NoSo Patches are a must-have to slide in your pack for any multi-day outdoor adventure. Words :: Todd Lawson.
We’re all about using gear that makes total sense, and doesn’t break the bank. This is where Kelli Jones and her company, NoSo Patches, truly shine. Originally designed to instantly repair snags, rips, holes and tears in down jackets, NoSo offers customers hundreds of funky shapes and designs to repair and personalize all their outdoor gear—instead of using ugly duct tape ‘band-aid’ solutions that are baaaad news for specialty fabrics.
Headquartered in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, gives NoSo an added outdoor advantage —many of their hardcore customers have the best testing ground in the world and the constant feedback from ski patrol, athletes, hunters, anglers, dirt bikers, hikers, rafters and more keep Kelli and her team on track.
Easily one of the best pieces of gear that we’ve come across in the last few years, NoSo Patches are one of those must-haves to slide in your pack for any multi-day outdoor adventure. We caught up with Founder and CEO Kelli Jones to give us the skinny on how these little patches are making a big impact.
Name: Kelli Jones
Title: Founder & CEO
Company: NoSo Patches
ML: Favourite thing to do outside?
Kelli Jones: I have a lot of favourites. Favourite adventure this past week: After a hike in the Wyoming Range south of Jackson (to escape the unsustainable tourism that has changed our community forever)… my friend and I threw a secret garden party— floral embellishments encouraged. My backyard perennial garden is in full bloom, with daylilies, peonies, irises and more. I also have two owls that sit in the willow trees that provide shade, and hummingbirds that flutter around sipping nectar from my flowers.
ML: You are going on an epic five-day summer hike in the mountains, but can only take five things with you (not including clothing). What would you bring?
KJ: Lip gloss, 10 essentials, my Spot, gummy bears and a headlamp.
ML: Who are your outdoor idols?
KJ: I don’t have outdoor idols. That’s a funny question. Everyone who plays in the dirt is my kind of person.
ML: Tell us about your ‘aha’ moment.
KJ: I hopped a barbed wire fence wearing an expensive Patagonia Fitz Roy jacket, and I didn’t want to use duct tape because it’s for repairing ducts on houses, not jackets… so I thought, Why not try to make something more stylish made of fabric? I did extensive research in my garage with different fabric and adhesive combos… and came up with the right formula. I’d wear patches on my snagged gear in the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort tram line and people started to ask about them… that is where my ‘aha moment’ was—in the tram line. Everyone wanted to know where they could get one, so I decided to make these patches available for everyone.
ML: You started with patches to repair puffy down jackets. Can people also use them for other outdoor gear, like tents and backpacks?
KJ: Yes, we now work with a variety of fabrics. Merino wool, denim, fleece, polyester, nylon. They’re great for a lot of different things. Tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, puffies—some of our customers even use them on their motorcycle seats, tractor seats, horse blankets, canvas bags and Louis Vuitton bags—NoSos are so haute couture … ;).
ML: How do you want to make a difference in the outdoor world?
KJ: We are in the business to Patch the Planet. This can be literal or figurative. To date, we’ve patched over 5 million garments and rescued them from the landfill. At NoSo, we believe the most sustainable product lasts. We believe that quality products and great design add value to people’s lives. We believe in celebrating the gear that you love most and strive to help people keep it in use for as long as possible. We continue to increase awareness about conservation and sustainability and have positioned ourselves as the number-one leading company in the sustainability space. We want to help solve our customers’ problems and help identify emerging opportunities in the customization and circular spaces.
Patching the Planet can also mean volunteering at a local non-profit, making a crying baby on an airplane smile, holding the door for someone, smiling at a stop sign, bringing food or flowers to someone who is busy… etc., etc., etc.
ML: You have a pretty active Instagram presence. Is this the most effective way to keep in touch with your customer base?
KJ: Instagram is different now. We now send weekly instead of monthly newsletters, and post on social media three times a week. We created a cult following of DIY fixers. We’ve met so many people at trade shows who work to keep gear going, from sustainability managers to warranty and repair technicians. We now work with every major brand in the outdoor specialty market, which is pretty cool to think about. In less than five years (I now subtract two years for COVID) the impact we’ve had on the industry: We’ve seen 72 per cent YOY growth since we launched; our biggest growth year was 283 per cent —which was really challenging.
I’m pretty proud to say that now NoSo is used as a repair solution in most warranty and repair departments. We’ve used word of mouth mainly to reach our customers. We can’t compete with the advertising budgets of the large billion-dollar companies. Meta used to love the little guy/gal, but we’ve seen a big drop in likes, views, etc. as they changed their algorithm to be more of a commerce thing, instead of a creative outlet, or a community-building tool.
ML: Entrepreneurship in mountain towns has been experiencing some great growth, with small businesses like independent breweries and ski-makers taking a chunk of market share from the big players. Do you have any advice for our readers looking to take that first scary step towards entrepreneurship?
My advice is to stay open to self-discovery and your personal evolution. Make a plan and stick to it. Realize you are taking a financial risk on you: Your idea. You are in charge of your personal reality. Quantum physics reminds us that what we focus on, is what we bring into being, so focus on what is inherent in all, which is the love that unites us, and let’s continue to plant seeds of light and unity for generations to come. That’s what I’ve always done with NoSo, and it’s not scary if you remain true to your authentic self and follow the plan you’ve designed. Patching gear and garments unites all of us, and the most sustainable product is one that lasts. We keep items in use and out of the landfill, protecting the planet for future generations to enjoy.
Every step you take leads you towards living a life full and overflowing with joyful commitments. There will always be ‘scary’ things, but if you keep your vision front and centre, entrepreneurship is just one big wild adventure.
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