At last week’s Chamber meeting the Forks Chamber Business Showcase featured two businesses, both fairly new to the West End. Jake Morrison of Luxe Hiking Gear and Mitch Whorton of Rainforest Outdoors and Adventures shared what they do and future plans for expansion.

Luxe Hiking Gear set up shop in the corner of the old Vagabond in 2018. Owner Jake Morrison sells unique shelters for backpacking and bad-weather camping. His storefront also serves as a distribution center for his online sales. He ships out 20 – 70 items a week, to locales all over the world, and has recently hired three employees to help and plans to hire more.

The shelters weigh about 15 – 35 pounds and are stove compatible, great for hunters. “E-commerce shoppers never stop shopping orders come in 24 hours a day,” Morrison said, adding, he may be looking for a larger warehouse facility in the future but will keep the business in the Forks Area.

Morrison does most of his marketing on YouTube. The videos show the different styles of tents, tipi’s and set up etc.

For more information check out the website at luxe-hiking-gear.com, or stop by 81 N. Forks Ave., Suite A, or phone 877-360-5893.

Rainforest Outdoors and Adventures is the new business venture of Mitch Whorton and Kaylee Wood. They first set up and purchased the old At Work Tavern north of Forks (look for the Bigfoot carving out front). Then later acquired the adjacent 28 acres of property and recently completed a campground area on the property.

They have 5 RVs they will place at their campground or at other campgrounds within a 20-mile area. Whorton also does a little guiding and recently quit his job to go fulltime at getting the 28-site campground ready. The campground is family and pet-friendly and has a little playground area set up and tetherball!

Whorton hopes to later set up the former tavern building with camping and outdoor equipment and offer propane too. Rainforest Outdoors and Adventures can be contacted on their Facebook page or at 360-640-2648, they hope to be open at the campground mid-May.

After the Chamber meeting, Whorton hosted a tour of the new Campground just off Hwy 101 near the Sol Duc Bridge. The bend in the Sol Duc borders the campground area. Each camping site has a picnic table. Photo Christi Baron