Meet Camp Yoshi, The Experiential Brand Creating Unique Outdoor Adventures for People of Color

After nearly two years of dealing with pandemic-led lockdowns and restrictions, one company aims to get people back outside.

Meet Camp Yoshi, a Black-owned outdoor company that seamlessly combines gourmet cooking with innovative wilderness experiences for Black people and their allies.

Founded in late 2020 in Portland by Rashad Frazier, his wife Shequeita, and brother Ron, the trio came together out of the desire to allow the Black community to safely explore some of the most beautiful and remote locations in the U.S. through an immersive shared experience.

“Our mission is to help diversify the outdoor space by establishing community there,” Rashad Frazier, Co-Founder, Camp Yoshi told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“We create safe spaces for POC, allies, first-time campers, and enthusiasts alike by curating trips that allow them to explore camping and enjoyment of the outdoors through CY’s unique lens.”

Camp Yoshi was created when the world was battling a global pandemic, and racial injustice issues were coming to the forefront. The camping excursions include up to 12 guests in various sites across the Pacific Northwest and Southwest.

With 22 trips currently planned in 2022, Camp Yoshi is gaining steam as more people look for new ways to get back outdoors.

“During the pandemic, we felt that others from our community needed to have the confidence to explore these spaces because of the healing that comes from nature and being able to unplug,” Frazier said.

“So Camp Yoshi was inspired by that need and rather than tell people we thought it better to show them.”

It was after meeting for a trip to Montana’s Glacier National Park in mid-2020 when the founders realized just how profound these trips had been in their lives and wanted their friends and family to experience the same.

With the coronavirus pandemic looming on, Camp Yoshi has had to plan their excursions around the different restrictions and mandates each U.S. city follows.

“We are constantly monitoring travel mandates and limitations as the pandemic persists,” Frazier said. “It is always our plan to be as flexible as needed to maintain the quality of our trips, while prioritizing the health of our campers and crew members.”

“As stated before, we always require our campers to present negative COVID test results within at least 72 hours beforehand. We’re going to locations that are about as remote as it gets, so having space and being able to enjoy it is a core part of what we do.”

With 22 trips planned for 2022, Camp Yoshi is excited to introduce its immersive experiences to new and returning travelers.

“One of our biggest priorities this year is making Camp Yoshi more accessible to people with varying lifestyles and leisure budgets,” Frazier said.

“Our Field Trips will be much more affordable local day-trips with chef-prepared lunch provided, Basecamp experiences will be multi-day camping for the DIY camper, and our Gift of Adventure is a continuous fundraiser that we established to give a free trip to select campers who are unable to go otherwise.”