Sheri Tingey's guest appearances

Sheri Tingey

She Explores

The Adventurepreneur Podcast

The Packrafting Podcast

Caroline Gleich

Pattie Gonia

Nikki Smith

Nicole Antoinette

Andrew Patterson

Alex Honnold

Mirna Valerio

Sarah Herron

Len Necefer

Erin Sullivan

Chris Burkard

Holly Johnson

Susie Moore

Jen Gurecki

Jenny Bruso

OwlTail

Sheri Tingey started working in design in the outdoor industry in Jackson Hole when she was a young adult. It wasn’t until she was in her mid-50s that she founded Alpacka Raft with her son, Thor. After almost two decades battling chronic fatigue, Sheri was ready to get her teeth stuck into a new project. With somewhat serendipitous timing, Thor asked her to build him a boat. And so the vision of Alpacka Raft was born. In this episode she shares some of the evolution of the outdoor gear industry in the USA, including the impact it had when companies went into mass production and manufacturing moved off-shore. She also talks about ‘Alaska Crazies’, the birth of modern-day packrafting in Alaska, and gives us an insight into the beginnings of a new sport and how the packrafting community has evolved over the past twenty years. The creators out there will also love her insight into her inspiration and design process.

Sheri Tingey started working in design in the outdoor industry in Jackson Hole when she was a young adult. It wasn’t until she was in her mid-50s that she founded Alpacka Raft with her son, Thor. After almost two decades battling chronic fatigue, Sheri was ready to get her teeth stuck into a new project. With somewhat serendipitous timing, Thor asked her to build him a boat. And so the vision of Alpacka Raft was born. In this episode she shares some of the evolution of the outdoor gear industry in the USA, including the impact it had when companies went into mass production and manufacturing moved off-shore. She also talks about ‘Alaska Crazies’, the birth of modern-day packrafting in Alaska, and gives us an insight into the beginnings of a new sport and how the packrafting community has evolved over the past twenty years. The creators out there will also love her insight into her inspiration and design process.

#6 Packraft design and innovation at Alpacka Raft - Sheri Tingey

Today on the show I have Sheri Tingey, founder and lead designer of Alpacka Packrafts. Sheri is a true outdoor industry pioneer. In 1968, as a ski bum in Jackson, WY and Alta, UT - Sheri started a company designing custom ski clothing. She revolutionized the industry by innovating new more functional designs and spiced things up by adding some colorful style to the otherwise drab ski clothes of the time.     After nearly 15 years hustling and designing ski clothing for some of the top ski resorts and shops in the country, Sheri suddenly developed a serious case of chronic fatigue syndrome. The disease took her to her knees and after 17 years of struggling in its grips, Sheri finally found a Dr that saved her life. She learned how to manage her innate drive. She had to learn how to go from being a passionate, workaholic entrepreneur to a zen, calm and balanced designer.    Shortly after she found that doctor and started to feel better, Sheri’s son Thor (who is now the CEO at Alpacka) had just completed a 600-mile packrafting traverse of Alaska’s Brooks Range. Thor was frustrated with the performance of the boat he had been using on his trips, which didn’t hold air and required hours of patch working after each day on the river. He brought the boat to his mom and asked if she could make it better. Sheri’s eyes lit up, she accepted the challenge, and the rest is history.    Sheri’s story is one of grit and determination. A tale of a true female innovator in a heavily male dominated industry. The outdoor industry history buffs out there will appreciate this one too, that’s a guarantee. Per usual, lots of great nuggets to pull out of this one… so grab a cup of coffee, tea, or kombucha and enjoy.             Show resources: Thor and Sarah Tingey Jackson Hole Alta - the rustler lodge Designed by Sheri (1968-1981) Tom Froth Yvon Chouinard Doug Tompkins John Simms Alaska Wilderness Classic  Roman Dial

Today on the show I have Sheri Tingey, founder and lead designer of <a href="https://www.alpackaraft.com/rafting/about/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alpacka Packrafts</a>. Sheri is a true outdoor industry pioneer. In 1968, as a ski bum in Jackson, WY and Alta, UT - Sheri started a company designing custom ski clothing. She revolutionized the industry by innovating new more functional designs and spiced things up by adding some colorful style to the otherwise drab ski clothes of the time.     After nearly 15 years hustling and designing ski clothing for some of the top ski resorts and shops in the country, Sheri suddenly developed a serious case of chronic fatigue syndrome. The disease took her to her knees and after 17 years of struggling in its grips, Sheri finally found a Dr that saved her life. She learned how to manage her innate drive. She had to learn how to go from being a passionate, workaholic entrepreneur to a zen, calm and balanced designer.    Shortly after she found that doctor and started to feel better, Sheri’s son Thor (who is now the CEO at Alpacka) had just completed a 600-mile packrafting traverse of Alaska’s Brooks Range. Thor was frustrated with the performance of the boat he had been using on his trips, which didn’t hold air and required hours of patch working after each day on the river. He brought the boat to his mom and asked if she could make it better. Sheri’s eyes lit up, she accepted the challenge, and the rest is history.    Sheri’s story is one of grit and determination. A tale of a true female innovator in a heavily male dominated industry. The outdoor industry history buffs out there will appreciate this one too, that’s a guarantee. Per usual, lots of great nuggets to pull out of this one… so grab a cup of coffee, tea, or kombucha and enjoy.   Show resources: Thor and Sarah Tingey <a href="https://www.jacksonhole.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jackson Hole</a> <a href="https://www.rustlerlodge.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alta - the rustler lodge</a> Designed by Sheri (1968-1981) Tom Froth <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yvon_Chouinard" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yvon Chouinard</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Tompkins" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Tompkins</a> <a href="https://www.simmsfishing.com/discover/service/our-story" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Simms</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Mountain_Wilderness_Classic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alaska Wilderness Classic</a> <a href="https://www.alpackaraft.com/rafting/roman-dial-hellbiker-author-of-the-definitive-packrafting-guide/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Roman Dial</a>

Sheri Tingey on Packrafting and Trailblazing as a Female Innovator in the Outdoor Industry

Sheri Tingey has been making gear in the outdoor industry for the past 50 years, and she's done a lot of it with her own two hands. Learn about what drives her to solve problems, how she learned the important lesson of slowing down, and what happened after she re-started her career in her 50's by founding Alpacka Raft. Sheri started out making custom ski apparel in Jackson Hole in the late 1960's and she founded Alpacka Raft in 2000. The latter revolutionized packrafting as a sport in and of itself. (Color us impressed!) In between the two ventures, Sheri spent 17 years with a then-mysterious illness, chronic fatigue. She raised her kids in Alaska then, but she stayed active in the outdoor community, making custom clothing for dog mushers with her limited energy. She was in her early 50's once she found treatment and started Alpacka Raft. Sheri has fun solving problems and being an entrepreneur - which may just be the secret to her success. Women featured in this episode: Sheri Tingey, the founder of Alpacka Raft, a company that makes Packrafts in Colorado. Sheri has been innovating since the late 1960's when she started a ski apparel company, Design by Sheri, because she couldn't find the ski clothes she needed. Hosted by Gale Straub In this episode, you'll hear:  What the outdoor industry was like in the late 1960's and 70's The catalyst for Sheri's first company, Design by Sheri When Sheri knew it was time to move on from her first venture How chronic fatigue affects your body and creative ability The value of slowing down, and how Sheri incorporates that lesson in her life (and work) today What it's like to gain confidence again after treatment for a chronic illness What packrafting is The unique challenges and rewards of a product-based company The importance of re-evaluating your business after it's been around for a certain period of time Why sometimes it's better to stay small as a company Sheri's advice for other entrepreneurs as she looks back at her career  Sponsors &amp; Codes:  Benchmark Maps: use code SHEEXPLORES for 20% off your order Sawyer: Enter giveaway at She-Explores.com/sawyer Stamps.com: use code EXPLORES after clicking on the mic for a free 4 week trial, postage, and a digital scale! World Nomads: Check out their podcast at Worldnomads.com/podcasts  Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook. Enjoy this episode? Rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It’ll help other people find us. Visit She-Explores.com Resources mentioned in this episode:  Alpacka Raft Ray Jardine's Lightweight Backpacking She Explores Facebook Group  Music is by Lee Rosevere, Kai Engel, and Steve Combs via Free Music Archive (CC by A license) Music is also by Memory Palace

Sheri Tingey has been making gear in the outdoor industry for the past 50 years, and she's done a lot of it with her own two hands. Learn about what drives her to solve problems, how she learned the important lesson of slowing down, and what happened after she re-started her career in her 50's by founding <a href="http://alpackaraft.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alpacka Raft</a>. Sheri started out making custom ski apparel in Jackson Hole in the late 1960's and she founded Alpacka Raft in 2000. The latter revolutionized packrafting as a sport in and of itself. (Color us impressed!) In between the two ventures, Sheri spent 17 years with a then-mysterious illness, chronic fatigue. She raised her kids in Alaska then, but she stayed active in the outdoor community, making custom clothing for dog mushers with her limited energy. She was in her early 50's once she found treatment and started Alpacka Raft. Sheri has fun solving problems and being an entrepreneur - which may just be the secret to her success. Women featured in this episode: Sheri Tingey, the founder of Alpacka Raft, a company that makes Packrafts in Colorado. Sheri has been innovating since the late 1960's when she started a ski apparel company, Design by Sheri, because she couldn't find the ski clothes she needed. Hosted by <a href="http://galestraub.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gale Straub</a> In this episode, you'll hear: <ul> <li>What the outdoor industry was like in the late 1960's and 70's</li> <li>The catalyst for Sheri's first company, Design by Sheri</li> <li>When Sheri knew it was time to move on from her first venture</li> <li>How chronic fatigue affects your body and creative ability</li> <li>The value of slowing down, and how Sheri incorporates that lesson in her life (and work) today</li> <li>What it's like to gain confidence again after treatment for a chronic illness</li> <li>What packrafting is</li> <li>The unique challenges and rewards of a product-based company</li> <li>The importance of re-evaluating your business after it's been around for a certain period of time</li> <li>Why sometimes it's better to stay small as a company</li> <li>Sheri's advice for other entrepreneurs as she looks back at her career</li> </ul> Sponsors &amp; Codes: <ul> <li><a href="http://benchmarkmaps.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Benchmark Maps</a>: use code SHEEXPLORES for 20% off your order</li> <li><a href="http://sawyer.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sawyer</a>: Enter giveaway at <a href="http://she-explores.com/sawyer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">She-Explores.com/sawyer</a></li> <li><a href="http://stamps.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stamps.com</a>: use code EXPLORES after clicking on the mic for a free 4 week trial, postage, and a digital scale!</li> <li><a href="http://worldnomads.com/podcasts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">World Nomads</a>: Check out their podcast at <a href="http://worldnomads.com/podcasts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Worldnomads.com/podcasts</a></li> </ul> <a href="http://facebook.com/groups/sheexplorespodcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Join the She Explores Podcast community on Facebook.</a> Enjoy this episode? Rate us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. It’ll help other people find us. Visit <a href="http://she-explores.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">She-Explores.com</a> Resources mentioned in this episode: <ul> <li><a href="http://alpackaraft.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alpacka Raft</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trail-Life-Jardines-Lightweight-Backpacking/dp/0963235974/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=NGKC6D3BRZQPRE1PSV3G&amp;dpID=61aCYoVSZ1L&amp;preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&amp;dpSrc=detail" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ray Jardine's Lightweight Backpacking</a></li> <li><a href="http://facebook.com/groups/sheexplorespodcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">She Explores Facebook Group</a></li> </ul> Music is by Lee Rosevere, Kai Engel, and Steve Combs via Free Music Archive (CC by A license) Music is also by Memory Palace

Fifty Years as an Outdoor Entrepreneur: Sheri Tingey