Jamie Brownell: Climber, Kayaker, Skier, Scuba Diver

Jamie Brownell, who has worked at Outdoor Gear Exchange for 11 years, first managing the consignment department, then overseeing consignment, warranty and myriad other detail oriented things, has deep Vermont roots. Jamie was raised in the Queen City, but he's lived in the Adirondacks and Oregon as an adult -- Alabama, Maryland, and Turkey when he was a tot. When Jamie was in college, he put up many of the climbing routes that are now the most popular routes in Chittenden County, but he's also into kayaking (a sport he picked up at OGE), Scuba Diving (yes, even in Lake Champlain), and tele skiing. Jamie is headed to the Bahamas with his wife Devon in a few weeks to go Scuba diving, but before that he is squeezing in a day of skiing at Whiteface, and some arial scouting of new climbing routes with Mike and former OGE employee, Pilot Vid. "The best thing about OGE is my great co-workers," says Jamie.

Jamie's most memorable adventure: I traveled to Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California by myself on a Greyhound bus when I was in high school. I hitchhiked into the Park and hooked up with a friend and had the best week ever climbing all day long. Greyhound drivers went on strike while I was in the desert, so my buddy and I had to hitchhike to Los Angeles. The buses were still barely running, so it took us four and a half days to get back to NY, where a friend finally came to pick us up. It was so totally worth it even though I spent more time on the bus than I spent climbing." Jamie was Outdoor Gear Exchange's first sponsored athlete. He is a serious pool player (must be all those years competing in the Basement Olympics in pool, table tennis, darts, chess, foosball and hand shuffleboard), and has been sponsored by Three Needs, one of Burlington's best bars, for several years. This year he is taking a break from the 30-week pool league to go on vacation, and to finish building his new shuffleboard table. Jamie's dream trip? "Get back to Yosemite and have good weather while there." Jamie's favorite backcountry meal? Pepperoni stick and cheese And, his favorite piece of gear: Petzl Mini Traxion (Pulley, ascender, wall hauler, self belay device, adventure all in one gizmo) What Jamie takes with him on adventures: Climbing: La Sportiva Miura, Petzl Corax, Edeweiss Axis 10.3, and one of the last to use hexes and rigid stem Friends along with the new gadgets. Winter: Atomic Kongur w/ Voile Hardwire and Scarpa T1. Paddling: Riot Trek Flight 12.5, Riot Excursion 15, Ocean Kayak Scrambler 11, Ocean Kayak Sidekick (Ocean Kayak sit on tops are for Kayak diving), Current Designs carbon fiber paddle.