Founder Friday Series: Zun Rays and Sky View Tents
The best gear ideas don’t always start in the R&D labs. They come from people who got inspired enough to build something better. This week’s Founder Friday introduces two of them. This Founder Friday, meet the founders behind Zun Rays and Sky View Tents.
Celeste Raymond, Zun Rays
Most sun sleeves are just pieces of stretchy fabric you pull over your arms to prevent a sunburn. But Celeste Raymond knew she could get more from this understated piece of outdoor gear so she started Zun Rays, which makes the most feature-rich sleeves on the market. Her big addition was a series of built-in stretch pockets that comfortably hold everything from gels to pepper spray as you move down the road or up the trail. She also used high-end 50+ UPF fabric that wicks moisture and stays in place even during an all-day adventure. “Many traditional options can feel bulky, hot, restrictive, or inconvenient,” Raymond says. “I wanted to create something that felt easier to wear, more functional, and better suited for active lifestyles.”
Customers can buy simple white or black sleeves, but Zun Rays also offers several creative options including Ramyond’s original Manta Ray design. Going forward, the sky is the limit for designs and Raymond says she’s excited to partner with brands that want to put their logo on Zun Ray sleeves and use them as swag and branding assets. The ultimate goal would be to partner with the NFL and offer fans a unique way to protect their arms while also showing team spirit.
Joe Bissonnette, Sky View Tents
One of the main reasons people camp is to sleep under the stars. But instead of actually sleeping under the stars, they sleep under a view-blocking rainfly because they’re afraid of getting soaked in the middle of the night. Joe Bissonnette’s solution was a tent where the rainfly is located inside the tent so campers can leave it off during clear nights but then close it shut without leaving the tent if a storm moves in. “Our internal rainfly allows campers to not use the rainfly by default, and greatly increases the frequency that campers can spend full or partial nights directly under the stars, an awe inspiring experience,” Bissonette says.
Unlike other rainflys that have to be spread out and then clipped onto the tent, the rainfly in a Sky View tent simply unrolls from one side and gets stretched across the inside—a process that takes seconds instead of minutes. The company’s XL version is a three-season car camping tent that’s big enough for two adults and two kids and made from high-quality material like 210-denier polyester ripstop fabric with a 5000PU waterproof coating. The company’s Backpacker tent is a slightly smaller two-person version that comes with the same rainfly technology and is light enough to haul deep into the backcountry.
Why These Founders Matter
Founders like these demonstrate what happens when founders listen to the needs of the outdoor community and respond with thoughtful, human-centered design. For retailers, these brands represent the kind of innovation your customers crave: practical solutions that enhance functionality, ease of use, and quality of life outdoors.
Ready to stock products that make a difference? Discover more innovative brands like these at Outdoor Retailer, where the next generation of outdoor solutions comes to life.