![Douglas Tompkins, a noted conservationist and the founder of the clothing brands The North Face and Esprit, died on Tuesday during a kayaking trip in Chile. Douglas Tompkins, a noted conservationist and the founder of the clothing brands The North Face and Esprit, died on Tuesday during a kayaking trip in Chile.](http://www.mountainblog.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Kris-and-Doug-Tompkins-947x1024.jpg)
Douglas Tompkins, a noted conservationist and the founder of the clothing brands The North Face and Esprit, died on Tuesday during a kayaking trip in Chile.
![North Face founder Douglas Tompkins dies in kayaking accident in Chile | The Independent | The Independent North Face founder Douglas Tompkins dies in kayaking accident in Chile | The Independent | The Independent](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2015/12/09/06/Douglas-Tompkins-North-Face-EPA.jpg)
North Face founder Douglas Tompkins dies in kayaking accident in Chile | The Independent | The Independent
![Doug Tompkins: life and death of the ecological visionary behind North Face | US news | The Guardian Doug Tompkins: life and death of the ecological visionary behind North Face | US news | The Guardian](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/88efa577984f9ea764accbaabe89708735d8afea/414_0_3605_2163/master/3605.jpg?width=700&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=11ab15da29ba3155ed76e08c6d9d9051)