If there is one thing all boaters can agree it would be nice to have more of, it’s stowage. Whether the itinerary is two days or two weeks, there always seems to be more stuff than places to put it.
Enter Voormi, a Colorado-based company whose goal is to get all the clothes a sportsman needs into a single duffel bag. Each T-shirt, hoodie and additional piece is built from custom-made textiles that, chief marketing officer Timm Smith says, can go from hot to cold and rain to shine while keeping boaters comfortable.
“I’ve taken the River Run hoodie on our two-week sailing trips to Anegada,” he says of his family’s cruises in the British Virgin Islands. “I sailed for two weeks with that thing on every single day. Wool is naturally anti-odor; it doesn’t hold odors like polyester and other sun shirts do, so you don’t have to wash it. Wool also recovers well, so when you put it on for day six, it fits the same as on day one. And I was taking kitesurfing lessons when I was down there, so I wore it for sun protection, and it dried out super fast when I got back on the beach. Our river guides in places like the Grand Canyon love it for all those reasons too. It’s the killer piece.”
Voormi makes its textiles and does its sewing in the United States, combining natural fibers such as wool and cotton with advanced manufacturing for qualities such as moisture-wicking. The company also came up with a way to add a waterproof membrane not by gluing it to other fabrics but instead by inserting it into the machine while the textile is made.
“We call that core construction,” Smith says, adding that the process eliminates the stiffness of, say, a big winter coat.”It basically gives you the comfort of a sweater with the protection of a shell—and you get rid of all the crunching noises.”
After nearly a decade in business, the company offers not just tops but also base layers, vests, outerwear, socks, gaiters and more.
“We’re for people who appreciate good stuff,” Smith says. “Anybody can make a jacket, but making one that you’re truly blown away by every time you wear it, and you’re excited to be a part of a company full of good people, that’s what we are.”
