About

603 Gear is proudly based out of Manchester, NH and is owned by Joe Richardson (DistinKtive Brands, LLC). My wife and I love our adventures around New England. Whether we are hiking the mountains, exploring the lakes by kayak or simply walking down a trail, we love living in the Live Free Or Die state!

It isn’t always an easy adventure for me either. I have Cholinergic Urticaria (CU), which is a fancy name for having a heat intolerance. What this means is that I actually break out in hives when I go from cold to hot rapidly or build up body heat when exercising. Although it may seem like an odd thing to have, it is actually very common for a person to have an intolerance to hot or cold. Only a very, very small percentage of these people have it to an extent where it impacts their daily lives. Unfortunately, I am in that small percentage.

As of late, this has not been easy for Myia either. In 2023, Myia was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). In short, FND is an issue with the wiring of the brain. For example, when there is an issue with a computer, it is either a hardware issue or a software issue. When there is a hardware issue, someone can physically see the issue. When there is a software issue, the easiest way to fix the problem is to reinstall or reset the software, as it cannot be easily detected. FND is, in simple terms, a software issue in the brain. Her symptoms include seizures, drop attacks, knee buckling, dragging feet, tremors, jerks, twitches, facial spasms, speech issues (slurred, stuttering, and loss of speech), and cognitive issues (loss of memory, poor concentration, word-finding issues), just to name a few. All of this can happen at any time without warning. Some people, including Myia, have even developed a very rare issue in the brain called Foreign Accent Syndrome that stemmed from issues relating to FND. Currently, she is taking part in a research group to collect data to better help those diagnosed with FND.

The Story Behind 603 Gear

In order for me to enjoy my time exploring off the beaten paths, I need to be equipped and clothed properly. On our first hike of 2020, I made the decision to form an outdoor adventure-based brand under my business name, DistinKtive Brands, LLC. My wife and I came up with some unique names, but we decided on 603 Gear because it shows our NH pride and how our products will last past the most rugged adventure.