Columbia launches ‘Don’t Panic Room’ survival bunker contest
Columbia Sportswear has launched the “Don’t Panic Room”, a social campaign and contest offering outdoor enthusiasts in the United States the chance to win a stocked off-grid survival bunker.
The Columbia Don’t Panic Room campaign invites participants to submit videos demonstrating their survival skills, ingenuity and resilience. One winner will receive a modified 40-foot by 8-foot shipping container delivered to their door, equipped with Columbia apparel and footwear, tools and other survival essentials.
The campaign opened on 28 October 2026 with a film featuring Columbia chief executive Tim Boyle. It forms part of the brand’s “Engineered for Whatever” platform and presents the bunker as a response to extreme weather and other difficult outdoor conditions.
Outdoor equipment built into the bunker
Columbia says the space includes a bunk bed, compact kitchen and dining area, bathroom, storage for tools and supplies, and a robotic dog called Rocky. A dedicated Columbia section contains jackets and other equipment sealed in cans for long-term storage.
The listed gear includes Columbia’s Terwilliger Trail Heat Seal Hooded Jacket, which uses the brand’s Omni-Heat Infinity reflective thermal technology, and Tellurix Titanium OutDry Mid footwear designed for wet and unpredictable conditions.
Boyle said: “We’ve been making gear for bad weather and other unfortunate moments for almost 90 years.” He added that the company wanted to give its community a practical chance to prepare for severe outdoor conditions.
Matt Sutton, Columbia Sportswear’s head of marketing, described the campaign as the next stage of the “Engineered for Whatever” platform and said it was intended to reward people with genuine outdoor and survival interests.
How to enter
Entries are being accepted through Instagram and at columbia.com/bunker until 11.59pm ET on 24 November 2026.
No purchase is necessary. The contest is open to legal residents of the 48 contiguous US states and Washington, DC, aged 18 or over, or 19 and over in Alabama and Nebraska. It is void in Alaska, Hawaii and where prohibited. Columbia’s abbreviated rules state that the prize includes the modified container and $35,000, subject to the full eligibility, judging and delivery requirements published by the company.
Columbia Sportswear has produced outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment since 1938. The company says the Don’t Panic Room campaign is designed to demonstrate how its products perform when conditions become especially challenging.
