Anyone who’s spent a little time wild camping will be familiar with those special morning moments when you wake up in the middle of nowhere. The tent zip sounds unnaturally loud as you crack it open and glimpse mountains still draped in the mist of early dawn. You wriggle out of your sleeping bag and invariably find that what you’re craving most is a steaming cup of coffee. For VSSL founder Todd Weimer, it was precisely this intersection of outdoor necessity and everyday ritual that would ultimately define his company's most dramatic evolution – from survival gear specialist to outdoor coffee culture pioneer.
But the story begins much earlier, in the vast wilderness of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada during the 1980s, where a young Weimer was learning the fundamental principles that would shape VSSL's identity decades later.
Growing up in the small town of North Battleford, Weimer's childhood bore little resemblance to the stuff we now tend to associate with the ‘80s and ‘90s: Nintendo, Dungeons & Dragons and MTV. "We lived on the outskirts of town, so our backyard was mile upon mile of fields, forests, rivers, and lakes," Weimer recalls. The wilderness wasn't somewhere to visit on weekends; it was an extension of home, an open-air classroom teaching lessons about preparation, resourcefulness, and the value of travelling light. "Even today, I get my greatest sense of 'home' when I'm outdoors," Weimer reflects, a testament to how deeply those formative years shaped his worldview.
Weimer and his mates spent countless days fishing, hunting and roaming that wild terrain, and from these experiences, a problem-solving mindset emerged. When you're small and heading into the backcountry, every ounce matters. The brothers in adventure learned to distil their gear down to the absolute essentials, creating what Weimer describes as "the smallest, most practical versions of all our essential gear."
His initial solution was elegant in its simplicity: an empty PVC pipe became a vessel – a container for the essentials. This included fishing line and tackle, mini first aid kits, fire-starting materials, a wire saw, and other critical items, all organised in a single, easy-to-carry unit. These homemade survival canisters kept their packs small, light and efficient.
Fast forward three decades. Weimer's own children were beginning their own journeys into the backcountry, and he wanted to share the boy scout-style ‘be prepared’ philosophy that had served him so well. He began crafting prototypes of what would become VSSL Camp Supplies – updated versions of those childhood PVC pipe survival kits, reimagined with modern materials and engineering.
The evolution from concept to commercial product flowed remarkably smoothly, perhaps because the idea had lived in Weimer's mind for nearly his entire life. "I already knew the contents that our flagship VSSL should have," he explains. "It was just a matter of sourcing or manufacturing the ideal components – perfectly functional, but small enough to fit."
Those priorities followed the well-established hierarchy of survival: first aid, fire, water, signalling, shelter, and food. Each component needed to contribute meaningfully to these priorities whilst serving a secondary purpose – keeping the adventure going. If you forgot your matches, having a VSSL with a fire-starting kit saved the day. "Time is such a valuable resource these days," Weimer notes. "VSSL has the potential to 'buy' that time for a person."
The PVC pipe gave way to military-spec anodised aluminium tubes with contents organised into stackable metal tins. Perhaps the most transformative addition was the high-power LED torch affixed to each canister's end, complete with a pre-programmed SOS setting. This elevated the product from ‘just in case’ kit to handy camp tool, useful even when the contents remained sealed.
Design-wise, the VSSL aesthetic drew inspiration from vintage Airstream trailers and aluminium-clad aeroplanes – that smooth metal look that wears scratches and scuffs as badges of honour. When a customer threw a VSSL off a mountain in a live YouTube video to test its durability, it survived unscathed. This wasn't surprising. These products were built for extremes.
From 2015 on, VSSL – pronounced "vessel," reflecting its core mission as a functional container for adventure essentials – started to establish itself in the outdoor gear space. The brand expanded beyond the Camp Supplies model to include a Flask version complete with shot glasses (for celebrating the journey, naturally), a First Aid edition, and even a whimsical Zombie model with a four-inch metal spike. Collaborations with outdoor giants like The North Face and Suunto followed, alongside a partnership with Sidetracked magazine for an exclusive range.
The company's "Voyagers" brand ambassador programme attracted respected outdoor professionals including adventurer Megan Hine and explorer Jill Brown. VSSL's products began accumulating remarkable stories – tales of people surviving genuine emergencies thanks to the VSSL stashed in their packs.
Yet for all the critical acclaim and survival stories, something unexpected was happening with VSSL's business model. The preparedness products – whilst impressive and potentially life-saving – suffered from an inherent commercial challenge: they were one-time purchases. Customers would buy a first aid kit or camp supplies canister, then store it away for emergencies. Outside of the holiday season, sell-through at wholesale remained frustratingly inconsistent.
"We've tried on that wholesale piece since the brand started in 2014," recalls David Marsala, who would become VSSL's president. "It's just that, outside of holiday, we weren't getting sell-through against the original products."
Then everything changed.
In the early 2020s, VSSL launched the Java coffee grinder. Built from the same design philosophy that defined their survival gear – military-grade aluminium construction, compact integration, rugged durability – the Java brought precision hand-grinding mechanics to outdoor enthusiasts who refused to compromise on their coffee experience.
The response was immediate and overwhelming. "That thing shot up to the No. 1 seller within the first three to four months and has become 45% of our overall business in one single SKU," Marsala reveals. The Java wasn't following the buy-it and-put-it-away pattern of preparedness gear. Coffee lovers were using it daily, at home and on adventures, and the demand continued growing.
The data was impossible to ignore. The Java grinder was outselling every other product in VSSL's catalogue, and it pointed towards a self-evident truth: they'd stumbled onto something that married their engineering excellence with a daily ritual that millions of people cherished.
"We saw the way consumers responded to this $160, high-end, premium coffee grinder built for rugged outdoor use," Marsala explains. "We were blown away by the initial demand and the continued demand we see for that product."
In summer 2021, facing the crossroads that define a company's trajectory, VSSL's leadership drafted a plan to reorient the entire business around coffee. It was a bold pivot – abandoning the survival gear identity they'd spent years cultivating to pursue a vision of outdoor coffee culture.
By spring 2024, VSSL had completed its transformation. The company unveiled a comprehensive rebrand with a new website dedicated entirely to integrated coffee systems and a manifesto crystallised in three words: "Drink Coffee Outside."
"Our transition into the outdoor coffee industry represents a natural progression for VSSL gear," Marsala announced. "With 'Drink Coffee Outside' as our sole focus, we are excited to embark on this journey to redefine outdoor coffee culture and solidify the customer experience."
The rebrand introduced the Spring 2024 collection, featuring the Nest Pour Over System, alongside the new Java G25 Grinder, its rich bronze and black colourways drawing inspiration from the coffee brewing process itself. The company's energy had shifted entirely.
Today, the Java line includes the G25 and G45 grinders, both engineered with a level of precision that justifies their premium pricing. The G25, standing just over 6 inches tall, offers 50 adjustable grind settings from superfine espresso grinds to coarse French press consistency. Its 420 stainless steel conical burrs and dual bearings eliminate the wobble that plagues inferior hand grinders, whilst the retractable handle converts into a carabiner for clip-on portability. The G45 shares these features but increases capacity from approximately 25 grams to 45 grams – perfect for brewing multiple cups.
Meanwhile, the Nest Pour Over System represents VSSL's commitment to compact integration – a design tenet that links everything they create. Made from 80% recycled stainless steel, the Nest features a dual-thread design allowing its components to stack into a single compact unit. When disassembled, it consists of two 10oz double-walled insulated mugs, a splash-proof lid, a pour-over dripper, and a storage connector that perfectly houses the Java G25 grinder: proof that good things really do come in small packages.
VSSL's target market initially focused on campers and vanlifers – people who wanted sturdy kit that could take being rattled and bumped around. The marketing emphasised durability over all else, with videos of Weimer driving his Jeep over the Nest system, twice.
But something unexpected happened. The coffee gear transcended its intended outdoor niche. Urban coffee enthusiasts discovered that VSSL's grinders delivered barista-quality results for home brewing. The Nest started to be seen on city balconies as well as the trailhead. Office workers who'd never pitched a tent were attaching Java grinders to their work bags.
The products worked anywhere because coffee is a universal ritual – one that connects people regardless of whether they're brewing up on the trail or at their kitchen counter.
To embody this expanding vision, VSSL created the Nomadic Coffee Bar – a coffee bar on wheels that spent the summer of 2024 travelling across the United States, from the Rockies to Oregon, pouring coffee and demonstrating gear. This mobile manifestation of "Drink Coffee Outside" appeared at events like Overland Expo Pacific Northwest, spreading the gospel of quality coffee untethered from coffee shop walls.
The pivot has proven prescient. VSSL's direct-to-consumer business continues growing strongly, and the company is finally gaining the wholesale traction that eluded them with survival gear. Coffee products naturally suit gift-giving occasions, making them perfect seasonal purchases. More importantly, customers return. They buy additional components, upgrade to larger grinders, and become evangelists for the brand.
Of course, the backwoods-bred qualities from the brand’s early days – compactness, durability, and clever integration – remain unchanged. What has evolved is the daily relevance. A first aid kit sits in your pack hoping never to be needed. A coffee grinder becomes part of your morning routine, a companion for all your adventures, and a tool that gets used on the daily.
In turn, the PVC pipe that once held fishing line and fire-starting materials has evolved into aerospace aluminium housing precision burrs and bearing systems. The survival priorities of fire, water, and shelter have transformed into extraction, temperature, and grind consistency.
But the fundamental question remains the same: What do you need to keep the adventure going? For VSSL, the answer used to involve emergency supplies for survival situations. Today, it involves exceptional coffee for everyday outdoor adventures.
VSSL has evolved from keeping people alive in the backcountry to helping them feel alive and alert, anywhere coffee can be brewed. It's still about preparation and readiness. It's just that the definition of essential has broadened to include those quiet morning rituals that make every adventure, whether in the wilderness or at home, worth waking up for.
