Building outdoor gear from the trail up.

Small-town Utah roots

Tayson grew up in Richfield, Utah, surrounded by small farming communities and direct access to the mountains. His family did not build outdoor memories around elaborate vacations. They camped, hunted, fished, rode motorcycles, cooked over fires, watched wildlife, and spent time together outside.

That upbringing shaped the way Tayson sees the outdoors today: not as a luxury or a trend, but as a grounding force for family, confidence, mental balance, and real connection.

Discipline came early

As a kid, Tayson was curious, shy, and naturally driven. He loved learning, asked constant questions, and built confidence through repeated effort rather than natural ease. He was not naturally athletic, but worked his way into success in football and track and field, eventually winning Utah state titles in discus and shot put and briefly competing collegiately at SUU.

That same discipline showed up early in work and money. By age 13, Tayson had earned and saved roughly $4,000 through mowing lawns, cleaning his dad’s chiropractic office, asking for money instead of gifts, and resisting the casual spending most kids around him did not think twice about. That early self-reliance became part of the founder psychology behind Outdoor Vitals.

A broader view of business

At 19, Tayson served a two-year volunteer mission in Malaysia and Singapore. The experience gave him a deep love for Southeast Asia and helped shape his view of business as more than a way to make money.

He saw how stable jobs could change families — helping parents earn income, helping kids stay in school, and creating opportunity. After returning home, he became interested in building a company connected to product creation, importing, and real human impact.

Outdoor Vitals begins

Tayson earned a finance degree from Southern Utah University and founded the university’s Entrepreneurial Club, which later grew into a larger program at the school. He started Outdoor Vitals during his final month of college and graduated one month later.

The early company was scrappy. Its first product was an entry-level down sleeping bag. Tayson processed inventory from his house, repackaged and labeled products, and at times had hallways stacked floor-to-ceiling with sleeping bags before sending them to fulfillment. For roughly two years, he was the only full-time employee.

The idea behind Outdoor Vitals was simple but durable: make better lightweight gear more accessible through a direct-to-consumer model, then pair that gear with education so people could actually use it well.

From scrappy startup to performance-first brand

Outdoor Vitals’ early years were about survival, cash discipline, product learning, and customer education. Tayson made videos, tested gear, learned product development, and reinvested back into the business.

In 2018, the Loftek Jacket Kickstarter raised $1 million in pre-orders and became a major turning point. It opened doors with designers, fabric mills, cut-and-sew facilities, and higher-level suppliers around the world. By 2021, Outdoor Vitals had moved into what Tayson describes as Outdoor Vitals 2.0: a more professional, premium, performance-first brand built around real mountain use.

Built from the field, not just the office

Tayson’s credibility as a founder is closely tied to his field life. Outdoor Vitals is not built from spreadsheet theory or studio-only product testing. Tayson and the design team spend regular time outside using, breaking, refining, and validating gear.

For six-plus years, Tayson has participated in Outdoor Vitals’ 100 Mile Challenge, completing one or more 100-mile wilderness hikes each year through rugged terrain. He has completed a 100-mile ultramarathon, multiple high-mountain ultramarathons that start around 10,000 feet and climb from there, three Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim efforts, fastpacking trips of 25–30 miles per day, Alaska fly-in backcountry trips, solo backpacking trips, monthly team testing trips, and annual seven-day backpack hunting trips with family into Colorado wilderness.

That field experience matters because it shows up in the gear. Outdoor Vitals products are shaped by western mountain conditions: long climbs, exposed terrain, volatile weather, high-output movement, and the need for systems that balance weight, protection, durability, and confidence.

A lifetime body of work

Tayson has intentionally kept Outdoor Vitals self-funded and free from outside equity partners. To him, independence is not just a finance decision. It protects the company’s mission, product philosophy, culture, and customer relationship.

Mentors encouraged him to sell the business at points when selling could have created a major personal financial win. He chose not to because he believed he would want to build the same kind of company again the next day. Outdoor Vitals is not a sprint to an exit. It is a lifetime body of work.