In this bonus episode of The Cottage, we meet three companies that are family businesses in the truest sense. Bennett "Jolly" Fisher hiked the AT at 18 as a klingon of his dad's adventure, got his trail name from a Jolly Rancher, and now runs Jolly Gear alone: designing prints, packing orders, and hiking the CDT in his own product to test it. Ben McMillan has been sewing since high school and started Hilltop Packs when a waving bear he printed on a food bag went viral on Reddit; he built the company so his daughters could run it, his wife became the general manager, and he hired Tim Buckley after a secret three-day job interview disguised as a hiking trip to Dolly Sods. David Parrish dreamed the name OTTR in his sleep after fuming on the way home from a hike, imports textiles internationally, and manufactures sun hoodies in Mesa, Arizona; three days after finishing a 27-hour rim-to-rim-to-rim, he told his wife he needed to go back and beat 24 hours. She called him an idiot. These are the families behind the cottage brands: the ones who pack the orders, say yes to four-month hikes, and make the cottage a home.

Show Notes

The Cottage — Bonus Episode: "The Family Business"


The main series covered the makers, the designs, and the ecosystem. This bonus episode covers the families. Three cottage brands that started because somebody couldn't stop making things, and three families got pulled into the orbit. A one-man apparel company run by a triple crowner. A pack company born from a joke on Reddit, built for a father's daughters. And a sun hoodie brand dreamed up in a single night by a Grand Canyon obsessive whose wife has some thoughts about his adventures.


Featured Voices


Bennett Fisher (Jolly) — Founder, Jolly Gear. Triple Crowner (AT '15, PCT '18, CDT '24).


Ben McMillan — Founder, Hilltop Packs. Waynesburg, PA.


Tim Buckley — Content Creator, Hilltop Packs.


David Parrish (Dave) — CEO and Founder, Off the Trail Recreation (OTTR). Phoenix, AZ.


Links & Resources


Jolly Gear — jollygear.com | @jollygearr on Instagram


Hilltop Packs — hilltoppacks.com


Off the Trail Recreation (OTTR) — ottr-inc.com


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