In the event you’re on the lookout for distinctive climbing and backpacking gear or items, Etsy is a craft-oriented purchasing web site that hosts the outlets of many up-and-coming ultralight backpack gear producers. There are about 30-40 firms actively making backpacking gear immediately on Etsy they usually all have distinctive histories that depart from the norm. Please give them your assist in the event you see one thing that fits your adventures. Shopping for instantly via Etsy places extra money of their pocket than if you are going to buy their gear via one other channel. In the event you worth the improvements they provide, please assist them.
Listed below are a few of our favorites.
Mannequin Mountains
We take Digital Elevation Fashions and switch them into 3D fashions. We will even overlay your .gpx monitor onto the mannequin. I then hand-paint each element onto the mannequin based mostly on satellite tv for pc photos and reference pictures. It takes additional time, however the element is value it. Grasp our framed fashions in your wall, or you could possibly show an unframed mannequin in your desk. Both means, we’re certain there’s one thing you’ll like.
Mountain Blaze
As avid hikers, the mountains are residence to Dave and Sumiko, an Appalachian Path (AT) Through-hiker and an AT SectionHiker. Our knit hats and DCF merchandise are handmade, impressed by our love of the woods, and made with performance in thoughts. All listings are able to ship, however in case you have a particular request, please electronic mail us and we’ll see what we will do! Thanks! Hope you get out in nature immediately!
Trailsigns
Philip, the proprietor of TrailSigns writes, “All of us have a backcountry path or a spot within the wilderness we love; a spot that holds recollections of a trek that fed our souls and examined our resolve. Need your favourite path signal hanging above your hearth? Ship us an image, and we’ll make you a duplicate. To create essentially the most genuine trying duplicate indicators, we use reclaimed wooden sourced from throughout New England. Species of wooden varies upon what we now have in inventory. Variation in wooden floor, tone, coloration, and texture will happen due to make use of of reclaimed supplies. Each effort is made to faithfully replicate the unique signage, and to create genuine weathering results, however every duplicate is exclusive. For brand spanking new signal items that may reside outdoor, we usually use cedar.”
Packback Designs
Co-founder Jim Toel writes, “we actually get pleasure from being a small and versatile cottage store at Packback Designs. It grants us a novel alternative to do small runs of high-quality, inventive, and modern product concepts. Issues the larger gear firms can’t discover the economics with. We’re not a {custom} pack maker however a gaggle of avid hikers that actually wish to give one thing “particular and distinctive” again to the climbing and backpacking group. We love to listen to suggestions and concepts.”
PeakQuest
House owners, Lynn and Jennifer, two avid hikers, had been on the lookout for a enjoyable and distinctive solution to file their peaks climbed and progress in a number of areas together with the New Hampshire 48 x 4000 footer, the Adirondack 46ers, and the Catskills 3500’s and others. They designed scratch-off peak lists so you may visually monitor and share your accomplishments. This can be a good reward for all ages!
GearBagsandMorebyCP
Cindy and Bryan Payne are a husband-and-wife group that likes to hike and mountain bike. “We primarily make water bottle holders in 5 sizes to your backpack shoulder strap, that options straightforward attachment, a shock twine to securely maintain your water bottle, giving you quick access to your water. As well as, we provide Dyneema roll-top luggage, Dyneema zipper pouches, mobile phone/misc. pouch holders, and sq. finish zipper luggage. We’re positioned in central Indiana and have the power to take our store on the highway in a van that we personalized ourselves, so we might nonetheless get pleasure from all of the issues we like to do. We began GearBagsandMorebyCP to create high quality, sturdy, light-weight, and useful gear at an affordable worth for the on a regular basis particular person.”
HikeLite
Andrea started HikeLight in early 2024, due to her love for the outside. She began off making her personal gear some gear, and it quickly changed into the little enterprise that you simply see immediately. All HikeLite’s gear is 100% handmade and designed by her in Bowling Inexperienced, KY. Making the gear is simply half the story; in her down time, she enjoys going backpacking along with her husband and two wonderful canine.
UltraliteSacks
Luke Nalley, founding father of UltraliteSacks writes, “we concentrate on high-end out of doors organizational gear using solely the most effective supplies and technical materials accessible. From thru-hikers to weekend warriors, we now have you coated.”
Justin’s UL
Justin Anderson of Justin’s UL makes a speciality of making water bottle sleeves which have a near-cult following within the thru-hiker group and promote out week after week. He writes, “Within the fixed pursuit of happiness, nature has been my private escape for many years now as I proceed to unfold the love for getting again to our easy roots.” All merchandise are hand-made on my own right here within the USA.
Ponds Edge
Jason Pond, the proprietor of Pond’s Edge, based his enterprise in 2019 in Northern Wisconsin just some miles from the Ice age nationwide scenic path. “I get pleasure from making the best high quality gear and the occasional {custom} piece”, he writes, together with working with Dyneema, nylons, polyester, cotton, and leather-based. I completely love working with individuals to get them the gear they’ve at all times wished and will by no means discover.”
KAMOutdoors
KAM Outside makes a speciality of custom-designed, ultralight out of doors gear. Every merchandise is hand constructed with the best high quality materials and equipment. “My greatest sellers embody the UL Dyneema Path Pockets, Path Pouch, and Sternum Pouch,” writes proprietor Chris Stoy. “My love for being outdoors and backpacking with my family and friends led me to begin making my very own gear, in addition to for others.”
HangTightShop
Steve Hazel at HangTight has been on a mission to make tenting cozy, heat, easy, inexpensive and lightweight by doing the give you the results you want. He writes, “Within the ultralight group of hammock and tenting, I wished to make Down quilts attainable for the typical hiker. My ardour is to carry this unimaginable means of having fun with the outside to people with out breaking the financial institution. I can’t consider it began years in the past as a result of I wanted to arrange the household for a giant journey!”
QiWiz
Rob Kelly aka QiWiz (path identify) is now in his twelfth 12 months of constructing ultralight backpacking gear, most produced from titanium, in his basement workshop in Ohio. Lots of his hottest objects (3 sizes of cathole trowels and three sizes of cooking spatulas, a number of sizes of windscreens, a twig-burning range, and a novel buck noticed) can be found in his QiWiz Etsy store. He makes every thing himself, by hand, one merchandise at a time. He himself is an avid backpacker and LNT fanatic.
Hartford Gear Firm
Georgia Wetmore began backpacking 5 years in the past and commenced modifying and making her personal gear. She writes, “I liked doing it a lot that I made pouches and fanny packs for family and friends and finally began an Etsy store as a side-hustle to my 9-5 job. I by no means anticipated Hartford Gear Co. to grow to be my full-time job, however I’m elated and flattered that so many people need what I make. I describe Hartford Gear Co. as “No Frills” as a result of I try to make the best, strongest, most useful luggage I can. I’m a one-woman operation understanding of the home I lease in Hartford, CT together with my cat Paco.”
NAPACKS
My identify is Mike and I’ve been an energetic out of doors fanatic since I moved to Southern California about 14 years in the past. I really like the outside, creating, and the inventive course of and have at all times adopted my passions in life. Like others within the MYOG group, the attraction of constructing gear to suit my wants was a calling. All the things I promote is designed, minimize, and sewn at my residence on an industrial Brother strolling foot stitching machine. I’d like to accommodate variations of my merchandise if there’s something that might be completed to make it higher suited to your wants. I additionally welcome new construct concepts!
Been Campin
I’m the Ben of Been Campin. Ever since shifting to the Tetons in 2013, I’ve been obsessive about climbing, tenting, and customarily being outdoor within the mountains. I’m presently in Colorado and have climbed 49 of the 58 Colorado 14ers (14,000’+ mountains). I’ve at all times been very bold with my climbing targets and the ultralight world was useful in making a few of these targets a bit extra obtainable. With the Dyneema choices available on the market being so restricted, I discovered to stitch in late 2018 and began creating my very own ultralight gear.
SomeDaveOutdoorGear
Dave writes “Ever since I used to be a child, I’ve been arising with neat concepts. I like to resolve little issues to make life simpler. I wish to ‘plus’ stuff… tweak it…make it higher. What I promote right here will assist my climbing targets, and hopefully carry a little bit resolution to your out of doors life too. You probably have a {custom} alteration you want to me to do, simply ask. I’ll see if I can accommodate you.
Stitchbackgear
Have you ever ever wished to stitch your personal ultralight backpack or thought of beginning your personal cottage firm to make backpacks? StitchbackGear sells detailed stitching patterns for making your personal backpacks, backpack accent pockets, and stuff sacks. Stitchbackgear is owned and operated by Drew Soderborg an industrial designer based mostly in central Utah who likes to make issues with all kinds of supplies. He particularly likes to make his personal out of doors gear. He additionally enjoys backpacking, climbing, and canyoneering in Utah’s backcountry together with his spouse and daughters.
Classic Camp and Path
Not precisely ultralight, however distinctive. Dave, the proprietor writes “I concentrate on obscure items for the outdoorsman that enjoys Classic gear, Re Enacting, Amassing interval items, and for these eager about Tenting the best way our forefathers did it. I believe that camp cookery is among the most essential components of having fun with your time outdoor so I look excessive and low for good classic items to suit your equipment wants and solely listing objects I’ve hand chosen, and would use myself in Camp or on the Path. Most objects could have been cleaned and serviced previous to inserting on the market so they’re prepared to be used whenever you get them. A few of my costs could seem a bit excessive however do not forget that I’ve pushed to go looking them out, hand chosen them, cleaned or serviced them, and the Delivery is free within the USA.”
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