FIELD NOTES

One of the best aspects of working with your partner is that you get all the good inside stories. Kristian and I sat down by a fire on the Yucca mesa and he told me the story of Rancho Bombero the first time I had been on the grounds and thought it was worth sharing. It's sewn into the ethos of the company, it’s the inspiration in fact….

Alex- So, Tell me about the story of Rancho Bombero, the place, and what drew you out there and where it’s taking you…

Kristian -First off, I love the desert, it feels like a foreign place even though it’s just on the other side of California. In this day and age with all the tech it feels good to strip down to slower, analog things. It’s the ability to escape from the daunting pace of the modern world that drew me down to investigate the wide open space. It is truly a representation of a freedom from things that bind us to devices and a virtual reality.

All of my hobbies and aesthetic pleasures always go back in time and the feeling of this land is no different. It has a sense of rawness to it that appeals to me, 10 acres, right on the border of Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree, with a 1950s, military quonset hut on the property that was used during the war and is a major part of American history. You can't get more Americana and gritty than that. There are 20 foot tall Joshua trees here, they HAVE been here, there are dozens of different types of cacti everywhere. It’s more their land than mine.

I found out that the previous owner had named this desert sprawl, Rancho Bombero. I wanted to carry on the essence of this bunker's history into my dream as well, to create a little escape in the middle of nowhere. Not some big modern desert development, just a place to hide out for a while and get away from all the noise. A refuge, not only from modernity but also from the intensity of the desert environment.  It was the dryness of this land, how harsh the conditions were and what they did to my skin gave me the inspiration for our flagship oil and the entire brand really.

I feel a strong sense of protection around the Rancho Bombero property as it’s been a sanctuary for myself and the wildlife that was here before me. I don't have big fences put up or any major obstacles in their way and I like to think that it’s a safe crossing for those who need it. That idea continues when we make products, how does it affect the rest of the things, is its place in the world a net positive, does it have a low environmental impact?

The way the moon rises over the crest of  the valley and the sun sits heavy in the sky above the bunker, every corner reflects an incredible piece of art and the vastness of the land allows you to understand that there is nothing and no one holding it back. The desert is amazing at night, it transforms into another planet for sure. All the cacti armor up and they are unmovable, unshakable and I and relate to that heavily. It’s kind of inspiring how such soft animals can live around these hard plants in symbiosis.

I could go on and on, but that’s the pulse and the vision continues…looking forward to spending time down on the Yucca Mesa. The Rancho community begins to grow and the need to create continues.

~ KP

CEO and Founder of Rancho Bombero