Rooted in the Trail
Thruhiking isn’t just about miles - it’s about the people we meet, the landscapes we pass through, and the stories that stick with us long after the trail ends. That spirit is what inspired Dylan “Pickle” Tonkin to start Town Shirt Co.
Drawing on the iconic flora and trail culture we’ve all come to love, Dylan partnered with artists and trail angels to design nostalgic, Hawaiian-style shirts featuring true-to-trail prints. Built for connection and tough enough for a thruhike, each Town Shirt is a wearable memory - one that helps bring our community a little closer, wherever we are.
2018
Where It Began
While thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Dylan “Pickle” Tonkin realized the importance of the “town shirt” - the cleanest, quirkiest shirt in your pack that helped score a ride into town. This simple piece of gear sparked an idea that would later become a brand rooted in community and nostalgia.
2020
From Hike to Hoodie
After completing the Pacific Crest Trail and feeling the sting of post-trail blues, Dylan launched Town Shirt Co. from his home in Baltimore. With zero fashion experience but endless love for the hiking community, he partnered with artists to design detailed, Hawaiian-style sun hoodies that capture trail magic.
2021
First Shirt Launch
Town Shirt's first release honored legendary PCT Trail Angels Terrie and Joe Anderson and their beloved hiker refuge, Casa de Luna. The shirt design, created with their blessing, celebrates the manzanita forests behind their home and helps preserve PCT memories for thousands of hikers.
2021 - today
Community Partnerships
Building strong community partnerships has been at the heart of what we do. Over the years, we’ve signed multi-year agreements with the U.S. Forest Service for the Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail service marks. These agreements have helped generate meaningful support for both the PCTA and CDTC. We’ve also collaborated with more than 20 small businesses, many of them owned by hikers and thru-hikers. Supporting the trail community from within has always been part of the mission.
today
Full Steam Ahead
After a slow and steady start juggling work, family, and passion, Town Shirt is now gaining momentum - with a growing line of trail-inspired sun shirts, a loyal community of hikers, and a clear mission: to help people stay connected to the trails, places, and people that shaped them.
2018
Where It Began
While thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Dylan “Pickle” Tonkin realized the importance of the “town shirt” - the cleanest, quirkiest shirt in your pack that helped score a ride into town. This simple piece of gear sparked an idea that would later become a brand rooted in community and nostalgia.
2020
From Hike to Hoodie
After completing the Pacific Crest Trail and feeling the sting of post-trail blues, Dylan launched Town Shirt Co. from his home in Baltimore. With zero fashion experience but endless love for the hiking community, he partnered with artists to design detailed, Hawaiian-style sun hoodies that capture trail magic.
2021
First Shirt Launch
Town Shirt's first release honored legendary PCT Trail Angels Terrie and Joe Anderson and their beloved hiker refuge, Casa de Luna. The shirt design, created with their blessing, celebrates the manzanita forests behind their home and helps preserve PCT memories for thousands of hikers.
2021 - today
Community Partnerships
Building strong community partnerships has been at the heart of what we do. Over the years, we’ve signed multi-year agreements with the U.S. Forest Service for the Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail service marks. These agreements have helped generate meaningful support for both the PCTA and CDTC. We’ve also collaborated with more than 20 small businesses, many of them owned by hikers and thru-hikers. Supporting the trail community from within has always been part of the mission.
today
Full Steam Ahead
After a slow and steady start juggling work, family, and passion, Town Shirt is now gaining momentum - with a growing line of trail-inspired sun shirts, a loyal community of hikers, and a clear mission: to help people stay connected to the trails, places, and people that shaped them.
Meet the Tramily
We're a trail-born crew of hikers, artists, and dreamers stitching together memories and sun shirts. What started as one hiker’s way to stay connected has grown into a small, scrappy tramily bringing trail magic to life - one shirt at a time.
Dylan Tonkin
Founder & CEO
Dylan is a native of Pennsylvania who's hiked over 5,000 miles. He loves spending time with his family and fellow hikers. Dylan created TownShirt to remind hikers of their community while they live and explore in our shirts.
Thruhikes: Appalachian Trail ‘16, Pacific Crest trail ‘18, Mid State Trail ‘19
Trail Name: Pickle
Favorite Trail Plant: Huckleberries (fresh picked in hot cocoa)
What’s your best hitchhiking story? During my 2018 PCT thru hike my, then fiancé, now wife flew to Reno to meet me to spend a week together. I was still only in Bishop which is a 200 mile hitch one way. I stood along the roadside with a homemade sign for an hour to no avail. I finally got a hitch from the sweetest Grandmother in town. She took me about 30 miles and dropped me off at her exit. The next 2 hitches I got almost immediately. The last driver rearranged his day to take me the final 120 miles. We arrived at the airport and as we pulled into the lot we watched her plane landing. Perfect timing.
Rachel Meltzer
Copywriter
Rachel crafted the words on Town Shirt’s website. Rachel is a New England native who finds solace in long hikes. She’s currently traveling the U.S. in her van with her cat, Bonnie. She’s written for hiking blogs, created a podcast for hikers, crafted copy for Coding Bootcamps. Her latest venture is creating educational programs for new freelance writers.
Thruhikes: Appalachian Trail ‘18
Trail Name: Life Alert
Favorite Trail Plant: Shortleaf Pine
What’s your best hitchhiking story? Almost all of my hitchhikes have been with strangers who turned out to be horrible drivers. It's always a wild ride on the Appalachian Trail!
Ryan Unger
Ungerwhere Media
Ryan created promotional photos and videos that tell the story of our brand. Ryan hikes a lot – and we mean a lot! He’s thruhiked 7 times since 2013. He’s currently living in his minivan, traveling the U.S., and documenting his travels.
Thruhikes: Sierra High Route ‘13, Appalachian Trail ‘14, Sierra High Route ‘15, Pacific Crest Trail ‘17, Continental Divide Trail ‘19, Wonderland Trail ‘21
Trail Name: Ungerwhere
Favorite Trail Plant: The Western Pasqueflower
What’s your best hitchhiking story? I often found myself getting hitches for my buddy Gnome, who never had any luck getting hitches. He would stand out there for hours trying but as soon as someone else showed up to get a ride, the other person got it!
Rebecca Harnish
Firnmirror
Rebecca hand-painted the thank you cards you’ll receive with your Town Shirt order. She loves painting watercolor recreations of the scenes from her many thruhkes. She’s hiked 5 trails in the past 6 years! You can support her art and hikes on her Patreon.
Thruhikes: Pacific Crest Trail ‘16, Appalachian Trail ‘18, Colorado Trail ‘17, Uinta Trail ‘19, Pacific Crest Trail ‘21
Trail Name: V-Dub
Favorite Trail Plant: Paintbrush
What’s your best hitchhiking story? My favorite hitchhike was getting picked up by border patrol for a ride back to Hart's pass after completing the PCT in 2021! They even gave us a beer! With the Canadian border closed, this made the 30-mile hike back to Hart's a little more worth it. Well, 29 miles including the hitch.
Matt Berger
Botanist
Matt provided the information behind the plants in our true-to-trail designs. He’s is a botanist and self-proclaimed “biodiversity fanatic.” Matt hikes a lot – he’s backpacked over 12,000 miles! He created a book about the plants you can find on the Pacific Crest Trail.
Thruhikes: Appalachian Trail ‘12, Pacific Crest Trail ‘14, Arizona Trail ‘15, Continental Divide Trail ‘17, Lowest to Highest Route ‘18, Pacific Crest Trail ‘19
Trail Name: Sheriff Woody
Favorite Trail Plant: Canbya Candida
What’s your best hitchhiking story? I once got a hitch from a semi-truck with 4 people on the passenger seat and the husband of the driver asleep in the back of the cab, hooked up to a breathing machine!
Zeesi Paltrowitz
Zeesi Design Garden
Zeesi designed our Manzanita and Trillium prints! She loves day hikes and weekend outings in upstate New York. Zeesi creates her watercolor designs by hand.
Favorite Trail Plant: Wild Blueberries
Claire Marice
Claire Marice Illustration
Claire designed our Desert Mariposa and Mountain Laurel prints. She loves day hikes that lead to amazing views. Claire is a Textile Print Designer who creates prints for outdoor gear, clothing, athletic wear, and more!
Favorite Trail Plant: All of them!
Lesa Marino
Designer & Illustrator
Lesa designed our Martmott, Stellers Jay, and Gold Winged Warbler prints. A Connecticut native, Lesa loves walks on the beach and she’s traveled across the U.S. in a pop-up camper with her husband! You can find Lesa’s work on greeting cards, dinnerware, textiles, paper goods, and gifts.
Favorite Trail Plant: Rhododendrons
What’s your best hitchhiking story? My friends and I would hitchhike from one end of Ocean Avenue to the other just to see who we would meet. Then, we would hitchhike back and meet new people!
Nikki Paolicelli
Social Media Manager
Nikki is Town Shirt’s social media manager! If you’ve seen our stories on Instagram, you’ve met Nikki. Nikki enjoys short day hikes around Pennsylvania.
Favorite Trail Plant: Manzanita
