In today's blog we speak to Elizabeth Davis, architect and Ghost Outdoors designer about the inspiration behind Cabin Fever, our super soft wool blanket.
Tell us about your inspiration for this piece:
Though we often think of dusty red dirt covering the entirety of Australia, we also have some magic, lush hillsides to get lost in. This design references our greener landscapes.
We selected a deep, vintage green for a classic, old school army blanket vibe, updated with contemporary shocks of cobalt blue and heathered grey. The stripes harken a time when these bands were used to symbolise the weight of the wool for trading purposes.
What "mood" does green evoke for you?
There's something comforting about the deep green, I can't help but picture it on timeless vintage pieces put to good work over the years. At the same time, it's an adventure colour, trail ready and vast as the hillside it represents.
We're noticing a common desire to turn from artificial environments and blue light to return to more organic colours and forms. We're filling our spaces with green house plants because they make us feel better (it's science!). We'd like to think a snuggle under the Cabin Fever has similar feel-good properties.
How is green being used in interiors now? What tips do you have?
It's about bringing the outside in, the cosiness and sense of exploration that comes with being outdoors.
It's popular in lush textures such as velvet and wool while the brave are going bold with floor to ceiling wall coverings.
It looks great paired with weathered cognac leather and blues and is a confident way to update neutral bases. Though, the freshest way to embrace the colour is to layer up, big time. Don't worry about hues, just throw the kelly on top of forest next to sage with a sprinkling of emerald. The home of artist and former interior art director Liza Giles (below) is a great example.
Cabin Fever is back in stock at $229. Get free 2-day shipping with: Code GTFO19.
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You know that feeling, on a very rare occasion, when you meet someone and are instantly enamoured with their oh so cool, effortless vibe? Yeah, that's what it's like to meet Emma Commander. She's a badass tattoo artist based in Perth, Western Australia where she creates unique, original designs. She's also a serious escape artist with some epic adventures under her belt. Given that combo, we were stoked to team up with her on our first bandana range. Interested in what inspires this legend and what led to our bandana range? Read on....
What drew you into becoming a tattoo artist and who trusted your first attempts?
Ever since I was a kid all I wanted to do was draw. I’ve always loved drawing and art. When I felt at a bit of a loss as to what I wanted to ‘be when I grew up’ an opportunity for a tattoo apprenticeship presented itself and I haven’t looked back. I get to do something I love every day and make people happy in the process, I feel very lucky to have found tattooing as a career.
My first 2 tattoos were on myself, no better way to learn than being thrown straight in the deep end! My first customer was my very obliging boyfriend at the time, followed by friends. I’m so grateful to everyone that supported me in the early years and helped me get started.
What was your first tattoo? What’s next?
I got my first tattoo 10 years ago, it’s a fine rope design with an infinity knot around my wrist. Not sure what my reasoning was at the time, but I still love it! Since that one I’ve moved on to bigger and bolder designs, but lately I’ve been loving and focusing on finer more minimal work. I’d love to get some more of that style done next.
How do you escape?
I find it hard to switch my brain off, so escaping into nature every now and then is very important for me. Getting out of the city for the weekend, breathing the fresh air and looking at the stars is one of my favourite things. I love south Western Australia and try to get down south often. But there is so much to explore in the world and I love to see and do new things, so I try and escape somewhere new as often as possible too!
You’ve gone on some epic trips, what’s the most memorable?
That’s too hard! They are all memorable for very different reasons!
But I’d have to say my time in Southern Africa would probably top the list. We experienced so much, from seeing the big 5 on safari, abseiling down waterfalls and table mountain and swimming with great whites to amazing food and wine and being part of an incredible wedding for our friends.
Inspo for the bandanas?
I wanted them to be fun, playful and not take themselves too seriously. Ghost has such a cool aesthetic, the ‘effortless cool’ ‘edgy but easy’ vibe I get from the brand was part of my inspiration. As well as the idea of exploring and adventure, particularly exploring Australia.
Your top 3 ways to use a bandana?
Wiping away sweat during an epic hike.
Keeping your hair out of your face while your trying to set up a tent.
Purely as an ultra stylish accessory, around your neck paired with a white shirt and jeans
Your work is incredible! How do we lock in an appointment with you? Do you sell prints of any of your work?
Thank you! You can get in touch with me through direct message on my instagram accounts @finelinetattoosperth and @em_commander_tattoos
I’m always open to commissions of artwork, I would love to do more drawing on paper (not just skin) and sell some originals and prints!
I have a few limited edition prints left of an art work I did last year that still need to go to a good home so get in touch if your interested.
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This article was written and featured on The Coolector by Leo Davie in April 2018.
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We’re big fans of heading out into the wild, camping and having the spirit for adventure here at Coolector HQ and, as a result, will always keep our eye out and ear to the ground for awesome new brands that boast great outdoors gear – be this apparel, carries or camping wares – and we’ve found a belter in the shape of Australian brand, Ghost Outdoors, who currently boast a small but perfectly formed array of goods that will appeal to any adventure loving individual this summer and autumn.
Ghost Outdoors herald from Perth in Western Australia and clearly have a love of all things wilderness and adventure orientated and this is something that really does shine through in their cracking collection of outdoors inspired goods. Their objective is to craft cooler camping and outdoor gear which takes its design inspiration from the Australian-style adventuring, cutting loose and breaking free ethos which drives their excellent brand.
Take a look at a few of our favourite pieces from the Ghost Outdoors line up below:
An essential part of any camping trip, particularly if you love lazing as much as we do here at Coolector HQ, is that of the hammock and these expertly crafted and pleasing affordable “Gold Rush” Carry On Hammocks from Ghost Outdoors definitely tick all of our boxes. This fantastic piece of camping gear measures 260cm x 140cm when deployed but has a packed size of just 16cm x 10cm and weights just 520 grams (including carabiners and attachment rope) so it is an extremely portable offering, perfect for heading out into the wild. Crafted from ultra-lightweight parachute nylon with soft feel, this is a robust and versatile camping solution ideally suited to any adventure loving individual with a love of the great outdoors. ($79)
Whilst we all hold out hopes of our summer camping trips offering nothing but warm weather, we all know temperatures can take a turn for the worse at the drop of a hat out in the wild and, when they do, this brilliant looking Ghost Outdoors “The Bibbulmun” Army Blanket will be your greatest ally. Measuring a whopping 180cm x 125cm, it is going to provide plenty of coverage for wrapping around yourself when a chill sets in or for speeding out on the floor to enjoy a picnic and craft beer or two. It is made from super-soft, no-scratch Australian Merino Wool for exceptional comfort and has a striking reversible design that will immediately catch the eye. It takes its design inspiration from the yellow, triangular trail markers on the Bibbulmun Track, which is a huge 1,000km walking trail located in Western Australia and named after local indigenous people. ($189)
A rucksack is an essential addition to any camping adventure for carrying all your EDC and outdoors must-haves and they don’t come much better than this Ultimate Navy Rucksack from Ghost Outdoors. This cracking carry has an impressive amount of storage with a 19L capacity and it measures 46cm H x 28cm W x 15cm D with a space for a 15″ laptop to boot so no matter the everyday essentials you need to take out into the wild, this backpack has got you covered. It even has a G-clip roll-top which extends to 66cm in height to fit even more stuff should you require it. Designed with day-tripping in mind, this first class carry has four extra compartments to stash phone, laptop, water bottle and keys. ($149)
If Ghost Outdoors’ Bibbulmun Army Blanket wasn’t for you aesthetically, you’ll be able to get its warmth and comfort from this excellent “Cabin Fever” Army Blanket that boasts all the same qualities with an entirely different visual impact. Again measuring 180cm x 125cm, this army blanket is an essential item for the minimalist camper – as it is perfectly suited to helping you survive the cold, breeze, heat and sun. Made with luxurious natural fibres which are soft, strong and breathable and this amazing army blanket can even protect you from getting too close to the campfire. ($189)
]]>The following interview was featured on Australian outdoor lifestyle site, and Ghost Outdoors stockist: Homecamp.
Beautifully designed, durably built and effortlessly cool, we bring you Ghost Outdoors. Ghost create modern, minimalist products that look good, feel good and encourage a life outdoors. We chat to the Ghost team about the inspiration for the brand, their philosophy and their dream places to hang their hammocks!
Who is Ghost Outdoors? Tell us about your brand and the Ghost philosophy.
We’re an Australian-designed outdoor apparel company making rugged, design-focussed camping and outdoor gear. We believe in escaping the entrapment of modern life at regular intervals, whether it be jumping in a car and taking off, or hiring an epic cabin with some mates somewhere, where your phone cuts out and nobody can find you for a weekend. We’re drawn to wild, unsurveiled environments where you can do a nudie run or skip a shower and it’s all good, you’re free to just be.
We sometimes describe ourselves as an “outdoor brand for indoor cats”, because during the week, we’re city-dwelling design-pervs but we wanted to make a collection of products that could serve a double duty; something you could take outside and trash but then roll into work on a Monday.
Ghost draws inspiration from the simplicity and quality of some of Australia’s longstanding heritage brands, what other factors come into play when designing new products? Tell us a little about the process involved in making your products.
Well, first step is we get together over a beer and think about what we want. What would be a useful product? What would help us escape more often, more easily? What would be a cool take on a utility product? What would be a utility take on a cool product? We laugh a lot. We make a lot of sketches and prototypes. Elizabeth, our lead designer is an architect so she’s used to working in this fluid, conceptual way.
We draw a lot of inspiration from the Australian landscape and attitude. We think about colour palette, technical fabrics and hardware through that lense. Where are we going with it? What’s going into it? Who’s using it? And we keep refining until we get something that looks tight and also, is tight :)
The biggest challenge is always producing products that meet our standards for quality and durability. We’ve learned it’s about finding passionate factories who “get us” and partnering with talented people that share our ambitions.
If you could hang your hammock in three dream spots in Australia, where would they be?
Anywhere remote. Ideally between two trees with a beer in hand, or strung up between two cars works a treat. If we had to pick one, it would be the edge of the desert at Gnaraloo Station where you can lay back, rest between surfs and watch the whales swim past.
You can find the full range of Ghost Outdoors gear at Homecamp.com.au along with a bunch of other rad stuff you probably need.
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Homecamp Book, Stories and Inspiration for the Modern Adventurer // The Ultimate Rucksack by Ghost Outdoors // Set of 3 Special Edition Campfire Fire Field Notes Notebooks // The Morrow Guide to Knots for Sailing, Fishing, Camping and Climbing // Horween Leather Expedition Watch by Form Function Form via Huckberry // Cotton Oilskin Coat by Driza-Bone // Knot Charging Cable by Native Union via Vincent Design Supply // Woodcut Memory Game via Clove & Creek // Classic 1L Vacuum Flask by Stanley //
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Australian Designed A5 Flask by memobottle // Leather Camping Stool by Homecamp // Mr. Sea Cord Walk Short by TCSS // Whiskey Glass by Denver and Liely via Compendium Design Store // Orbit Three Brass Compass via Clove & Creek // All Weather Waterproof Notebook by Gentleman's Hardware // The Carry-On Hammock by Ghost Outdoors
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Horizon Portable Wood Burning Stove and Barebones Forest Camping Lantern via Homecamp // Knot a Collar Climbing Rope Dog collar by Ruff Wear // Survival Waterproof Playing Cards by Gentleman's Hardware // 1 year subscription to Smith Journal // Our Finest Wool Army Blanket by Ghost Outdoors
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]]>Wool. It’s a sheep's fur. And Merino Wool is the Beyonce of all wools.
We made our Army Blankets with 100% Merino Wool because we wanted to make something that had a smooth, luxury feel with the durability of a hardcore army blanket.
The Merino is a breed of sheep originally from Spain but perfected in the Australian Outback since 1797. The animal survives in extreme conditions, making it’s fur breathable in summer and insulating in winter, yet exceptionally soft and lightweight.
At this stage, Australia exports about 88% of the world's merino wool. That’s a lot of sheep! Approximately 70 million, in fact, or about 3 of this guy:
Merino’s secret is in its exceptionally fine fibres which make it the softest wool on earth. Unlike other wools, the fibres bend far more while maintaining their shape, making it resilient, versatile and luxurious.
Top 5 reasons we use 100% merino
Can you think of anything more serene than hanging from the trees and watching the world go by?
Some of our favourite outdoor memories were made, strung up to a tree, with a tinny in hand, bantering with mates.
Our top 5 hammock moments:Taking inspiration from the Australian outback, we created two parachute nylon colours: Goldrush & Peacock.
Gold Rush reminds of the Banksia tree at golden sunset. It's like a fresh twist on classic outdoor army-green.
Peacock is almost too good for photos—it’s the marine blue of The Basin in Rottnest on a clear sunny day or the waves at Byron Bay.
We wanted a monotone palette with a semi-matte black carabiner that would all stuff down into one 500 g pouch. The bent gate design was selected for ease of use while the 24 kN rating means you aren't going anywhere once locked in place.
We also spent a lot of time sourcing our high-quality, 6mm classic climbing rope to be strong, familiar and compact without over engineering.
The result? A good-looking, industrious support group for your triple edge-stitched, parachute nylon hammock that can support up to 200kg.
What do you think?
Send your Carry-on Hammock pics to gday@ghostoutdoors.com
]]>Australia. She’s a big, wild and sometimes weird place. She has just about everything your adventuring heart could desire from snowy mountain tops to epic waves and ragged trails between for your two legs (or two wheels) to connect the dots.
The best bit? Our hosts, Howdy Coffee. Come check us out while enjoying seriously good coffee or home brewed Kombucha fresh from the tap with a side of Mary Street Bakery’s best treats.