38. Shackleton. The Brand that Prepares, Equips, and Inspires, Taking Cues From the Boss Himself

On top of the stack of the world’s expedition narratives, survival stories, and inspiring but hard-to-believe-they-are-true adventure books, sits Ernest Shackleton. The tale of the Endurance and Shackleton has become so legendary not only because of what he and his men did, but also because of how they did it: the underlying values they relied on, the character traits they exhibited, and the human feats of leadership and strength they enacted. Today On the Dogwatch we have the honor to talk with Martin Brooks, who co-founded the Shackleton brand with his partner Ian Holdcroft. In our conversation, Martin holds forth on Shackleton–known as “the Boss” to his men–and describes how they came to create the Shackleton brand, the values that it represents, and the reasons that quality gear is meaningful and essential for expeditions. We also discuss with Martin the various aspects of the Shackleton brand, such as their parkas, sweaters, clothing and platinum prints of Frank Hurley’s photographs, the expedition challenges they offer in such locations as Norway and Antarctica, as well as the newly minted Shackleton Medal that recognizes someone each year who has made a significant contribution to the protection of Earth’s polar regions. And don’t worry, along with looking to the future with the brand, we also look back at Shackleton’s adventures and discuss what we can learn from them. So pour yourself an extra ration of rum, or your chosen beverage, let your imagination drift to the distant horizon, and let’s get started with what is sure to be a very memorable Dogwatch.