How North Face designed camping gear that works for every body

From the very first day that professional ski mountaineer and free skier Vasu Sojitra signed on as a North Face–sponsored athlete in 2017, he campaigned for the brand to incorporate more elements of universal design into its product line. Having lost his leg as an infant, Sojitra was the brand’s first disabled athlete and sensitive to how conventional gear can ruin an outdoor adventure for those who are differently abled. “He challenged us,” recalls Wyatt Grose, a technical soft goods and outdoor equipment designer at the company. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2026\/09\/2026-IBD_social-share-2-16x9-1.jpg","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2026\/09\/2026-IBD_social-share-1-1-1x1-1.jpg","eyebrow":"","headline":"Meet the world\u0027s most innovative design companies","dek":"","subhed":"","description":"","ctaText":"See the List","ctaUrl":"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/innovation-by-design\/list?utm_source=fcwebsite\u0026utm_medium=promo_block\u0026utm_campaign=IBD26","theme":{"bg":"#f4f4f4","text":"#2b2d30","eyebro…