Common Climber Marketplace - Interviews of small climbing-related business owners
Each owner has something unique and interesting to say...
Each owner has something unique and interesting to say...
ELIRA Apparel creates outdoor activewear pants and underwear to be able to pee, when nature calls, without having to pull your pants down around your knees and without having to take off your harness. In this Common Climber Marketplace interview, we feature ELIRA Apparel creator, Kelly McCombs.
Introduction by Stefani Dawn
Before getting into the interview, I want to take a moment to orient our readers to the Elira products, how I came across them, what I think of them, and why I wanted to do this interview. First off, what is Elira Apparrel?
ELIRA Apparel’s products allow us the freedom to take care of business without having to pull our pants down. Finally.
ELIRA Apparel’s products allow us the freedom to take care of business without having to pull our pants down. Finally.
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ELIRA pants have a patented invisible YKK 2-to-4-way, front-to-back/back-to-front zipper pull, so basically the pants split open from front to back or back to front - which ever way you need.
There are currently two styles of pants. The Baret Pants are a sleek and minimal style 5-pocket pant (these are the tan pants I am wearing in the photo.) Although slim-fitting, the pocket is large and deep and, amazingly, fits my big phone. The Adams Pant, which are in black, is a cargo style pant with nine - yes, nine -pockets (I'm wearing these in the second photo). Both styles are made from Nylon/Bamboo/Lycra fast drying, snag resistant, breathable and water resistant 2-to-4 way stretch material made for the outdoors. I'm just gonna say, I have MANY pairs of outdoor pants (hello Prana!) but none of the materials of my other pants feel like the material used in the ELIRA pants. The only way I can describe it is that the ELIRA material feels simultaneously super durable and luxurious. Not only do these pants stretch amazingly when I am climbing (even the slim fitting Baret Pant), they are holding up to the desert. I live in Las Vegas and often scrape up against sharp plants - cat claw and scrub oak being two of the most challenging - on approaches and descents. I also boot scoot down steep terrain and almost instantly lose my back pockets in other pants and rapidly get holes. So far, these are holding up impressively. I purchased both the Baret and Adams pants during the ELIRA Apparel Kickstarter in January-February 2021 (yes, two years ago, which we talk about in the interview below) because I loved the concept. Admittedly, I was nervous about purchasing pants without having tried them on. Plus, I felt like I was taking a chance on the quality. But, I loved the concept enough that I wanted to give it a go because my favorite style of climbing is big multipitch climbs. I can tell you first hand, if you have to pee while on a ledge 500 feet off the ground, it is not easy for a person without a penis! (And yes, I have tried those pee funnels with horrible - and in hind-sight hilarious - outcomes...) |
Common Climber Editor-in-Chief Stefani Dawn wearing her ELIRA Baret pants. The pants are a great length, sinch up around the ankles so they keep out plant matter and do not ever get in the way of my climbing, and the stretch in all the ways I need to climb. I can also go pee without having to take anything off. (Photo Credit: Rick Momsen)
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When I received the pants nearly two years later in December 2022 (again, more on that in a bit) I have to say, I was super impressed with the material, the fit, and the design. I was also impressed with Kelly McComb's perseverance to overcome the major challenges thrown her way. These things are what made me want to do an interview and feature ELIRA in Common Climber's small business Marketplace.
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Before we dig into the interview, I think it would benefit our readers to get a little more oriented to the ELIRA products.
The sleek and minimal Baret Pants have a large/deep trim/flat-style leg pocket that can fit a large phone, maps, snacks, etc. There are also two deep back pockets. This is amazing to me because one thing that drives me nuts is that women's pants are notoriously bad for pockets. The Adams Pants are a “super-pocket heaven,” two front pockets, with two large cargo style pockets (and Lycra pockets inside of pockets), deep back pockets, and a secret pocket for credit cards and keys. Plus, they’re not those baggy type of cargo pockets that look like they have a life of their own on your legs. I noticed how they are stitched down in the center and at the bottom corners and yet still hold room for storage. Elira also created underwear to go with the pants to make it easier to go pee. When I placed my original Kickstarter order, I did not get the underwear. I thought "I don't need to spend money on that, I can just pull my panties to the side." Later I did get a pair of their Freedom Underwear. Here is what I like about those panties. (1) They are made of Polartec Power Dry which promotes a fast drying, breathable, high wicking performance fabric. (2) You can easily open the panties to go pee without having your grimy hands touching the crotch. (Ladies, we all know why keeping our parts clean and dry is important...) Now that we've provided a basic overview, let's get into the interview! |
Common Climber Editor-in-Chief Stefani Dawn purchased both types of ELIRA pants in the Kickstarter back in January 2021. These are the ELIRA Adams Pants, which have nine deep pockets and the same hidden front-to-back/back-to-front zipper. (Photo Credit: Rick Momsen)
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Unzipping the ELIRA Adams pant.
The Interview: Kelly McCombs - ELIRA Apparel Creator
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Q: I'd like to start with the Kickstarter. Back in January-February 2021 you launched a Kickstarter campaign for these pants. What made you decide to go the Kickstarter route and was this your first time to do a Kickstarter?
Yes, this was my first Kickstarter, and I can say I’ve always been a fan of backing creators, new ideas, and innovation. So, I thought, why not jump in and see what happens. Q: You encountered some major manufacturing challenges, which we will touch on later, but how was the Kickstarter experience for you?
Let’s just say, I would have found it a great experience if I could have gone from Kickstarter to fulfillment. The challenges I faced with the pandemic, the manufacturing, the supply chain, and port disruptions just kept hitting me…one right after the other. It was relentless. Q: What was your process for creating, testing, and refining the design?
First, I created a design in my mind, then I filed for a utility patent. After that I started prototyping, and testing fabrics. As for the zipper, I wanted a pair of pants that held the DNA of our own "Super Powers.” Hence, the Invisible Zipper. |
Elira creator Kelly McCombs with pups Ellie and Winston.
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NOTE ON THE VIDEO BELOW: It says "Now on Kickstarter" - the Kickstarter is over but this video provides a perspective from a rock climber and it shows how the ELIRA underwear work.
Q: Tell us more about your background - in business, in manufacturing products, and in the outdoors. Also, do you rock climb?
No, I never really got into rock climbing. Snowshoeing, hiking, and spending all my time with my two Border Collies, Ellie and Winston and their adventures consumed my time outdoors, which leads into how ELIRA was born.
My background is in interior design and product development. Within that field I’ve watched traditional fabrics turn into high performance work horses and I believe they are the fabrics of our future, indoors and outdoors.
ELIRA was born while spending time outdoors and within the frustration of having to pee without being caught with my pants down around my knees. I have wondered, why after all this time hasn’t anyone done anything about ? If they can put a man on the moon, why can’t they make a pair of pants for a woman to squat and pee without our pants down around our knees?
I decided, given my background in product development I could create a solution, and so I did.
No, I never really got into rock climbing. Snowshoeing, hiking, and spending all my time with my two Border Collies, Ellie and Winston and their adventures consumed my time outdoors, which leads into how ELIRA was born.
My background is in interior design and product development. Within that field I’ve watched traditional fabrics turn into high performance work horses and I believe they are the fabrics of our future, indoors and outdoors.
ELIRA was born while spending time outdoors and within the frustration of having to pee without being caught with my pants down around my knees. I have wondered, why after all this time hasn’t anyone done anything about ? If they can put a man on the moon, why can’t they make a pair of pants for a woman to squat and pee without our pants down around our knees?
I decided, given my background in product development I could create a solution, and so I did.
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Q: Obviously these pants are great for any outdoor activity, but they are particularly helpful for rock climbing and the ability to go to the bathroom without taking off your harness. How did you make the connections with climbing and climbers?
I have friends who climb and complain about how guys don’t have this problem. It leads to women not wanting to hydrate their bodies and this leads to health issues that then arise from lack of hydration in all outdoor sports activities. Nothing worse than holding your bladder hanging off the side of a rock. It all seems so barbaric anymore. Q: You had a manufacturing plan set up when you launched the Kickstarter. What happened?
I did. I was all set in Los Angeles, California to manufacture our products. I wanted everything to be USA made. That sweet dream took a turn for the worse…bit-by-bit. The Covid pandemic turned into “the perfect storm” - so to speak. The fabric was delayed, port disruptions were a nightmare, air fare jumped by an additional $35K when the fabric was ready to ship and be manufactured. |
ELIRA apparel works great in all conditions and settings. Here they are at Wee’s Present Wall at Railay Beach, Thailand.
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Q: You had to make a new manufacturing plan. How did you decide on the materials you chose and the factory to make the pants?
Nothing changed as far as the materials. I just had to reroute supplies. That wasn’t as easy as it sounds. (think customs) …and we’re not, going to go there.
Slowly the reality set in and the American Dream started unravelling when I realized I couldn’t affordably mass produce in the United States. There’s a lot of money that goes into making a product and you must be able to pay your bills.
When the port disruptions became so severe, I pivoted to overseas production. In my head and on paper that sounded like a great thing to do. But there were other hurdles that became unexpected battlefields to fight through - and still more delays. ….and yes, I cried a lot. After all, it was an elephant I was dancing with.
Nothing changed as far as the materials. I just had to reroute supplies. That wasn’t as easy as it sounds. (think customs) …and we’re not, going to go there.
Slowly the reality set in and the American Dream started unravelling when I realized I couldn’t affordably mass produce in the United States. There’s a lot of money that goes into making a product and you must be able to pay your bills.
When the port disruptions became so severe, I pivoted to overseas production. In my head and on paper that sounded like a great thing to do. But there were other hurdles that became unexpected battlefields to fight through - and still more delays. ….and yes, I cried a lot. After all, it was an elephant I was dancing with.
Q: I received the pants in early December 2022 – nearly two years after the Kickstarter ended. You made sure to keep the backers up-to-date on the status, but I had basically written off ever receiving the pants. As a backer of a Kickstarter, you understand that is part of the risk - you are backing something new. There are plenty of Kickstarter projects that never get fulfilled. You could have just walked away. What kept you going?
I believed in me. I believed in my backers - they were counting on me and I’m simply not a quitter. I’ve been in business long enough to know, there’s an answer to everything. The expression, when God closes a door, he opens a window somewhere. I had someone say, I wouldn’t blame you if you quit. I had people say it couldn’t be done. After that, I kept to myself and just fought the battle.
I believed in me. I believed in my backers - they were counting on me and I’m simply not a quitter. I’ve been in business long enough to know, there’s an answer to everything. The expression, when God closes a door, he opens a window somewhere. I had someone say, I wouldn’t blame you if you quit. I had people say it couldn’t be done. After that, I kept to myself and just fought the battle.
Q: In the introduction above I mention the quality of the pants - the material, the design, the seams, and sewing. I was impressed. You could have cut corners, but you didn't. Tell us more about that.
First off, let’s talk pockets. Again, why? Why are pants made with so few or such tiny pockets in women’s clothing? Men have deep pockets, especially in outdoor activewear. If you’re going to make a product, why not make it quality? I’m simply a perfectionist and I like nice things. The fabrics I picked withstand long term wear without having to wash them as much. These fabrics breathe and dry quickly. This is one form of sustainability, and less water and energy usage. I also believe that paying for a quality pair of pants designed to last years of wear and tear, versus buying several that don’t last, in the end costs us less. I encourage people to rethink their strategy when shopping for outdoor wear. You may pay more upfront for quality, but ultimately you’ll be saving in your pocketbook, and you’ll actively be a part of helping the environment. |
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Q: Where are you today with ELIRA your business and what are your goals and next steps?
I just wrapped up my Kickstarter fulfillment - yeah! We are currently taking preorders on our website and I’m already putting together the next order to fill the preorders. When I designed my pants, I never wanted a logo on the outside. So, it wasn’t until recently I created and designed my logo, the phoenix - it’s a powerful symbol. I purposely have hidden my logo on the inside of the pants. This was important to me. I wanted our pants to look like a regular pair of pants - so only you know what your pants can do for you, and we intend to keep it that way. As for the future of ELIRA I’m busy designing and there’s more on the board, so we shall just all have to wait and see. The future is looking like we’re going to have more freedom with our bodies. One thing for sure, to “pee with freedom!” 
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Frenchman Coulee in Quincy, Washington
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Q: Do you have any last words or thoughts for our readers?
Never stop dreaming and believing how powerful we are as women; how beautiful you are and how beautiful your body is. If I could say one last thing, please remember we will get ahead faster in this world, when we lift women up and truly support one another, instead of tearing each other down. “That’s Living the Power of Freedom.”….that’s ELIRA Freedom.
Never stop dreaming and believing how powerful we are as women; how beautiful you are and how beautiful your body is. If I could say one last thing, please remember we will get ahead faster in this world, when we lift women up and truly support one another, instead of tearing each other down. “That’s Living the Power of Freedom.”….that’s ELIRA Freedom.