Founder Friday Series: Trailblazing Gear That Redefines Adventure and Durability
In the world of outdoor gear, innovation and individuality are the keys to standing out.
Brands like Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear and Alpine Fit are redefining what it means to meet adventurers’ needs, blending thoughtful design with a commitment to quality and sustainability. In today’s Founder Friday, we take a look at ultralight, durable backpacking essentials, body-specific fits, and cutting-edge materials. These companies are proving that small brands can make a big impact on the modern outdoor industry.
Austin Gongos, Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear
Gear development tends to operate on a pendulum. First it swings one way but then users provide feedback, trends change, and the pendulum goes the opposite direction. Case in point: backpacking. The lightweight movement was a reaction to more traditional gear, but some people think it went too far and favored weight savings over durability. Enter Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear (more on their name), or CTUG for short. Founded by Austin Gongos and Nathan Ackerman, the company has spent years developing a design ethos that tries to meet hikers and backpackers exactly in the right spot, with gear that won’t weigh them down but will last for thousands of miles and hundreds of trips.
They currently hand-build 90 percent of their gear out of their shop in Hancock, Michigan and have come to be known for two hero products: multi-sized, mesh-based water bottle sleeves that fit onto backpack straps, and their Bear Can Key, which makes it significantly easier to open the top of a bear vault food storage can. Going forward the plan is to continue to be responsive, but do it at scale. They have a trusted manufacturing plant in Vietnam and with a larger supply chain can widen the availability of their products for people who want to adventure with the best gear possible.
Jen Loofbourrow, Alpine Fit
The idea that makes Alpine Fit stand out from every other brand is simple but brilliant—two different fits for the same style. Their flagship women’s Rendezvous Ridge Long Sleeve, for example, comes in a curvier design called the Azalea Fit and a straighter fit called Wild Iris. For men’s baselayer shirts there’s the Granite fit, which features more room around the waist, and the Cinder, which has a narrower fit around the waist. Beyond fit, the company also puts a strong emphasis on materials.
For baselayers they offer a sustainable merino wool and founder Jen Loofbourrow, who has a material sciences background, developed a synthetic fabric called Sterling in partnership with the company’s fabric mill in the U.S. Sterling is an ultra-soft material with silver permanently embedded in the fibers to fight stink and Alpine carefully sources the weight so one shirt can be used year round. To drive everything home the company makes all of its products in the United States. “We know we have to do unique things to make space for ourselves,” Loofbourrow says. “We have the opportunity to take a chance on a way-out there design idea, or body fit concept, or expensive totally unique fabric, because if we don’t do something different, why would someone bother to shop our products over the big brands?”
Why These Founders Matter
Founders like these demonstrate what happens when founders listen to the needs of the outdoor community and respond with thoughtful, human-centered design. For retailers, these brands represent the kind of innovation your customers crave: practical solutions that enhance functionality, ease of use, and quality of life outdoors.
Ready to stock products that make a difference? Discover more innovative brands like these at Outdoor Retailer, where the next generation of outdoor solutions comes to life.