More Than a T-Shirt: Why We Opened the Green Climbers Home Shop

At the end of last season, I received a message from Nacho, one of our guests. He had lost his Belaytionship shirt and asked whether we could somehow send him a new one to Canada. He loved the design so much that he had even gotten a tattoo of it. I felt truly honored that something I had designed had become so personal to someone.

We had already been playing with the idea of setting up a print-on-demand shop. We have far too many designs, and choosing which ones to print - in which colors, sizes, and quantities is always difficult. Storage space at the camp is also very limited. As a result, we can usually stock only two designs in one color each. We cannot offer children’s sizes at all, and every season we inevitably run out of certain sizes.

But the shop is about more than making our designs available around the world. The additional income comes at an important time for Green Climbers Home. After the fire, the Camp 2 restaurant still has not been rebuilt, and the planned railway line through the valley eventually force us to relocate Camp 2. The proceeds from the shop will help us pay our staff during the coming season and contribute to the funds needed to move Camp 2 out of the railway’s path and build a safer, more fire-resistant restaurant. A few T-shirts will not solve every problem, but every order will help make the future of the camp a little more secure.

Many guests have asked if they can donate directly and we are genuinely grateful that people want to support Green Climbers Home. At the same time, we see ourselves as a business rather than a charity. While previous fundraising campaigns helped the camp recover from difficult situations, the current management would prefer to build a sustainable future through the services and products we offer rather than relying on donations. That is one of the reasons we created this shop. A shirt is something many people will eventually need anyway, and purchasing one allows you to support the camp while receiving something useful in return. 

At checkout, you also have the option to leave a tip. This is entirely voluntary and is not a donation to Green Climbers Home as a business. All tips are passed directly to our Lao staff as a thank-you for their work. We are, of course, very grateful for every tip. If you don't need a shirt, please don't feel obligated to buy one. We do not want to encourage unnecessary consumption simply for the sake of raising money.

One of the best ways to support Green Climbers Home is still to visit the camp, recommend us to other climbers, return for another trip, buy a guidebook, or share your experiences with friends. The fact that so many people have offered to help already means a lot to us, and we are deeply grateful for that support.

But if your old GCH shirt is worn out - or, God forbid, stolen - if you are looking for something cute for your little ones, or if a fellow climber needs a present to help them through those high-gravity days, we have you covered. And if you are sitting somewhere cold, dreaming of Laos, you no longer have to settle for just any warm hoodie. You can wear one that reminds you of those laid-back days as a Tropical Alpinist. Wherever you are, you can now dress as though you were still Living at the Crag.