Meet RepresentPA: Show Your PA Pride on the Trails

KTA is proud to partner with RepresentPA, a small business working to unite and energize Pennsylvania pride—specifically pride in the PA outdoors—through their Symbol of Pennsylvania. KTA members can save 20% on RepresentPA gear and contribute a portion of their sales to support KTA’s mission. Read on to find out more!

RepresentPA founder and owner, Avery Peechatka, shared about the origins of their Symbol of Pennsylvania with Keystone Trails Association in this Q&A:

KTA: Creating a symbol that captures all the charm and wonder of Pennsylvania is quite a task! What inspired you to take on this project?

Avery: We were far from Pennsylvania, hiking through a wildflower and prickly pear cactus meadow, watching prairie dog heads curiously pop out of their burrows, when it struck us: the more we explored far from home, the prouder of home we became. We were proud that our formative trail miles were blazed in beautiful PA, winding around the mountain laurel and hemlocks, hopping from rock to stump to avoid the mud from a recent rain shower. But in that pride, we found frustration that we didn’t have a recognizable, distinctive way to show our home state pride. 

KTA: Almost like a team uniform! A way to show that you are part of a specific community and share a common story.

Avery: Right! So we created a Symbol of Pennsylvania that proud Pennsylvanians could wear and display; a logo that tells the world we are from the Keystone State and proud of it! The RepresentPA Symbol of Pennsylvania that we created highlights the classic PA keystone, our beautiful rolling mountains that we love to hike and explore, and sun-lit agricultural fields.

KTA: So many hikers can probably quickly and easily recall a moment of being on a PA trail that fits within that description! It’s great because even people who haven’t hiked many trails in PA can still relate to this image, knowing all that PA has to offer.

Avery: Agreed. We originally wanted to show pride in Pennsylvania’s natural beauty, incredible trails and waterways, and iconic wildlife, but—much to our delight—our vision for a Symbol of Pennsylvania has been enthusiastically received by Pennsylvanians with pride in all walks of life in the Keystone State: our vibrant urban communities, our rich agricultural history, and our passionate sports fan bases, (to name a few!). 

KTA: That’s amazing! What’s it like seeing this symbol being worn out in the wild?

Avery: Our most enthusiastic support comes from our fellow Pennsylvanians that appreciate and love spending time in the woods, on the water, and on the trail. It’s a pleasure coming across a fellow hiker wearing a dirty, trail-worn, sweat-stained RepresentPA hat! There’s already a great sense of camaraderie with fellow hikers, but sharing that sense of PA pride is a real bonus.

KTA: This is such a great conversation starter for out on the trail! How can our KTA community get some RepresentPA gear?

Avery: Because we appreciate all the KTA community does to support and protect PA’s trails, we’re offering 20% off RepresentPA gear to KTA members! Shirts, hats, stickers, and more can be purchased online at RepresentPA.com. A portion of all sales using the KTA discount code will support KTA!

KTA: Thank you for supporting KTA’s mission and providing our members with such a generous offer!

Become a member of KTA today to receive access to this exclusive discount code offer from RepresentPA. If you are a current member, log in to the member portal to get the code!
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LIGHTNING Q&A ROUND WITH AVERY  
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KTA: We hope to see more of the RepresentPA symbol out on the trails soon! Before we close out this Q&A, let’s find out a little more about you!

Q1: Aside from the 10 essentials, what’s something you always have in your backpack?
Answer: My camera! The best photos are the ones you earn by hiking a few miles to get that perfect shot. 

Q2: What’s your ideal day-hiking distance?
​Answer: About ten miles–just long enough to feel a real sense of accomplishment.

Q3: Name a few trails on your PA hiking bucket list.
Answer: I’ve never hiked to Mount Davis. That’s definitely a priority.

Q4: Would you rather hike to the top of a mountain to see a vista or deep into the forest to see a waterfall?
Answer: Definitely to the top of a mountain, especially if you can time arriving at the vista with sunrise or sunset. 

Q5: What advice would you give to a new hiker in PA?
Answer: You don’t have to go far from home to find good hiking!

Q6: What’s one of your favorite hiking memories?
Answer: A recent hike I did with my toddler. We didn’t make it too far because we had to stop and inspect every flower and bug, but it’s not the distance that counts!

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Become a member of KTA today to receive access to the 20% discount code offer from RepresentPA. If you are a current member, log in to the member portal to get the code!