Mike Donohue: OGE Co-Owner And Multi Sport Machine

Name: Mike Donohue

From: Richmond, VT

Age: 36

OGE Position: “Instigator” and co-owner

Lifetime Achievements: Hiked the Long Trail in two weeks, biked 288 miles around Lake Champlain in 21 hours, traveled and climbed, kayaked, hiked, skied and biked in Mongolia, Nepal, Thailand, Peru, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Belize, New Zealand, Greenland, Australia, Japan.

OGE: How many years have you worked at OGE?

MD: Seventeen. I was OGE’s first employee.

OGE: What makes you tick?

MD: I love experiencing the wild places of the world, and all the beauty there is in diverse landscapes, from turkeys, deer, moose and owls in my backyard in Vermont to mountain sheep and cougars in British Columbia, and whales in Greenland. That makes me tick, and so does pushing myself hard physically. I like being out in extreme weather, high winds, deep cold, in the dark, not really knowing where I am. It gives me perspective on other less-than-ideal conditions–they’re then not so bad. So I pretty much can enjoy any outdoor experience. When my wife Berne and I and our dog Ember hiked the Long Trail in 2010, we had four days where the high was 40, the low was barely above freezing and it rained every day. We still covered about 70 miles over those days. Out packs were as light as we could get them, with the minimum of what wee needed to be safe and nothing more.

OGE: What’s the heaviest thing in your pack? 

MD: Either a camera or a rope. I am also a photographer. I love to shoot landscapes. I have a great time with a macro lens shooting everything I can find up close. And I like to capture myself and friends playing in the outdoors. I probably have more pictures of my dog, Ember, than anything else.

OGE: Can you shed some light on your title, Instigator?

MD: I manage the buying team, warehouse and web development team, and so instigate change there, but it also comes from 17-years at the store and trying to maintain our fun work environment. I take it upon myself to make sure that people don’t just come to work to do their job, but that when they are at work they’re also having fun. Most of us spend more time at work than anywhere else. We should be enjoying ourselves and get the job done.

OGE: What trips are on your bucket list?

MD: There are so many. Mountain bike the length of VT on singletrack, my first motorcycle road trip, finish off the Adirondack 46ers, rock climbing in China are a few.

OGE: What’s the most important lesson outdoor adventuring has taught you?

MD: That generally everything works out. The outdoors also teaches you to value what’s important. When you’re 10-days in on a wilderness trip, what’s important are your friends, your time… You live in the present, you don’t generally worry too much about the future.

OGE: What are your go-to favorite pieces of gear?

MD: For skiing, the new Dynafit Radical bindings are the ultimate performance ski touring bindings: light, durable, user friendly. For climbing, the Black Diamond Gridlock ‘biner: it prevents crossloading when you’re belaying. For hiking, the Black Diamond Distance Trekking Poles—they’re so light and compact you never think twice about not bringing them. I’d be remiss not to mention the Mammut RAS airbag packs for ski touring. While airbag packs are just becoming popular, they are the biggest insurance policy you can buy when you’re in snow country. The Mammut is the most comfortable to carry, and it’s inexpensive to recharge. Airbag packs are still expensive, but they will be the standard in the next few years. My number one piece of survival gear: the Petzl e+lite. It has gotten me out of lots of situations. I carry one all the time.

OGE: Have you always loved the outdoors?

MD: Absolutely. I grew up hiking, skiing, visiting the National Parks with my family. I grew up in a town with a small scouting council that was fully outdoor skills focused. The Scout introduced me to climbing, skiing and multiday camping.

OGE: Every year there is new gear technology. Do you need it to have a great experience in the outdoors?

MD: Yes--absolutely, and no--of course not. If you look at porters in Peru or Nepal or what the pioneers of our sports were using for equipment, its obvious that you can accomplish a lot wearing cotton and boiled wool, carrying a basket as a pack, and hiking in flip flops. But at the same time, durable, lightweight gear designed for the task at hand certainly enhances the experience. One of the services we provide to OGE customers is helping them sift through what is important about gear and what isn’t. Sometime a person will come in and deliberate over which skis to buy without having boots that fit well. We try to guide people so that they’ll have the very best experience outdoors. It often starts with pain free feet and a pack that fits well.

OGE: What do you want people to know about you?

MD: I heat my house entirely with wood. A couple of years ago, I tore out my oil furnace and replaced it with a second wood stove. It’s more work, but I love the connection to the land and the very physical connection to my heat. Every piece of wood I burn I’ve touched at least four times—taking it out of the forest, stacking it, and eventually brining it inside to burn.

OGE: Do you have a nickname?

MD: It was lung and ponytail, but now that I cut my hair, I need to find a new one. Berne calls me Duracell Donohue.