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Boutique hiking gear makers
I’ve added a list of small companies that build cool gear way down on my right-hand rail. It’s not like this is really free advertising because these links generate about three clicks a century — they’re really just there so I can find them if I need to check out the latest Pepsi-can stove designs. Well, they’re also there to give props to all the guys and gals who make stuff in their garage and sell it online. Usually if you send an e-mail you talk directly to the CEO, which is much cooler than dashing off a note to, say, the director of Marmot, who will never see your words in a thousand years. So, here goes:
- Anti Gravity Gear | Tarptents, stoves, cooksets (my wife got me one of their pot cozies as a birthday gift awhile back).
- Big Sky International | Tents, cozy clothing
- Bozeman Mountain Works | Apparel, tarps, bivys, quilts, pads, titanium
- Brasslight | Ultra-light backpacking stoves (I own one of these)
- Dirty Girl Gaiters | Wacky crud killers for trail runners
- Empire Canvas Works | Winter apparel, handwear, mukluks
- Fanatic Fringe | Packs, quilts
- Freezer Bag Cooking | Trail Food Made Simple
- Gossamer Gear | Packs, tarps, poles, pads
- Ion Stove | “World’s lightest alcohol stove” from Sgt. Rock at Hiking HQ
- Jacks ‘R Better | Quilts, hammocks, tarps
- Mogo Gear | Stoves
- Mountain Laurel Designs | Packs, tarps, quilts, bivys
- Mystery Ranch | Packs by Dana Gleason of Dana Desigs fame
- Nunatak | Apparel, quilts
- Oware | Tarps, bivys
- Six Moon Designs | Tarps, tents, packs
- Tarptent | Henry Shires’ Tarptents (based in Palo Alto)
- Titanium Goat | Tents, tarps, bivys, poles, stoves
- Tom Harrison Maps | Waterproof topo maps (Marin County based)
- Trail Designs | Caldera Cone Stove makers (South Bay based)
- ULA Equipment | Packs, trowels
Please drop a note in the comments if any of your faves are missing.
Also, mad props to Sam H. — This list expands on one at his site (yes, I cribbed the format and some of his verbiage because it was just so damned concise; I like that kind of thing).
Tags: Gear
February 27th, 2008 at 11:58 am
How about:
AntiGravityGear
Ray-Way Products
Thru-Hiker
Etowah Outfitters
LuxuryLite
And these are still not quite boutique, but they’re still quite small, privately-owned companies who make what you might still be able to classify as “boutique” gear:
Wild Things
Integral Designs
Feathered Friends
February 27th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Steve: thanks; I had just added Anti Gravity Gear to the list.
February 27th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
As I was reading today’s blog post I thought to myself, ‘Tom and I think alike’. Then as I approached the end of the post I find out why. The additions you and Steve have made are quality - some of which I haven’t added to my list (for whatever reason).
- Sam
February 27th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Sam: maybe we should put together a super-list of all these sites. I’m sure there are a few more we’re missing.
(and thanks for being understanding about my borrowing of your links).
February 27th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Hennessy Hammocks
http://www.hennessyhammock.com/
February 28th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Good addition, fedak. I’m not sure why I didn’t have Hennessey on my list. Tom, I use del.icio.us to track my backpacking links. I tag cottage gear manufacturers with the tags “ultralight backpacking gear cottage manufacturers”. My list is located here:
http://del.icio.us/sharaldson/cottage