Filmmaker Andy Best Partners with Outdoor Element for Field Use

What Happens When a Filmmaker Trusts Your Gear for Years

All photos credited to Andy Best

Some partnerships take time.

When we first launched the Firebiner nearly a decade ago, Andy Best picked one up and started using it. It stayed with him through years on the road and in the field, in the kind of environments where the gear you carry makes or breaks the experience.

Recently, he reached out. Not as an introduction, but as someone who already knew our gear.

That matters.

A craftsman behind the camera

Andy is an award-winning filmmaker and National Geographic featured storyteller who has spent more than a decade living and working on the road. His work has taken him deep into remote environments, chasing moments that are real and often unpredictable.

One of the films he helped shoot was a winner at the 2025 Banff Mountain Film Festival. That gives you a sense of the level he operates on.

But what stands out more is how he works.

He sees himself as a craftsman. Focused on quality. Drawn to the unknown. Willing to wait for the right moment instead of forcing it.

Pacific Wonderland

One of the projects he’s been building is called Pacific Wonderland.

It is not a quick film or a single trip. It is something he has been shaping over years. Returning to places. Waiting on weather. Capturing moments one frame at a time.

Here's just one example of the magic he captures as part of his current project, Pacific Wonderland.  

It is the kind of project that asks a lot from the person behind the camera. It also asks a lot from the gear they carry.

When you are that far out and that committed to the process, you do not bring anything extra. You bring what you trust.

Shared approach

That mindset feels familiar.

We design gear with the same intention. Keep it simple. Make it capable. Build it for the moments when plans change, and you need something to work without thinking about it. Gear designed so you can explore with confidence, knowing you have all that you need.

Andy also highlights other small brands doing thoughtful work in the outdoor space. That aligns with how we see things. Innovation does not come from one place. It comes from people building, testing, and improving through experience.

What’s ahead

As Andy steps into a new season of life and continues work on projects like Pacific Wonderland, we are excited to see where it takes him and how our gear supports that process along the way.

In addition to the firebiner, Andy carries knives from our fixed feather series, along with fiber light, and packs many of our basecamp essentials.

Follow Andy's progress on Pacific Wonderland and other projects on his Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/andy_best/

You can view more of Andy's work and purchase his gorgeous prints:

https://andybestphotography.smugmug.com/Prints

And view his filmmaking on youtube: 

https://www.youtube.com/@andrewwbest

We are grateful to be part of Andy's current project and look forward to learning more about his adventures while using OE gear.

Explore with Confidence.