Does your boss sleep in the jungle, surrounded by jaguars?

Sometimes, you catch lightning in a bottle, and all the right pieces align to create something magic. So it is with Cotopaxi, the once scrappy (literally) outdoor gear brand that has won over adventurers young and old with its splashy, colorful designs, clever product innovations, and, well, llamas.

While he’s quick to tell you it takes a village, founder and CEO Davis Smith is the man primarily behind the Cotopaxi phenomenon. But the irreverence and jubilee embodied by the brand — its “Questival” adventure scavenger hunts draw tens of thousands of loyal followers all across the country — belie Smith’s very serious adventure pursuits.

From sleeping on a small patch of reef being swallowed by high tide to camping in the Amazon with the sound of hungry jaguars rolling through the jungle, Smith lives for the chance to survive — odd as that may sound.

Smith dove into these stories — and other harrowing tales — and revealed the surprising history behind Cotopaxi (hint: pool tables and eBay).