About Symbiosis Gear:
Outdoor Gear for People with Boobs
Where Fit Meets Adventure
Symbiosis Gear is a women-owned, trail-tested company born out of necessity. We are fueled by a mission to empower adventurers with femme bodies. We create backpacking gear designed with a deep understanding of what fits and performs best for those who often struggle to find comfort in standard gear.
Our Story
Symbiosis Gear began when our founder, Sarah Berkeley, faced a challenge all too familiar to femme-bodied people in the outdoors: finding a pack that truly fits. As an experienced thru-hiker, Sarah spent countless miles on the Pacific Crest Trail, with uncomfortable and restrictive backpacks. She reached out to an existing company with design suggestions, only to be met with silence.
Determined to change the industry, Sarah launched Symbiosis Gear in 2024 to make high-quality, outdoor gear specifically designed to meet the unique needs of femme-bodies people. Our flagship product, The Aspen, is a frameless ultralight pack that eliminates common pain points like “boob squish” and movement restrictions. This is just the beginning, with plans for a full line of backpacks and outdoor gear designed for femme bodies.
Our Mission: Making Outdoor Adventures More Accessible
At Symbiosis Gear, we believe that everyone deserves gear that fits—not just physically but also with a sense of belonging in the outdoor world. Our mission is simple but bold: to provide gear that enables women and femme-bodied hikers to enjoy their time outdoors without worrying about uncomfortable equipment. By making the outdoors more accessible and enjoyable, we hope to inspire more people to explore, push limits, and feel confident on every adventure, whether on a weekend day hike or a 3,000-mile thru-hike.
“ There are enough barriers for women in the outdoors, finding gear that fits shouldn’t be one of them.”
- Sarah “Mellow!” Berkeley, Symbiosis Gear founder
Why Symbiosis Gear?
The outdoor industry is saturated with gear designed primarily for stereotypical male bodies. At Symbiosis Gear, we’re doing something different. We prioritize comfort, functionality, and performance for those with femme bodies, understanding that our bodies have a lot of variables and our gear needs to be designed differently so that it fits in a way that’s freeing, not restrictive.
Our Values:
Fit for Femme Bodies: Gear that’s built to complement the natural shape and movement of femme bodies.
Designed with Purpose: We don’t just pink it and shrink it — we start from scratch to meet your specific needs.
Sustainability & Integrity: As people who love the outdoors, we take responsibility for protecting it. Our designs are made to last, reducing waste and the need for replacements.
What’s in a Name: Why I Chose Symbiosis Gear
When deciding what to name my business, I kept returning to trees and their incredible symbiotic relationship with mammals and the planet. Trees use resources—sunlight, air, water, soil, and nutrients—and, in turn, they give back abundantly. They provide habitats for birds, squirrels, and insects, clean the air for us, offer shade, and in some cases, produce food like nuts and fruit.
I wondered: could a business operate in a similar way? Could it form a symbiotic relationship with people and the planet? I knew creating gear would require resources—fabric, transportation, human effort, and time. My aspiration, however, is that the positive impact Symbiosis Gear brings to the world matches or even outweighs the resources we consume.
If our gear empowers femme-bodied individuals to experience joy, adventure, and freedom in the outdoors, that contribution is deeply meaningful. It’s a bold step toward healing the harm caused by patriarchy and creating a more inclusive world.
I’m also deeply inspired by the lessons trees teach us when we slow down to observe and listen. This connection to trees is why all of our packs are named after them—they remind us of resilience, generosity, and interconnectedness.
We’re not there yet, but striving toward this lofty goal is what drives me every day.
Thank you for being part of this journey. 🌲
- Sarah “Mellow!” Berkeley, founder
Join Our Mission for Inclusive Gear
Our vision is to see the outdoor industry filled with gear options that reflect a commitment to inclusivity, helping foster greater diversity on the trails. We’re proud to be one of the first outdoor gear companies focused entirely on the mission of serving femme-bodied adventurer, and we’re thrilled to have you on this journey with us.
Let’s make the outdoors a place for everyone. Welcome to Symbiosis Gear: where it’s not just about what it looks like, but how it feels.