How Japanese Brand Snow Peak Challenges Outdoor Orthodoxy

The Snow Peak Philosophy

Out of all 600 SKUs, four foundational products give Snow Peak campers the most leeway with mapping out their system: the Alpha Breeze Tent ($500) with a vestibule that converts into a living room; the Iron Grill Table (IGT) Camp Kitchen ($713) a tabletop with endless configurations; the Takibi Fire and Grill ($320) for cooking and staying warm; and the Hexa Takibi Tarp ($550) for gathering underneath.

“In Japan, the number one activity when you go car camping is cooking, forest bathing, and basically just hanging out and belonging in the outdoors,” Noah Reis, Snow Peak Vice President and Chief Operating Officer tells me.

The style of camping that this gear unlocks is best experienced, not described. After five years of readying a plot of wetlands in southern Washington State, the brand opened Snow Peak Campfield in June 2024. Camping and cooking are the main activities there, where a Camp Store with an on-trend Japandi aesthetic serves donuts, coffee, and snacks. But perhaps the most appealing part of the campground is getting to visit the onsen-inspired Ofuro Spa with a sauna, cold plunge, and hot pool that overlook a quiet pond and grove of trees. When nobody is talking, you can hear the ducks and water.

“For us, the campsite is the destination, not the platform for the activities,” says Mike Andersen, senior brand manager of Snow Peak USA. “It is the activity.”

As for Snow Peak’s style of cooking, it is best tasted. Another of its experiential concepts is the Takibi restaurant, attached to the Portland headquarters. The lunch and dinner menus feature traditional Japanese dishes like ramen, donburi, karaage, oysters, and sushi.

Source: https://www.fieldmag.com/articles/snow-peak-brand-profile