Written by Scott Oakley — On a subzero morning in California during a surf and ski tour, a group of friends couldn’t start their van. Huddled in their sleeping bags, sipping whiskey and waiting for rescue, they dreamed up an idea: blankets built for the elements.
One of those friends, Wylie Robinson, co-founded Rumpl, now a Portland-based outdoor gear company known for its innovative, sustainability-focused blankets and accessories.
Designed for everything from camping trips to kids’ sporting events, Rumpl’s products are sourced and manufactured entirely abroad, with no viable domestic alternatives. Through longstanding partnerships, the company’s supply chain remains heavily concentrated in China.
Wylie described how tariff uncertainty has become the central obstacle to planning and growth. “Lack of clarity is the biggest impact,” he explained. “We can’t unlock investment because we don’t know if we should be conserving or using resources.” Frequent changes to customs procedures and tariff classifications have forced Rumpl to devote limited resources to scenario modelling and contingency planning. “We need the numbers to rest,” Wylie said.
Rumpl sells almost exclusively in the United States, but its import challenges, once the domain of customs brokers, have become a company-wide strategic concern. “We put every node of our supply chain under a microscope,” Wylie noted.
The leadership team is closely studying country-of-origin rules and evaluating alternative sourcing strategies, including shifting raw materials and cut-and-sew operations to Vietnam, Cambodia, or Laos, though the viability of any option remains unclear.
After experiencing over 500% growth between 2020 and 2022, Rumpl navigated a period of softer demand. The company is ready to expand again, including further into pillows and sleeping bags, but tariff unpredictability continues to cloud its pricing strategy. “We’re raising some prices in Spring ‘26,” he said, “but committing to a path is hard without a deep understanding of where the tariffs are going to land.” He has even taken to LinkedIn to see how other brands are navigating new cost pressures.
Until tariff policies stabilize, Rumpl will have to remain cautious in its planning, as it navigates a landscape where certainty has become a rare commodity.