{"id":35684,"date":"2024-07-19T12:10:51","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T15:10:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geartips.club\/blog\/kampa-how-an-experience-in-nepal-inspired-alexandre-palmieri-to-develop-camping-hammocks\/"},"modified":"2024-07-19T12:10:51","modified_gmt":"2024-07-19T15:10:51","slug":"kampa-how-an-experience-in-nepal-inspired-alexandre-palmieri-to-develop-camping-hammocks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geartips.club\/blog\/en\/kampa-how-an-experience-in-nepal-inspired-alexandre-palmieri-to-develop-camping-hammocks\/","title":{"rendered":"KAMPA: how an experience in Nepal inspired Alexandre Palmieri to develop camping hammocks"},"content":{"rendered":"

KAMPA<\/a>, a national company in the market since 2002, produces hammocks and accessories that accompany nature lovers on their trails, in the countryside, on the beach, and in bike touring and mountaineering activities. Made of polyamide (nylon), a breathable and quick-drying fabric, their hammocks are characterized by their ease of transport: they weigh less than 500 g and support over 150 kg.<\/p>\n

Connection S\u00e3o Paulo, Nepal, Fortaleza, Itamonte<\/h2>\n

Alexandre Palmieri has two great passions: traveling and sharing stories with people. From this combination, his desire to become an entrepreneur was born. Living in his \u201cfarm office\u201d in the rural area of Itamonte, Minas Gerais, alongside Samba, the horse he adopted, and with a view of the Parque do Papagaio, he runs KAMPA<\/a>, which gives him non-negotiable values: flexibility and the opportunity to be in nature. <\/p>\n

\"Rede <\/p>\n

Born in Piracicaba (SP), Palmieri \u2014 as he is known in the outdoor market \u2014 initially planned to graduate in business administration and become a financially successful executive. One semester before finishing college, he traveled to Australia to improve his English. There, he met a backpacker who sparked his desire \u2014 and courage \u2014 to venture through Nepal. He set out on an expedition through Asia carrying a hammock made by the Cearense (from Cear\u00e1, a state in the Northeast of Brazil) grandmother of a friend, Dona Isolda, which caught the attention of travelers from around the world.<\/p>\n

During the trip, Alexandre encountered an extremely poor but happy population, which led him to a radical shift in values. Connected with an essence he had just discovered, Palmieri returned to Brazil a year later determined to work with something related to travel. With the hammock in mind, his mentor became none other than Dona Isolda herself. At the age of 80, she taught Alexandre how to handcraft hammocks one summer afternoon in 2002, in Fortaleza.<\/p>\n

\"Dona
\nDona Isolda<\/span> <\/p>\n

Social and environmental responsibility and conscious consumption at Kampa<\/h2>\n

Following tradition, Alexandre chose to work with domestic raw materials, reducing the environmental impacts caused by imported transport, and with local labor, contributing to reducing social inequality. At his side since the beginning of this journey is the seamstress from Piracicaba, Nic\u00e9ia. <\/p>\n

Together, they make hammocks designed for a long life and with no leftover materials, which prevents waste and directly impacts the saving of water and energy used in production. \u201cThe hammocks are durable. That vicious circle of producing more to sell more is not for KAMPA,\u201d Palmieri says.<\/p>\n

According to Alexandre, some customers bought their hammocks in 2004 and have never had any problems. Defects during the company\u2019s three-month warranty period are also rare. When hammocks reach the end of their lifecycle, the company facilitates disposal through the KAMPA Recycling Program<\/strong>: customers send in their used hammocks and receive a discount on a new one. The material that would otherwise go to the landfill is given to an artisan who makes cushions.<\/p>\n

Members of Gear Tips Club on the Basic and Premium plans have special discounts on Kampa products \u2014 check it out!<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n

  <\/p>\n

Environmental awareness is also present in the brand\u2019s packaging, which is made of kraft paper, with no plastic and reused cardboard boxes. \u201cIf companies adopted small actions like this, they wouldn\u2019t stop being profitable and would take a big step toward changing the world. Even if it costs a bit more, I\u2019ll do it. I believe that if we want change, we must start at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Embalagem <\/p>\n

What do you do for the world?<\/h2>\n
“I listen to a podcast in which the interviewer talks to companies that have grown a lot, and she never asks a question I wish executives would answer: what do you do for the world?<\/strong>“<\/div>\n

  <\/p>\n

KAMPA was designed to be a lean yet profitable company, allowing Alexandre to live in the moment, connected with nature: “I don\u2019t want to have a bank account full of money and no time.<\/strong>” For that reason, Alexandre may never be interviewed on that podcast, but his life story and entrepreneurial journey add greater value to his company: the power to inspire and transform lives \u2014 something he is already doing.<\/p>\n

Educating to preserve<\/h3>\n

In addition to supporting, for over 10 years, NGOs such as Outward Bound<\/a> and Expedicion\u00e1rios da Sa\u00fade<\/a>, KAMPA also takes part in social and environmental projects in Itamonte, such as a free course on minimum-impact techniques, in partnership with Milla Expedi\u00e7\u00f5es<\/a>, a local trekking and hiking guide and outdoor educator. <\/p>\n

The first class included ten influencers who reached more than 150,000 people by sharing what they learned on social media. Their \u201ccurrency of exchange\u201d was the commitment to give free lectures and workshops after becoming instructors. For 2024, the idea is to bring together five park managers and five mountain guides to share their views on practicing minimum-impact techniques during a two-day mountain camp, combining hands-on training and discussions on the effectiveness of the practices.<\/p>\n

“We believe that environmental education cannot be treated as a commodity. If we want to preserve natural environments for future generations, we have a duty to educate.”<\/strong><\/div>\n

  <\/p>\n

Alexandre and Milla\u2019s goal is to attract support from companies as a way for them to give back to society for everything nature provides to their businesses. After all, if natural areas and parks cease to exist, there will be no reason for people to buy backpacks and outdoor equipment. \u201cThe course booklet includes a phrase that guides me: \u2018the incentive to preserve natural areas comes 90% from education and only 10% from laws and regulations.\u2019 Milla and I are small, but we believe this grassroots work can reach big companies,\u201d says Alexandre, who purchased a 13-hectare property in Itamonte to dedicate to agroforestry \u2014 another legacy he leaves for the region.<\/p>\n

\"Rede <\/p>\n

Creating opportunities for future generations<\/h3>\n

Palmieri and Milla are also collaborating on an emerging social project aimed at local youth: a guide-training school designed to encourage them to remain in their hometowns with their families after finishing school. The goal is to train them to lead rural and mountain tourism. \u201cYoung people graduating in Itamonte have no professional prospects. They no longer want to work in the fields and help their parents milk cows \u2014 it\u2019s a tough routine. So, they either leave or stay behind without a future. On the other hand, outside guides come, take advantage of our natural beauty, and exploit the region without giving anything back to the town.\u201d <\/p>\n

Alexandre says he has already given two talks at the local state school to tell the story of KAMPA and inspire young people to follow their dreams. \u201cAfter showing the 22 countries I backpacked through, I show a picture of our region and say: \u2018I traveled to all these places, and this was one of the most beautiful. Do you know where it is?\u2019 No one knows! I do this to make them value the region they live in \u2014 it\u2019s beautiful, and they need to know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collective reward<\/h2>\n
“Feeling the wind and the scents from the hammock is priceless. Waking up in the middle of the night to see the Milky Way, or watching the sunrise without even moving, and thinking \u2018am I dreaming or awake?\u2019 is gratifying. For me, the hammock is an evolution of the tent.”<\/div>\n

  <\/p>\n

KAMPA grew through word of mouth among outdoor guides, travelers, and retailers. Soon, its hammocks became a reference in the outdoor market. \u201cMy greatest joy was always visiting stores and chatting with the salespeople \u2014 who are often the owners themselves \u2014 about my trips, testing products with them, and building friendships. I got to know their families; we even traveled together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alexandre didn\u2019t accumulate wealth, but he carries a backpack full of stories. Among them, one he remembers with pride and emotion took place during a crossing of the Serra do Papagaio. \u201cI was with a group, and we stopped at the park headquarters to talk to the manager. He said: \u2018You, who like camping, are going to love this.\u2019 He pulled out a KAMPA hammock and asked me to lie down. He had no idea I was the brand\u2019s creator and still praised the hammock as if it were his own, pointing out its qualities. When I finally told him who I was, he hugged me and thanked me,\u201d Alexandre recalls. Since then, whenever he meets someone using his hammock, he asks \u2014 without introducing himself \u2014 what they think of the product.<\/p>\n

“People always show pride in my creation. Nothing is worth more than that: building a culture that others recognize and value. By staying anonymous during these conversations, I can see how we, as brand owners, can influence people \u2014 for better or worse.”<\/div>\n

  <\/p>\n

\"Rede <\/p>\n

Competing with e-commerce services that sell products from the other side of the world \u2014 often with free shipping \u2014 is the greatest challenge not only for KAMPA but also for other national outdoor brands. \u201cGiven this reality, I\u2019m thinking of new ways to minimize impact without changing my essence or falling into the hands of big corporations. I don\u2019t want to compete with products coming from Asia,\u201d concludes Alexandre Palmieri.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you want to learn more about minimum-impact techniques courses, check out the Programa Capacitar by Gear Tips<\/a>, the only Brazilian partner of the NGO Leave no Trace.<\/strong><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KAMPA, a national company in the market since 2002, produces hammocks and accessories that accompany nature lovers on their trails, in the countryside, on the beach, and in bike touring and mountaineering activities. Made of polyamide (nylon), a breathable and quick-drying fabric, their hammocks are characterized by their ease of transport: they weigh less than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3586,"featured_media":30182,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1505,1377],"tags":[1513,1421,1514,1378],"class_list":["post-35684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","category-sustainability","tag-interviews","tag-kampa-en","tag-outdoor-brands","tag-sustainability"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/geartips.club\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/geartips.club\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/geartips.club\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geartips.club\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3586"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geartips.club\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35684"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/geartips.club\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35684\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geartips.club\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/geartips.club\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geartips.club\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geartips.club\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}