words:: Ben Osborne photos:: courtesy of LOGE Camps
Weekend surf trips used to always start with an economical, well-thought-out routine: drive down late on Friday night, stop for a burrito on the way, set up camp in the dark with a beer in hand, fall asleep (likely with that same beer in hand), and wake up and hurriedly to leave before 7 AM so we didn’t have to pay for a campsite (and to catch a dawn patrol surf). Give us a break—we were poor Canadian University students—the $7 USD campsite fee was more than what we were spending on meals at the time, so it was a worthwhile cost-cutting endeavour.
“If you have the tools and determination to do something better, to positively impact others, to challenge and evolve the status quo, even in the smallest ways, then it is your responsibility to do it.”
Weekend trips often involved plenty of packing and unpacking camps, and in general a whole lot of wet, uncomfortable situations—such is surf camping in the Pacific Northwest. While Wesport, Washington offers some of the best surf close to Vancouver, there has never been a viable, low cost, comfortable option to stay—enter, LOGE Camps.
How It All Started
Founded by a team of like-minded, outdoors-obsessed individuals, LOGE Camps aims to change the way the classic road-tripping dirtbag (myself) goes on trips—and they are doing it in a pretty enticing manner.
With strategically placed locations in Westport, Washington, Leavenworth, Washington, Bend, Oregon, Shasta, California, and most recently Breckenridge, Colorado, LOGE has all the bases covered. A team of founders who simply wanted to make travel better, the idea spaned from a simple notion, best explained by the one of the brains behind it all, Johannes Ariens:
“If you have the tools and determination to do something better, to positively impact others, to challenge and evolve the status quo, even in the smallest ways, then it is your responsibility to do it. This is the idea that inspired LOGE.”
Growing up in a small community on the Olympic Peninsula, Johannes merged his love for the outdoors, his experience as a ski-patroller, and his educational background in construction management along with his business partners acumen in business, and boom—LOGE Camps began to spread like wildfire.
“One of the most unexpected surprises was and continues to be how quickly our customers just get us.”, Ariens remarks. “We have a wide customer base and it doesn’t matter if your outdoor pursuits take you for regular hammock naps or to the tops of mountains”
What They Offer
The range of clientele, as Ariens points out, is what makes LOGE Camps so unique ability to offer amenities that will elevate the experience of just about any traveller. Each site has a combination of hotel, hostel accommodation, and campsites to choose from, all reasonably priced and with plenty of additional amenities such as the option for bike/surfboard/ski rentals (depending on your location), cooler rentals from YETI, and much more.
After staying at the LOGE Westport location, as much as my wallet wants me to choose the conventional dirtbag route, it’s hard to turn down the convenience of a warm bed, a coffee shop a few steps away, a place to wash and store wetsuits and much more.
What’s Next?
The best part? After chatting with the owners, things are only looking up. Johannes sees no bounds.
“There is nothing coming up in LOGE’s future that isn’t absolutely overwhelmingly exciting, and the future gives me literal chills.” Johannes proudly claims. “We have only scratched the surface when it comes to engaging new people, places, and communities. In the near future, we are expanding our Leavenworth location, constantly building new partnerships with brands and other small businesses, heading towards the East Coast, and discovering more incredible new places and people every day.”
We can’t wait to see what’s next, either. For more info on how to book, visit www.logecamps.com. —ML
