Cottage Industry Backpacking Gear Directory
By Erik the Black
Some of the best ultralight backpacking gear is not made by big companies and isn’t even sold in stores. It comes from small, hiker-owned businesses who design, manufacture and sell their gear on the internet and at local hiker gatherings. These cottage industry backpacking gear smiths are responsible for most of the innovative new ideas that have fueled the ultralight backpacking revolution, from tarp-tents to one-pound packs and more.
If you know of a company that you would like to see included on this list, please contact me and let me know.
Alpine Fit
alpinefit.com – Base layers, hiking shirts, hats, neck gaiters, and other headwear.
AntiGravityGear
antigravitygear.com – Lightweight shelters, cook systems, accessories and more..
Bear Paw Wilderness Designs
bearpawwd.com – Lightweight shelters and accessories.
Big Sky International
bigskyinternational.com – Ultralight freestanding shelters.
Brasslite Backpacking Stoves
brasslite.com – Lightweight alcohol stoves.
Bushbuddy
bushbuddystove.com – Ultralight wood burning stoves.
Cooke Custom Sewing
cookecustomsewing.com – Silnylon tarps, packs and other gear.
Dirty Girl Gaiters
dirtygirlgaiters.com – Colorful lightweight gaiters.
DIY Gear Supply
diygearsupply.com – Materials and fabrics for building your own lightweight gear.
Enlightened Equipment
enlightenedequipment.com – Ultralight sleeping quilts.
Equinox LTD
equinoxltd.com – Ultralight packs, shelters, accessories and more.
Feathered Friends
featheredfriends.com – Ultralight down sleeping bags and clothing.
Flat Cat Gear
flatcatgear.com – Ultralight stoves and baking systems.
Four Dog Stoves
fourdog.com – Ultralight multi-fuel stoves and cookware.
Gossamer Gear
gossamergear.com – Ultralight backpacks, shelters, sleep systems & more.
Goosefeet Gear
goosefeetgear.com – Down booties and apparel.
Hammock Gear
hammockgear.com – Lightweight hammock tarps, quilts and accessories.
Hennessy Hammock
hennessyhammock.com – Lightweight hammock shelters.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear
hyperlitemountaingear.com – Ultralight cuben fiber backpacks, shelters and accessories.
Jacks R Better
jacksrbetter.com – Ultralight sleeping quilts, shelters and accessories.
Katabatic Gear
katabaticgear.com – Ultralight sleeping quits and bivys.
Lawson Outdoor Equipment
lawsonequipment.com – Lightweight shelter kits, fabrics and accessories.
LightHeart Gear
lightheartgear.com – Ultralight double-wall shelters, fabrics and accessories.
LW Gear
lwgear.com – Lightweight backpacks, DVDs, books and videos.
Mayfly Ultralight Equipment
mayflyultralight.com – Ultralight camp shoes.
McHale Alpine Packs
mchalepacks.com – Custom fitted ultralight backpacks.
Moonbow Gear
moonbowgear.com – Modular pack systems, shelters and other unique gear.
Nunatak
nunatakusa.com – Ultralight sleeping quilts and down apparel.
Mountain Laurel Designs
mountainlaureldesigns.com – Ultralight backpacks, shelters, sleep systems and more.
Oware
bivysack.com – Ultralight shelters, sleep systems and accessories.
Purcell Trench Grills
purcelltrench.com – Lightweight grills for campfire cooking.
Purple Rain Adventure Skirts
purplerainskirts.com – Lightweight backpacking skirts and kilts.
Ray Jardine
rayjardine.com – The godfather of UL backpacking’s books and sew-your-own gear kits.
Ruta Locura
rutalocura.com – Trekking poles, tent poles, cookware and accessories.
Simblissity
simblissity.net – Lightweight gaiters, storage sacks and accessories.
Six Moon Designs
sixmoondesigns.com – Ultralight backpacks, shelters and accessories.
Solo Stove
solostove.com – Lightweight wood-burning stoves.
Suluk 46
suluk46.com – Ultralight backpacking tools and accessories.
Tarptent
tarptent.com – The original lightweight single-wall shelters (and now double wall shelters)
Trail Designs
traildesigns.com – Lightweight stoves, cookware and accessories.
Ultralight Adventure Equipment
ula-equipment.com – The best lightweight backpacks in the biz.
Warbonnet Outdoors
warbonnetoutdoors.com – Lightweight hammock tarps, quilts and accessories.
Western Mountaineering
westernmountaineering.com – Ultralight down sleeping bags and apparel.
ZPacks
zpacks.com – Ultralight cuben fiber shelters, backpacks and accessories.
Affiliate Disclosure: If you order from the links on this website, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Related Posts
Lightweight Backpacking Gear List (12 lbs)
Best all around gear list. Includes all equipment needed for long-distance backpacking. (12 lb base weight)
Budget Backpacking Gear List (Under $1,000)
Best for beginners. Includes all equipment needed for long-distance backpacking for under $1,000. (14 lb base weight.)
Day Hiking Gear List
Best for short hikes. Includes all equipment and supplies needed for day hiking safely. (13 lb pack weight.)
Build Your Own Gear List With My Custom Google Spreadsheet
Automatically calculate pack weight and costs, generate reports, charts & more!