The word Grindaholic denotes a philosophy, one that is embraced by those with a fervent desire to explore the great outdoors on their own terms, and sometimes with reckless abandon. A community has been formed from the philosophy, even if those within are not aware of the fact, and our mission is to grow this community one rugged step at a time. But Grindaholic is also a brand. And yes, we sell t-shirts.

T-shirts are a funny thing. They have come a long way from their functional Fruit-of-a-Loom status, something more than an article of clothing to wear under a sweater or on it’s own on a warm summer day. T-shirts are now a permanent pop culture phenomenon. They are a stamp that we wear to deliver a message to all who glance upon us, telling them who we are as an individual. They are often embroidered with logo, a design, and/or a witty quip that helps lead the witness to draw a conclusion about our personality and our allegiances. The message can be cultural, social, political, socio-political, and everything beyond and between.

Because of this, many of us put a puzzling (for those that don’t get it) amount of time into our ongoing search for t-shirts that send the right message, which is why you tapped “outdoor adventure t shirts” into your laptop or smartphone browser and arrived at this article. You clearly identify as an outdoorsy and adventurous person, and you want to wear this fact on your sleeve. It’s for you that the brand Grindaholic was created for, so it seems that you can conclude your search (for now, that is) right here. Allow us to expand.

4 Reasons Why Grindaholic is the New Outdoor Adventure T Shirt Brand for You

1. Locally Owned

Grindaholic is a locally owned t-shirt brand. While it certainly feels good (as a consumer) to show some support for a locally owned business, it’s OK to enjoy the selfish benefits too. That includes being able to rock a t-shirt that hoards of others don’t have. Not only does this separate you from the proverbial masses, it encourages interaction. How good does it feel when someone stops to ask you about your t-shirt, along with what it means and/or where you got it from? It’s pretty cool. And if you do happen to cross paths with someone else wearing the same relatively obscure brand, you can’t help but smile and connect for a quick convo about how they came upon the brand themselves. This just doesn’t happen when your tee says “Just Do It”, does it?

2. An Outdoor Brand Born in the Great Outdoors

Grindaholic was born in the great Pacific Northwest in North Vancouver BC, on the world famous Grouse Grind aka Mother Nature’s stair master. If you’re about to pledge an allegiance to a new outdoor t shirt brand, don’t you want it to come from and remain connected to an outdoor source, a place where the energy can be felt all around? Don’t worry, we’re not about to launch into bodhisattva chants here, but there’s no denying that being connected to nature is a big part of your life, and therefore it makes sense that what you wear should convey exactly that.

And even if you’ve never done the Grouse Grind or explored the mountains of Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Washington State, or anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, you’ll find that the spirit of the brand translates to your outdoor destination/s of choice, be they found on the sand dunes of Death Valley National Park or the vertical granite cliffs of Yellowstone.

3. There is Indeed a Community Behind It

In the intro we stated how the Grindaholic philosophy has formed a community, even if those within don’t know it. While there is some whimsy in that statement, there is a literal Grindaholic community that has formed and is continuing to form as we speak, a community that awaits you too.

Something so seemingly simple as a t-shirt brand has managed to bring an incredible group of likeminded people together. For example, on our recent trip to the quaint surf town of Puerto Escondido Mexico, a part-time local (and very adventurous) couple inquired about the brand (after seeing the t-shirt), learned about the philosophy, became friends of our crew, and offered to take part in a photo shoot (view here). Just like that, the Grindaholic community grew by two. And with a handful of t-shirts in their possession, they went off on their travels to explore the world, so don’t be surprised if you see a Grindaholic tee in some remote land on your own next overseas (etc.) trip.

But there’s more.

Grindaholic also holds weekly hiking groups in Greater Vancouver, with the intent to inspire others to do the same across the country and continent. In addition, we offer hiking tours, something which grows the community further, and we also partake in charitable events with an outdoor twist, such as the annual Seek the Peak.

The awesome thing about this community, is that we don’t dictate it. We encourage everyone to provide input about great new group hikes, outdoor adventure charity events, and how we can all work together to promote the lifestyle. If you’ve got some ideas, get in touch.

Long story short (too late to say that?), when you get a Grindaholic t-shirt, you’re buying into so much more than a cotton-poly blend.

4. It Makes a Simple Yet Effective Statement

While we do have some more graphically daring design ideas in the pipeline, our t-shirt brand will always be based on the simple yet to-the-dang-point name that came from our founder. Every shirt will always boast the portmanteau Grindaholic. It makes a clear statement. It says that you are addicted to the grind of outdoor adventure, that your path is a relentless one that cannot be deterred no matter what the natural (and sometimes manmade) elements attempt to do to block it. Wear a Grindaholic t- shirt for long enough and you’ll find that people stop to ask you what it’s all about, and that gives you the opportunity to explain your passion, but quite possibly build that community, one inquisitive person at a time.

Of course, it all starts with your first t-shirt, which you can get right here.

We’ll keep an eye out for you, in the great outdoors.