Airstream Life - Red Ants Pants

FEATURE
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IT WAS ALMOST DUSK and a golden ligr: '.'.s .-.','.=:.:g across the slage in
lront ol me when I caught a glimpse of Sara:. Ca -:*: ,rcilr,v-ing out ol her
vintage Airstream. She moved like the kind oi-;'.'3::a:-.'.:l iac Dlaces to be, and
indeed, Calhoun was in high demand this par':,c*,at -.','-=..::c. i nad come to the
Red Ants Pants Music Festival in White Sulpr;: S::rgs I'lI roping to meet up
with this dynamo, but it was clear that proil;c.:.-=.-::.:ec'.ng an event that
attracted roughly 11,000 festival-goers t','as keet.:; :.: ::-c:e :nan busy.
Boasting a full lineup of country ani -t:e:.c::a :t..is-c. tood and cralt
vendors, hay rides, blacksmrthing demons:ra:-::s a:: ::: \lontana Beard and
Mustache Competition, the event has becon:: a :-.; d:='.'. .c' :hrs tiny ranching
community sandwiched between the Littie Be -: a:c 3-g Be-: l.lountains, just east
of the Rocky Mountain front. Inevitably thoue:. :le ies:.i'a- s larne elicits puzzled
looks and draws questions aboul its origins.
The story behind the name is one of a )'ourtg i';orai'-< -sut-':tpiion. grit and get
'er done attitude. Before there r,l,as a Rei Ants Palis \lusic Festival. there were
-,here tere...rvell. there were
Red Ants Pants. And before there rvere Reci Ants Panrs.
ill-flning men's work pants that ignored the basic geomeiry of a r,voman's curves.
Calhoun, whose upbringing on a Connecticut farm anci work history in
outdoor education had taught her the value of a durable and comfortable
wardrobe, was fed up. So in 2006, still in her 20s and with all the energy and
optimism associated with that age, she marshaled her rescurces and created a
company fiat catered to grateful hardworking and heretofore ill-clothed women.
These would be "Red Ants Pants," so named for the feisty flre ant that is known
lor its well-organized communities and ability to survive extreme conditionsand in whose colonies the females do a1l the work.
After Calhoun and her small team perfected the cut and construction of the
chocolate-brown cotton canvas pants (slraight or cur\T', in a fuli complement of
inseams and waist sizes), she set out from the central-Montana headquarters to
spread the gospel to potentially interested ladies throughout the west. The first
Tour de Pants took place in 2008, and was essentially a road show ol house
parties hosted by f,riends and acquaintances - like Tuppenvare parties for the
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outdoorsy crowd. The pants were incredibly well-received, but at the end of each
day, an exhausted Calhoun and her then-manager needed a place to rest their
heads. As we all know an endless string of hotels is rarely in the budget for a
small startup company.
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That's how Calhoun lound herself, in the lall of 2008, surfing Craigslist fbr an
ailordabie travel traller. Her search was fruitful, and soon she was on her way to
Nebraska to pick up the newest member of the Red Ants pants team. a 22' 1964
Land Yacht Safari. Back in Montana, a Missoula-based outfit called Mintage
(since reborn as BIue Moon caravans) ripped apart the inoperative bathroom, put
in a new piyrvood floor and constructed a set of racks to hold the inventory The
rest of the interior was largely leit in its original state, complete with the princess
stove and oven.
The Red Ants Pants ladies wasted no time in putting the Airstream to use. In
a fit ol either bravery or foolishness (or some combination of the two), they
hitched up and set off through Montana and Utah in wintery December weather
en route to Phoenrx f,or a six-week tour of the southwest. Despite the challenging
road conditions this particular Tour de Pants was without incident, though
Calhoun now laughingly recounts some of the more harrowing towing eprsodes.
These days Calhoun is far too busy to hit the road for weeks at a time, though
the Airstream's interior is still decorated with posters and paraphernalia from
therr various tour slops. Nowadays most of lhe company s sales come from their
website, with orders arriving lrom all corners of the country as well as far-flung
places like Antarctica.
There's also an inviting storefront on the main drag through white Sulphur
Springs. walking rnto the shop feels a bit like stepping inro an o1d friend's home;
'l,i
Story and photos by
Kim Wishcamper
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the teakettle is always at the ready, and cheerful yellow chairs surrounding a wellworn table invite visitors to linger over visually stunning Montana photo books.
under the watchful eyes ol Nellie. the shop dog. and Magpre, the resident cat. the
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shelves at Red Ants Pants house the original American-made pants, as well as an
expanded inventory of shorts, hats, shirts, belts and belt buckles. when not
pressed into service, the Airstream lives out back behind Calhoun's attached
apartment. waiting to be called upon for its next tour of duty with the Red Ants
Pants team.
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FEATURE
which brings us back to that intoxicatingly r,larm late-evening light bathing
the trailer, while notable musicians like Brandi Carlile and Charley pride played to
an enthusiastic crowd filling the farmer's fleld. For this event. the Airstream
occupied a central place on the festival grounds and served mostly as an olfice
and staging area, though it has perlormed such notabie duties as sheltering
counlry great Emmylou Harris during a Iightning evacuatron one year.
In addirion to bringing people together to celebrate a rural way ol lifle, the
music festival is a benefit lor the Red Ants Pants Foundation that Calhoun started
and for which she serves as executive director The fbundation's aim is to "foster
strength and selfl-reliance in women and in rural, agricultural communities."
To that end, long alter the lestivai crolvds go home. rvhen the rvheat has been
harvested and the first lrosts arrive. the Airstream will provide shelter and kitchen
capacity during the floundation-supported rimber Sklls workshop. It's another
brainchild of Calhoun's: a weekend-long aflair that teaches women chainsawhandling skills and the basics of timber ielling. These are practicai skills ro have
in a place iike Montana, a state that's ahvays lavored those with lortitude over the
faint ol heart. The fbundation also provides smal1 grants to a variety ol commercial
enterprises and non-profit organizations related to larming or to the empowerment
of women.
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The common threads in all things Rec
Ants Pants are an apprecialion and loylut
celebration of hard work and the combination
of self-reliance with participation in a larger
sodality "It's the community-oriented aspect
that I'm most passionate about," said Calhoun
of her various ventures. It's no wonder, then,
that she finds the Airstream such a great fit
with her brand identity
As I lelt the shelter of my own 1960 Salari
and strolled through lhe lestival campground,
it r,vas easy lo spot a handlul ol gracefully
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*
Pays 100% parts & Labor
in the sea of
*
No Deductible
otherwise unremarkable while RV's. There's an
instant alfinity and easy camaraderie within
*
Nationwide Service
Remains in effect as long as you own your Airstream
rounded aluminum trailers
lhe community ol Airstream owners.
*
One
group oilered me steaming hot coflee; another
to set me up with her
like
Calhoun, we appreciate
nephei,n Much
well-thought-out design and durable
construction, and perhaps above all. the
company of like-minded folks.
As the sun dropped behind the nearby
mountains and shadows fell over the string ol
Airstreamer lobbied
cherry-red ants marching across the company
trailet the crowd roared a welcome to the new
band taking the stage. It gol me to wondering
what the energetic Sarah Calhoun has in store
lor her next act, and what part the laithiul Land
Yacht Salari might play.
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RV Super Center
Texas #1 Airstream Dealer
800-781-7848
www, cam pe rcl i n i c2. co m
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