Setting Up Basecamp to Protect Your Outdoor Brand

Just like setting up basecamp requires a solid foundation and the right gear to handle unpredictable weather, success in the outdoor industry depends on building strong relationships and crafting durable contracts. Good relationships keep things steady, and smart contracting protects your brand when challenges come your way.

KO Law recently hosted a discussion at the campfire-themed Colorado Outdoor Industry Leadership Summit (COILS) on “Setting Up Basecamp: Building Strong Partnerships, Drafting Smart Contracts, and Protecting Your Brand.” The panel explored how outdoor brands can balance trust and legal protection to scale sustainably.

Featuring KO attorney Wes Lang, KO partner Chris Achatz, and KO client Halfdays’ chief of staff Liz Anthony, the conversation used the metaphor of a tent to explore how the right structure, support, and flexibility can help outdoor brands thrive.

1. Foundation: Building Durable Relationships with Suppliers & Strategic Partners

A tent is only as strong as its stakes and structure. The same goes for business relationships. Contracts matter, but without a strong partnership built through earned trust and clear communication, even the best business relationships can collapse under pressure.

Panelists discussed the importance of taking a relationship-first mindset, emphasizing that values-aligned investors, manufacturers, and partners create long-term strategic advantages. Initial agreements set the tone for collaboration and flexibility, and due diligence should go beyond numbers—looking at communication styles, ethical sourcing, and cultural alignment.

Liz shared how Halfdays’ growth has been shaped by choosing investors who share their vision and values, especially as the brand expands beyond direct-to-consumer into new sales channels, leveraging their investors’ and partners’ expertise to maximize Halfdays’ vision for sustainable growth.

“Contracts establish the guidelines of a relationship, not only restrictions,” said KO’s Wes Lang. “The best partners see them as frameworks for how both sides succeed together.”

2. Contracts: Protecting Your Brand Without Killing the Relationship

The best tents are built to bend without breaking: strong, flexible, and ready for any weather. Contracts should do the same. A good agreement protects your brand and sets clear expectations while supporting, not straining, the relationship.

The panel emphasized that strong relationships shouldn’t mean skipping strong contract terms. Key clauses like intellectual property ownership, exclusivity, brand-use restrictions, and volume minimums, among others, are essential to protect brand integrity and understand the scope of the partnership. At the same time, collaborative terms, such as rolling delivery windows, price adjustment mechanisms, or substitution clauses, can build resilience and maintain trust.

Liz discussed how Halfdays’ investors with wholesale experience helped shape and structure contractual commitments around margins, timelines, and sourcing obligations, creating alignment between brand vision and business realities.

“The process of negotiation can reveal values through tough conversations,” said KO’s Chris Achatz. “Let your lawyer fight the tough battles so that you can preserve strong relationships. The best contracts strengthen trust rather than diminish it.”

3. Scaling Smart: Partnerships, Collaborations, & Influencers

Like a tent’s rainfly, brand collaborations and influencer partnerships can expand a brand’s footprint, but if the seams aren’t secure, leaks happen. Outdoor brands increasingly rely on collaborations and influencer marketing, but these relationships bring unique risks and opportunities.

The panel explored how brands can balance creative freedom with brand protection in athlete, ambassador, and influencer agreements. Common topics included standard terms for collaboration pricing, exclusivity, paid-disclosure requirements, and content licensing, as well as morality clauses and termination rights to manage reputational risks.

Wes shared an example of a co-branded gear launch with a popular outdoor influencer that drove immediate visibility but, because of ambiguous profit-split and content rights terms, it ultimately created reputational challenges for the brand.

Balancing Trust and Terms

Just like a well-built tent, a successful business needs both structure and flexibility. Strong relationships provide the foundation, while thoughtfully drafted contracts offer protection. By building relationships with intention early, using contracts as flexible tools to reinforce trust, and safeguarding your brand and mission, especially in high-visibility collaborations, outdoor brands can navigate growth and complex partnerships with confidence.

Whether you’re scaling an outdoor brand, entering new markets, or navigating complex partnerships, the balance between trust and terms is what keeps your business standing strong, no matter the weather.