In Part 2 of our David Gensler interview, the founder of Vanish Outdoor Magazine reflects on design, creativity, and the evolving meaning of outdoor culture in a digital world.
From fishing obsessions to the role of technology, Gensler shares a candid perspective on what it means to build an authentic brand today.
Q: Vanish Outdoor Magazine has a very different aesthetic from most outdoor publications. Was that intentional?
I’m not sure. I mean, you always set out to be different and unique, but I don’t think it was overly planned.
A lot of it comes from Brooklyn, my travels, and just my personal taste. I wanted to create something that felt relatable to the people and peers I care about—and, honestly, something that might offend a few people from the traditional outdoor industry, which I always found a bit predictable and boring.
Q: How did COVID impact Vanish and your personal direction?
COVID was a pivotal moment. I left New York City and moved to Pennsylvania to be near my mom and away from the city.
I fished over 200 days in a row during that time, and it completely changed my perspective. I realized I would never fully trap myself in the city again.
I was hooked—literally—and that’s when I started executing a long-term plan for how Vanish would grow and become a global brand.
Q: What are your biggest outdoor passions?
Fishing is first and last. I’m obsessed. I’ll beat anyone—just kidding. That’s just my way of getting invited on more fishing trips.
I also love overlanding, road trips, anything in the mountains, and even gardening. It’s all connected.
Q: You split your time between business and design. Which matters more?
My time is split between management and creative, but design is the most important.
Design is the connective point with the audience. At the end of the day, people don’t connect with “business”—they connect with design, art, and culture.
That said, business, strategy, and management are critical. They’re what allow you to scale your ideas and reach more people. But what people actually love—that emotional connection—comes from design.
Q: Outdoor culture is growing rapidly. Where do you see it going next?
I don’t think outdoor culture is going anywhere. Nature doesn’t fade, and humanity’s need for nature doesn’t fade either.
If anything, I think we’ll see more brands and businesses focusing on the outdoors as a reaction to how digital our lives have become.
The more digital the world gets, the more essential nature becomes.
What I do think will change is the shift toward authenticity. There will always be brands trying to ride trends, but the ones that truly engage with the outdoors in a real way will last.
Authenticity always wins in the end.
Q: Vanish—and you personally—seem to have a complicated relationship with technology. Is that fair?
Yeah, absolutely. I don’t hate technology—I hate how addictive it can be and how much it can pull people away from reality.
I think we need to educate ourselves—and especially younger generations—about the importance of time away from devices. Deep time in nature.
It’s about balance. That balance is hard to achieve, especially when modern work depends on technology, but it’s something we have to actively pursue.
Nature connects us back to something fundamental—to the origins of humanity itself.
Q: You mentioned authenticity. How do you define it?
Authenticity is messy. It’s imperfect. It’s obsessive.
For me, it means focusing on your own vision and not being overly influenced by what others are doing.
At the same time, you need to be aware of the world around you—you have to understand the landscape—but still remain detached enough to do your own thing.
That tension is where authenticity lives.
Continue the David Gensler Interview:
Part 1 of the Interview.
This is Part 2 of our interview with David Gensler, founder of Vanish Outdoor Magazine.
In Part 3, Gensler discusses the global expansion of Vanish, the launch of the magazine, and what’s next for the brand.
→ Continue to Part 3 of the David Gensler interview
