Photography by Christian Cruz

“It’s grown into something so much bigger—a space where people find community, where total strangers become friends, where we remember what it feels like to be a kid again…” by Randy McKinney

“Similar to Plomo, as we went up, the green disappeared and the world transformed. This already felt far more remote. Freezing cold river crossings became a common theme for this first day. Arriving at base camp which was reasonably named “Baghdad” due to the consistent rockfall from Marmolejos collapsing Wester Shoulder…” by Ethan Glanger, Ronnie Forslund, Santiago Cifuentes

“Riding a bike more often really helps put into perspective the environment and infrastructure that cars create. Wide roads, noise, fumes… U.S. roads cover land equivalent to the size of Wisconsin. And we’ve all heard plenty about the cancerous tributes of the gas and oil industry…” by Jared Nelson

“by the time it got dark outside we’d usually just stop what we were doing, relax, and listen to the radio. My siblings and I would always look forward to listening to music when it got dark on those 2-3 hour drives. We would normally listen to whatever station our dad (Papa) picked…” by Matthew Paez

“I’d camped plenty of times as a kid: load the car with gear, drive to the site, camp. “Let’s run that back,” I thought. But I didn’t bother to ask too many details about the trip, so I began packing like a man on a mission…” by Drake Shepard

“As artists who share our work, it’s important for us to be aware of how it affects our audience—not to cater to them, but to gain an understanding that helps us evolve and refine our craft…” by Comp Collective

“Our trip was planned during the shoulder season of tourism to allow for less crowds and cooler temperatures. This also meant the ridge-lines were still closed to hikers/bikers or required snow shoes. So last minute, our plans changed from hiking in Schywz to spending a few days in Thun…” by Raegan Nelson

The process of fixing things like a canoe or a backpack in a sustainable way is as simple as it gets. Use materials to make your repairs that would otherwise go to waste.

Comp Collective came to life as a result of our own experiences on the road and the raw emotion we’re constantly pursuing. That’s why we’ve come together and taken the time to hand pick our favorite stories from real people we’ve connected with across the globe…