Erik Gordon didn’t try his first cup of coffee until he was twenty-two years old and partway through a bike journey across America. It wasn’t a big decision: he was cold and the coffee was warm. But when Erik took his first sip, he was floored.

Suddenly he could see why communities gather and connect over this simple brew. He decided that this was what he was meant to be doing: making coffee and creating connections with America’s outdoor community of climbers, hikers and riders – a bunch of people who also live life doing the things they love.

So Erik bought a Volkswagen van and started Carabiner Coffee. He now travels the country in it, selling good coffee, good coffee beans and living his version of the good life.

There is no greater accomplishment than living a journey that is totally and completely yours. For me, that means travelling the country in an old VW van called Ol’ Blue, spreading love through simple cups of coffee. Coffee has the power to bring people together, and it’s my mission to use that connection to inspire people to take a chance and believe in the dream that keeps them up at night.

When I had my first cup of coffee, I was a dirtbag climber in search of the life of adventure I had always wanted. I drank a cup of coffee to keep warm on a cold coastal day, and it opened my eyes to new possibilities. From then on, travel and coffee and living a free life were connected in a way that I couldn’t seem to shake.

A few years later, after moving to Colorado, I started to learn the coffee trade inside and out. I soon gained enough knowledge and confidence to set out on my own coffee journey. I knew it also needed to be focused on nature and experiencing wild places.