activities like rock climbing, ropes courses, shelter-building, zip-lining, canoeing, and hiking. But I wouldn’t say I caught the bug then.

In high school and college I didn’t do much, if any, outdoor activity. I was preoccupied with work, school, sports and—what else—boys! After college, I became consumed with my career. Even while living in Seattle, I only made it to Mount Rainier once and have not been to Olympic National Park yet.

It was during grad school in Chicago that I started to realize how special the landscape in the Pacific Northwest was. After grad school, I moved to Abu Dhabi and it was even worse. Living in the desert, working 14 to 18 hours a day, I found myself craving the outdoors and the beautiful landscapes of my youth.

In 2013, I was working in Santiago, and the company I was working for wanted to open a U.S. office in Denver. So, in January 2013, I started coming to Denver to do just that. I remember not being very excited about Denver as a location, but when I got here, I quickly fell in love with Colorado. The company ultimately decided to put the U.S. office in Miami, but I decided to move to Colorado full time and take the rest of 2013 off.

I spent the next seven months exploring Colorado and reconnecting with old interests and friends. I hiked, camped, skied and I couldn’t get enough. Now I can’t imagine living anywhere else—and have no plans to.

WM: What’s your favorite outdoor adventure now?

Niki: It’s hard for me to choose a favorite because I like to enjoy a variety of outdoor adventures, and I haven’t tried them all yet. But I would count rock climbing, camping, skiing and hiking among my favorites. And you can’t beat having an outdoor adventure in a foreign land. Last year I got to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and that was an incredible experience. I’m now planning to do Kilimanjaro next year, Patagonia, and my ultimate dream is to go to Antarctica.

WM: How has your life changed or been enriched by the outdoors?

Niki: I find it easiest to be present and live in the moment when I’m outdoors. I’m able to think more clearly and I rely on nature now to help me make big decisions and sort through things. But more than that, being outdoors has given me a great deal of confidence.

When I was younger, I would never have dreamed of going camping, hiking, skiing, backpacking, climbing, etc. without a male present and certainly not solo. But during that time off from work, I spent a lot of time outdoors solo and learned to rely on myself, learned that I’m capable and that a male influence is not necessary. Now nine times out of 10 I’m either solo or with girlfriends, and I feel very self-sufficient. It’s quite empowering.

WM: What are some of the biggest barriers to women getting out more?

Niki: The biggest barriers to women getting out more are cost, intimidation, not having the right people to get out with, and logistics. I learned this first-hand through my Meetup group.

WM: How does Bold Betties Outfitters fit in with that? And, how were you first inspired to launch a gear rental company?

Niki: Bold Betties Outfitters and the Bold Betties community were designed specifically to address those four hurdles.

1. We’re addressing the cost by providing rental apparel and gear so you don’t have to make the typical costly investment.

2. We are addressing the intimidation by creating content designed to show that average women like myself are fully capable of doing these things and that there is joy to be had in doing so regardless of whether you are actually any good at them. I’m not a gear head or a hardcore enthusiast, and neither are most women. So we speak the same language and have different needs and concerns when getting outside and trying new things.

3. We have created a community of like-minded women locally to get outside with: our Meetup group, Bold Betties. My long-term vision is to license Bold Betties Meetup groups throughout the United States. In the meantime, however, we’re working on building a community forum and social network on the website where women can search for activity and or travel partners in their area.

4. And the logistics are certainly addressed through the Meetup group for women here in the Denver Metro Area. But we’ll be going further with the content on the website as we build. There are packing lists, and soon you’ll be able to shop by a bundle, so it will be easy to find exactly what you need for any adventure without needing to know yourself. As we grow, we’ll also have approved itineraries, operators and guide agencies to recommend.

WM: What kind of response has Bold Betties had so far?

Niki: The Meetup group has been a huge hit. Within the first week we had 150 members. We have been active for five months now and are at 483 members. We range in age from 18 to 67, and come from a variety of backgrounds, but when we get together you don’t feel any differences and everyone is very supportive, patient, interesting and BOLD!

The website has also had a great response in the short time since our beta launch. It’s really cool to have complete strangers reach out and tell me how much they love the idea, how they can’t wait to use the product, how they would love to partner with us in some way or have their product on our website, etc.  You really can’t find a better community of people than those that share this passion.

WM: What advice do you have for someone who’s kind of new to the outdoors, and might feel a little intimidated?

Niki: Well, first I would tell them to join the Bold Betties Meetup group and come along with us. It’s the least intimidating environment imaginable and more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

I think a natural inclination is to find someone who is an avid outdoorsperson to try to learn from. I would advise a beginner to steer clear of the experts and hardcore enthusiasts. Not because they aren’t awesome people, but because you need someone more on your level, someone who can relate and someone who you can fumble in front of.

In the past, when I’ve been introduced to an outdoor activity by a boyfriend or male friend, I typically did not enjoy myself and did not continue to pursue that activity because I felt like a slow learner. I felt uncoordinated and incapable because I wasn’t able to operate at their level on my first day out. Crazy, right?!

Instead, find a friend you’re comfortable with who is also interested in trying something new or perhaps just a step or two ahead of you. And, depending on the activity, find a guide who has beginner programming.

And finally, I welcome any beginners to contact me. I don’t claim to know everything and I’m definitely not an outdoors expert, but I’d be happy to share my experiences, recommend a guide or help them figure out the appropriate clothing and gear.

WM: And…what are your top 10 items for a backpacking gear list?

Niki: I’m not an expert by any means, so when I go backpacking I very much rely on the advice of other experts in terms of carrying the 10 essentials and ultralight, necessary items only.

But I can tell you what I will add that the experts do not tell you:

1)    Face and body wipes.

2)    If you can’t go without makeup or are concerned about the pictures that will inevitably get posted on social media, take the tools that will give you the most bang for your buck. I take an eyelash curler, mascara, and eyebrow pencil.

3)    Plan your hair strategy in advance. Odds are you won’t be washing your hair, so I recommend styling your hair in a way that keeps it out of your face and looking good for as long as possible. My favorites are braids and bandanas. A French braid is perfect. You won’t even know how gross or dirty your hair is until you take it out to wash it once you are off the trail!

4)    For the love of Diane von Furstenberg, get a pack made for a woman! Don’t even try to use a man’s pack. Set yourself up for as much comfort as is possible in a situation like this.

5)    This may be controversial, especially for the purists, but I don’t go anywhere without music. I like being able to chose the soundtrack for my experiences and music can really enhance the experience for me. I remember hiking into Machu Picchu at sunrise listening to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. It was epic and perfect. But also, I rely on my music when hiking 14ers to drown out the sound of my huffing and puffing and take me to my happy place. Putting your device on airplane mode helps the battery last longer.

6)    Wine. Yes, I carry wine with me on most any adventure. It might as well be the 11^th essential. Get some in a bag or get a wine canteen.

7)    Resealable plastic bags are a god-send. I have Ziploc bags in all sizes. I bring one for dirty underwear, for used feminine products, for anything that gets wet, etc.

8)    Kick-ass rain gear. I have a gorgeous and extremely functional, high-performance rain shell by Arc’teryx. It looks great, is lightweight and keeps me totally dry. You won’t find a sexy pair of rain pants so don’t even bother. I have a pair from REI that only set me back $60, and they perform very well. Learn the difference between water-resistant and waterproof and make sure to pack the waterproof variety if there’s any chance you might be encountering precipitation.

9)    Food you’ll actually want to eat. Dehydrated food doesn’t have to be disgusting. At Outdoor Retailer last month, I had the pleasure of sampling Katadyn’s AlpineAire foods dehydrated products. Their guacamole was better than mine made fresh, and I liked their products so much that we will be carrying them—for purchase, not rent!—on the Bold Betties Outfitters website.

10) Lastly, don’t forget your sense of humor and relentless curiosity. There’s so much to learn and so much fun to be had if you have the right attitude!

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