HOW WE GOT HERE

They say "no good story ever started with a salad" so we still have a chance to make this a good one! 

Way back in the year of 2012, the adventurer, Dustin Hogard, and the engineer, Nick Blackman, met for the first time, just outside of Houston, Texas with craft beers in hand. Two drastically different individuals with the same vision.

A vision that would soon be called Wazoo.

2.6 million years ago, our ancestors figured out that stone tools increased their capabilities. Our tools have changed, but the same holds in our modern lives. Tools increase capability, more capability gives you more options, and more options give you the freedom to choose!

We've got endless information at our fingertips thanks to our smartphones. You can answer nearly any question in a matter of seconds, but unless you need a paper weight, a phone won't do much in the way of being a physical resource.

That's where Wazoo comes in. The perfect melding of form and function that allows you to build a wide variety of tools into your everyday wear. With endless information at your fingertips and an arsenal of tools at hand, there's nothing to stop you from taking every one of life's adventures head-on!

So-called "survival bracelets" originated decades ago when deployed armed forces found themselves with time to kill and paracord to spare.

Wazoo certainly didn't invent the paracord bracelet, but we did bring the first wrist-borne wearable survival kit to the market, which ushered in a whole new industry of survival bracelets and keychains.

The Adventure Bracelet™ was the top-of-the-line bracelet from Wazoo. It included the patented Firestorm Buckle™, grade AA compass, fishing/repair kit, surgical tubing, and various signal surfaces.

Only a few months after moving out of Nick's garage and into a rented office/warehouse space, a camera battery spontaneously exploded in the middle of the night, spreading fiery destruction and bringing everything to a screeching halt. 

Now this would have ended most companies. Whether from lack of resources or the assumption of divine intervention, and what is "meant to be". But in true survival fashion, Dustin and Nick brushed it off and immediately began to pick up the pieces.

Though the two founders are complete opposites, it was apparent that their core values and deep-rooted passion were the common thread that would drive Wazoo. 

The Cache Belt™ Kickstarter project was the single biggest project Wazoo had undertaken. Wazoo created the modular Cache Belt™ system, which fits a 23-piece tool kit inside. It is no small feat to pack that kind of capability into a belt! 

After the belts were sewn and the kits assembled, there was a single keystone piece that once again challenged the team's willpower: the belt buckle.

This buckle should not have been a difficult piece of the puzzle. It should not have taken 5 different manufacturers, multiple sets of tooling, and almost 2 years to produce. But it did!

From surface flaws to poor coating, from improper dimensions to improper materials, it seemed no one was capable of the work they quoted.

Wazoo once again weathered the storm, shipped belts to over 7,000 (surprisingly happy) backers, and continued to push the boundaries of what everyday accessories are capable of. 

John Muir said, "The mountains are calling and I must go," and this seemed to be the case for the Wazoo Crew as well.

It was time to gear up for the next big adventure, and that was going to require a bigger team. So we uprooted from the stagnant, flat coast of Texas to seek the fresh air, mountains, and adventurous spirit of Colorado.

The new office space has wall-to-wall windows with a view of the Rocky Mountains, and there's coffee and beer on tap in the kitchen downstairs. It's an entrepreneur's dream!

Since our second Kickstarter launch in 2023, where we brought The Spark™ and The Viking Spark™ to life, Wazoo has entered a new era of growth and innovation.

With a growing team behind the scenes, we’ve been able to improve our classics, design brand-new gear, and keep pushing everyday carry further than ever.

We’ve refined our existing gear based on real user feedback, released bold new products that push the boundaries of what everyday carry can be, and doubled down on quality, customer support, and sustainability.

And through it all, our mission stays the same: to equip you with gear that’s as ready for adventure as you are.