Skip to navigation Skip to content
Darby Logo white
About Services Our Clients The Darby Way Let’s Talk

A PR & digital marketing agency representing outdoor, endurance, hunt/fish, and mountain lifestyle companies.

Learn About Our Approach

An Extension of Your Marketing Team

Darby Communications is a fun-loving, hard-working team of communicators who bring a fresh approach to PR and digital marketing. We combine original ideas with good old elbow grease to deliver extraordinary campaigns and events. Never a one-person show, we incorporate teamwork into every aspect of our work and consider ourselves an extension of your marketing team.

Our Services
TWO WOMEN ROCK CLIMBING WITH CRASH PAD BELOW ONE OF THEM AND THE OTHER WOMAN SPOTTING THE ONE.

Case Studies

View All

Designing Tailored Media Events

Designing a multilayered new product campaign

Strengthening Authority Through Thought Leadership

Amazing Clients
HydraPak Home
Travoca home page
AFFILIATIONS
Asheville Chamber of Commerce logo Living Wage Logo NCORC_Logo
October was a month of travels from Maine to NYC t October was a month of travels from Maine to NYC to CO for our team! You could find a few of us:
🛶 Paddling the Allegash River at a custom Jetboil media event
🏙️ Slinging samples and talking new products at the Rendezvous media event in NYC
🥇 Winning PR Agency of the Year and mingling with some of our favorite media at the Outdoor Media Summit
A true leader in the office and on the trail, toda A true leader in the office and on the trail, today we celebrate Assistant Media Relations Director Katie Richter, who has been with Darby Comm for 7 years!! 

💥Katie is a creative force in work and life and we are so glad she’s on our team! Share your favorite Katie memories in the comments below!
Ryan Chelius grew up hunting and fishing with his Ryan Chelius grew up hunting and fishing with his father in New York, which instilled a passion in him for conservation and public lands. Today, he is an avid waterfowl hunter, fly fisherman, and outdoorsman, as well as the senior editor at Field & Stream. 

We recently interviewed Ryan to learn more about his life as an editor at a leading hunt and fish publication and where he stands in his pursuit of the North American Waterfowl Grand Slam at the age of 27. Find the full interview on our blog in our bio.
September was a month full of incredible coverage! September was a month full of incredible coverage! We highlight a few that made us want to 🕺
On the anniversary of Hurricane Helene, we are hap On the anniversary of Hurricane Helene, we are happy for the amazing recovery efforts that have taken place in just 12 months, and we know there is still so far to go for this region. For our team, it is easy to forget what was happening in the months after the storm when there was no water in our homes or at our office, no internet except in limited areas for almost a full month. We opened our homes to each other, met in community spaces, and volunteered in a multitude of ways to do something to help. 

One of our staff members, Abby Harris, had the forethought to screenshot some of our messages to each other during that time, which in hindsight now makes us all laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation we were in and how we just kept working like life was normal -- because isn't that how we all cope with the absurd? From showering in bank and grocery store parking lots at public showers to lugging 5-gallon Jerrycans of water up to our offices so we could flush the toilets and make coffee, it was an interesting end to 2024. So, in honor of the one-year anniversary of this natural disaster, we want to bring a little humor to the day because laughter and camaraderie are what helped us through it all and kept us sane.
We've been eager to share this news, and the day h We've been eager to share this news, and the day has finally arrived! RE:PUBLIC, a new nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization dedicated to covering America’s 660 million acres of public land, officially launches this fall. Founded by former Outside Magazine editor-in-chief Christopher Keyes, RE:PUBLIC will educate, inform, and entertain readers by spotlighting important trends and threats to public lands access and ownership

RE:PUBLIC emerges as a robust journalistic resource during a time of unprecedented threats to public lands, including budget and personnel cuts, the gutting of environmental regulations, and proposals for land transfers and selloffs. 

Check out the RE:PUBLIC site at our link in bio to sign up for the newsletter and read a letter from Keyes highlighting why this is needed now more than ever before.
We're excited to welcome Lems to the Darby Comm fa We're excited to welcome Lems to the Darby Comm family! As longtime fans of the brand, our team is thrilled to be working with such an iconic footwear brand in the outdoor industry. As the brand's agency of record, we'll be spearheading strategic media relations, affiliate marketing, and media events. Drop a comment and tell us your favorite Lems style!
When consumers connect on a personal level with a When consumers connect on a personal level with a brand, it helps them gain insight into the stories of the people who work there, and ultimately, bridges the gap from one-time buyer into lifelong customer and brand advocate. 

Recently, BRANWYN's COO and CFO, Sarah Cumming was interviewed on Tarin It Up Podcast with host Tarin O'Donnell. The episode lets listeners take a deep dive into Sarah's role at BRANWYN and who she is outside of the company. They touch on living in Squamish, B.C., Sarah's history in the skate world, and what it is that makes BRANWYN so special. Check out the full episode in our link in bio.
The moment we've been working towards for months i The moment we've been working towards for months is HERE! Today marks TRAVOCA USA's official Kickstarter launch of its flagship product: the Rigel DZ eCooler.
 
The Rigel DZ eCooler is perfect for the adventure community who's seeking elegantly rugged gear that's built for the trail but designed for the table. Available in four sizes (25L, 35L, 45L, 60L), this eCooler features dual-zone cooling for customizable temperature control (meaning you can have your Ben and Jerry's and your salad in the same cooler).
 
Go check out their Kickstarter campaign at our link in bio, which runs through August 30 with product delivery expected in September!
Last week was incredible! Here are some stats from Last week was incredible! Here are some stats from our team’s nationwide travel for ICAST, Summer OMA, and NYC Holiday Gift Guide shows:

✅ 3 Media Shows
✅ 3 Awards
✅ 7 Brands
✅ 11 Darby Comm team members
✅ 208 Media Appointments ‼️ 

Thanks to all media personnel we connected with — meeting you in person is one of the best parts of our jobs!
Now that we got your attention with cute dog pics, Now that we got your attention with cute dog pics, head over to our blog to find out who these two cuties are and what else the Darby Comm team has been up to these past few months! Link to the blog is in our bio. 🐶
Team Darby is headed all over the country next wee Team Darby is headed all over the country next week to meet with media on behalf of our clients! You can find us at the: 

⛰️ @outdoormarketalliance Media Event where we'll be representing brands KUIU, Farm to Feet, TRAVOCA USA, and HydraPak, LLC,

🎣 the @keepamericafishing @icastshow with Shimano North America Holding, Inc. and Johnson Outdoors, or at

🗽 the annual NYC Holiday Gift Guide Media Event with brands Mountain House and Farm to Feet.

If you're at one of these shows, be sure to stop by and say hello! We look forward to seeing old friends and making new connections.

In this pic: just a few of the friendly Darby faces you'll see on the road next week.
In Matthew Kadey's latest Outside RUN article, he In Matthew Kadey's latest Outside RUN article, he does a great job of distilling the data around high carb fueling. He characterizes the nuances, and outlines fueling guidelines for athletes at every level.

Kadey highlights the Skratch Labs Super High Carb Drink Mix stating "With Skrach Labs Super High-Carb, you can easily adjust the amount of mix you use to hit the carb numbers you want. That’s ideal if you are working up to handling a greater carb load." 

Read about why this is important and learn how high carb fueling can enhance your training at the link in our bio.
Did you know that freeze-drying food goes all the Did you know that freeze-drying food goes all the way back to the Incas? Have you ever wondered how that Mountain House meal you enjoyed on your last backpacking trip tastes so delicious after just adding hot water?

Oregon Public Broadcasting recently did a feature on Oregon-based brands making freeze-dried foods and the history of this unique food-preservation technique. In the article, they interview Drew Huebsch, Director of Research and Development at Mountain House. Drew takes a deep dive into the history of Mountain House and shares what it takes to make a freeze-dried meal from conception to the tasty meal you enjoy when you're in the backcountry. 

Check out the full article at our link in bio and share with us your favorite Mountain House meal! Ours is definitely the new Cheesy Beef Enchilada Bowl -- those corn tortillas! 😋
No praying necessary! By executing a strategic pro No praying necessary! By executing a strategic product launch campaign with custom media events, we help our clients build better brand-media relationships and ensure a pipeline of in-depth product coverage during launch week. You can learn more in our recent case study that highlights our successful PR campaign for Jetboil's product launch of the Flash 1.0L Fast Boil System at the link in our bio.
🥇 Runner's World selected BRANWYN's Essential C 🥇 Runner's World selected BRANWYN's Essential Compressive Short as the Best Compression Short for Running in their recent "Best Running Shorts of 2025" list. Editors said "If you need a pair of running shorts that hug you in all the right ways, look to the Essential Compressive Shorts from Branwyn." 

The Essential Compressive Short is made from merino wool and offers a body-sculpting, second-skin feel with natural fiber comfort and sustainability.
What started as a small effort by HydraPak to redu What started as a small effort by HydraPak to reduce plastic waste in the hydration space with the Re_Pak program is now expanding to 100+ retail and event locations in 2025. The goal for this year is to collect 4x more bottles than the program’s inaugural year and continue giving used bottles a second life through HydraPak’s partnership with a CHaRM (Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials) facility in Boulder, CO. 

Re_Pak is an innovative recycling initiative that gives used sport bottles a second life by transforming them into durable composite construction materials through a partnership with a CHaRM facility in Boulder, Colorado. During its pilot year, the program collected approximately 900 bottles, diverting 170 pounds of plastic from landfills. The results demonstrated that outdoor consumers are eager to participate in more circular systems, especially when offered easy access and a clear impact. 

Want to learn more about HydraPak's sustainability efforts or know a retailer that wants to participate in the program? Visit HydraPak's site by going to the link in our bio.
Congratulations to our newest client, TRAVOCA, who Congratulations to our newest client, TRAVOCA, who had a successful debut at Overland Expo West two weeks ago! TRAVOCA designs elegantly rugged products that make cooking, relaxing, and connecting easier in the great outdoors, like dual-zone e-coolers, portable power stations and solar panels, and titanium drinkware. We're excited to be partnering with this brand and sharing their products with overlanding and camping enthusiasts across the U.S. 

Check out what OVR Magazine had to say about them in their recent Overland Expo West round-up.
We were moved when we first read Maggie Slepian's We were moved when we first read Maggie Slepian's Substack piece titled "An Honest Reflection of the Media Landscape, Plus the Rate Chasm Between SEO and Essays.” Maggie’s piece hit home. Our initial reaction was a head-shaking damn, it’s hard out there for freelancers. Then a second wave of realization hit us. This is a must-read for our team AND clients.

It’s our job to educate our brands on what is happening in the media world. If they don’t have at least a basic understanding of the landscape, our PR efforts and results might not make much sense. 

On the flip side, it’s also our job to make connections, ideate story angles, and share products that make getting placements easier for media. So we’re sharing our thoughts in response to Maggie’s piece (and a link to Maggie's original piece) in a recent blog at our link in bio. 

After you read it, come back here and share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Cash Lambert of American Surf Magazine has three p Cash Lambert of American Surf Magazine has three pain points when it comes to sunglasses: 
1. They always break
2. He loses them
3. He gets tired of the style and wants a new design. 

When he found out the founders of Ombraz had created a solution for all 3 of his pain points, he knew he had to learn more. This spring, Lambert sat down for a one-on-one interview with Jensen Brehm and Nikolai Paloni to chat with them about how they've revolutionized the sunglasses market. Head on over to the link in our bio, to read the full interview where Lambert gets his burning questions answered "about how <Ombraz> have re-imagined the sunglass experience with attention to detail, craftsmanship and a cord, and how they’ve planted 2 million trees along the way."

🕶️ Shoutout to Cash Lambert and Mark Sawyer-Chu for making this magic happen! 
📸 courtesy of Ombraz
Follow on Instagram

Learn More About Us

8 Magnolia Ave. Suite 200
Asheville, NC 28801
Email Us

Careers

STAY CONNECTED

You want to do your homework before hiring an agency. Let us show you how we're different (without annoying spam).

Sign up here to receive "The Darby Lowdown" monthly newsletter.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

©2025 DARBY COMMUNICATIONS

PRIVACY POLICY

SITE BY