Everybody has to start somewhere.

I didn’t grow up as some survival expert or outdoorsman. Hunting for me was figuring out what I wanted to eat and driving around town until I found it. Camping was friends, tents, beer, the North Georgia mountains, a fire and probably some fast food before heading home the next day.

Then over the last couple of years I started paying more attention to preparedness, EDC and the skills that go with it. I started watching videos, reading, asking questions, building an emergency bag and trying to figure out what the hell I was doing.

Some people grew up learning this stuff. Some of us showed up about 30 years late and are trying to catch the hell up.

There’s nothing wrong with starting late. The only stupid part would be deciding it’s too late to start.

Then I saw what some of this stuff costs.

A $300 backpack. A $150 knife. A $50 ferro rod. Thousands of dollars sitting inside one emergency bag.

Some of that premium gear is absolutely worth the money, especially when your life or your job depends on it. I’m not here to pretend otherwise.

And I don’t think somebody should have to wait until they can afford the premium version of everything before they start learning. Sometimes you need something you can afford to use, practice with, beat up a little and figure out what actually works for you.

That’s why I’m doing this.

And hell yeah, if I’m already out there looking for good, affordable gear for people like me, maybe sourcing it for all of us helps all of us get a better damn deal.

I’m not gonna sit here and act holier than thou and pretend I’m doing this for charity. I’m building a business. I hope it does well. And yeah, I’ll probably find some cool shit for myself along the way. Sue me.

But that’s kind of the point. If I can find something worth using, get my hands on it, make sure it’s something I’d feel good selling, and offer it at a price that makes sense, we both win.

You get a better place to start. I get to build something I’m proud of.

The name is personal.

Early isn’t just part of the company name. It’s my last name.

If I’m going to put my family name on this, I want to build something I can be proud of—and something my daughters will be proud to know carries their name too.

That means the way I treat people, the gear I choose to sell and the promises I make ought to mean something. I want the name Earlybird to become something people can trust.