The Shed: Indiana man puts the ‘O’ in ‘camo’

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

By Henry Sweets

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-If all the folks peddling hardware or soft goods at this past week’s hill climb, one man’s line of merchandise set him apart. Just like the Mossy Oak brand uses leaves and branches to create its camouflage patterns, TNACAMO uses silhouetted female nudes to create its own unique patterns for the distinguished camo buyer. The resulting effect might help you blend in, or really make you stand out.

“Nine times out of 10 people don’t even notice the naked girls,” said owner John Hamrick, but obviously someone was noticing them because he only had a couple of coozies left on Sunday afternoon. His stickers, which are more explicit, were almost sold out.

This kind of company might seem like a chauvinistic or immature venture, but Hamrick said he is not just trying to make a buck off of sex. He began the company about two months ago to help fund a project called T.E.A.M. R&R (trained, equipped, available manpower rescue and recovery) disaster assistance in which Hamrick drives, sometimes for up to 24 hours, to disaster sites with his hard bottomed inflatable, chainsaws, and a whole assortment of rescue equipment to help clear the path for first responders, and “basically do whatever has to be done,” to help the victims, he said.

Hamrick started this operation about eight years ago, after going through a divorce. A firefighter for 17 years now, Hamrick had seen a need for more people on the ground doing first responder work. He services communications towers, sometimes on top of skyscrapers, and the money from that venture goes to his rescue team, which is 90 percent self-funded. Stihl donated the chainsaws that he uses, and he can buy his gear at cost, but the operations require a lot of cash, so he can only help as much as he can raise his own funds.

The TNACAMO idea is his latest idea to fund T.E.A.M. R&R, and he travels to snowmobile events selling his products alongside his girlfriend, Laurie, whose company, Snow Girl, is one of the first companies to make black and pink snowmobile gear for women.

The act of helping disaster victims is not the only rewarding aspect for Hamrick, but he also shares his stories with some local Indiana schoolchildren. A teacher invited him to come to speak with her class, and the class ended up following his operations because they involve science, geography, math, social sciences and nearly any subject you could imagine.

“John’s hummer gets eight miles to the gallon, and he has to drive for 24 hours, how much is it going to cost him for fuel?” is an example of a word problem generated by John’s travels.

The students have even helped raise funds for him.
“By teaching the kids about what I can do to make a difference, they had a better understanding as far as what they can do to make a difference,” said Hamrick. “Something so easy as opening a door for somebody [makes a difference]. I speak with the kids about literacy, because that was something I struggled with, as well as fears, and setting yourself up for success.”

In the days of political correctness and concern for carbon footprints, Hamrick is practicing an old fashioned form of goodness while having a little fun.

Courtesy photo
Do you see what I see?

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The Shed: Indiana man puts the ‘O’ in ‘camo’ | Planet JH News Article: Sports & Recreation

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