Rockgeist, one of our favorite bagmakers, was directly impacted by Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic flooding over the weekend, resulting in immense damage to their shop in Asheville, North Carolina. Lucy Kruesel, a former Rockgeist employee, started a GoFundMe campaign to help kickstart their recovery. Learn more here…

As we shared yesterday, western North Carolina was hit hard by Hurricane Helene, receiving an historic amount of rainfall and causing cataclysmic flooding, landslides, and entire communities being wiped out. The city of Asheville saw more than its fair share of the devastation, with the French Broad River cresting at a level that broke the previous record set during the historic flood of 1916.

Rockgeist’s shop is located just uphill from the river and was completely submerged after the river breached the main entrance. Several machines and a lot of materials were destroyed, and Rockgeist’s next steps are unclear right now. Lucy Kruesel, a former Rockgeist employee, has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help get Rockgeist to a point where they can begin rebuilding. This means supporting the Rockgeist staff and their families, purchasing and repairing equipment and materials, and finding a new shop space. If it’s available to you, please make a donation here.

  • Rockgeist Hurricane Helene
  • Rockgeist Hurricane Helene

An Update from Rockgeist’s Founder

Words by Greg Hardy

When I started rockgeist, it was just me and I could bear a burden like this loss. The reality is things are different now. There are seven people with families that depend on me and the decisions I make. I care for my team like they are my family, and I owe it to them to put them in the best position to pull through this and come out better than before. This fundraiser will help do just that.

This money will be used to rebuild. Some of it will replace items we lost. Some of it will be used to move in new and different directions. Some of it will be used to take care of the people that create our new path forward.

This new path will be slow and deliberate. We will use this as an opportunity to take what we have learned over the last 10 years and continue to create meaningful ways to contribute to the Bikepacking world.

We sincerely thank you for reading our story and hope you consider being part of our re-growth as a customer, donor, or volunteer.

Stay safe and please take care of each other during these painful times.

Greg Hardy, Owner

Financial information: Estimated loss in equipment, materials, and finished goods: $150k-$200k; Approximate lost payroll and benefits: $30k/month

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