American Made Hiking/backpacking Gear?
I am on a boycott against everything not made in America, and i have been for about 2 months. I really enjoy backpacking and I could use some new gear, but it has to be made in USA. my current mountain hardwear sleeping bag was made in china, and my north face backpack was made in vietnam. i have already determined i am going to buy a western mountaineering sleeping bag, because it is made in America, and my local hiking store employee told me one particular model could pack down into a Nalgene bottle. (nalgene is made in USA!!!) what brand of backpack is made here though? i haven’t looked into them yet because my North Face one is still pretty new. is kelty made here? i have also decided which portable single burner stove i want. i think it is MSR and made in USA, as opposed to the coleman made in china. i would really appreciate a list of brands if you know of one. Thanks and remember to buy American, and Have Fun Out There!!!
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Last I checked Osprey packs are still made in the USA, Dolores Colorado I believe.
Equinox, based in Williamsport, PA, makes camping accessories and some small packs as well as shelters.
Mystery Ranch MAY be made in the USA…I’m not 100% sure of this, but they contract packs for the government as well as for backpacking and I’m pretty damned sure most stuff made for the feds have to be made (at least partly) in the USA except for a few things like firearms and automobiles.
Outdoor Products Inc. also used to make a lot of their stuff in the USA…mostly day packs and accessories. I have an Outdoor Products day pack and sport briefcase as well as water bottle holders and ditty bags.
Good Luck with your quest. I too try to buy American first, but at $60 a whack I can’t ever see myself buying “Bill’s Kahki’s” However, I do regularly drop $$$ for Kavu products. They make great hats but the rest o their clothes are mostly cotton…good for sitting around the cabin, but not so much for the trail.
Good question. Wiggy’s (crazy warm lamilite sleeping bags), Jacks Plastic Welding,(river rafts, sleeping pads), Kifaru (the guy who used to own Mountainsmith, amazingly cool backpacks, sleeping bags, and tents), Arc’teryx isn’t made in the USA, but I’m pretty sure they’re not made in China. There’s also Ray Jardine, who sells camping quilt/pack/tarp tent kits and instructions. That’s all I can think of off the top of my head.
edit-Forgot about White’s Boots. My 10″ lace-to-toe smokejumpers are the best boots I’ve ever had.
Rusty
ps-good question, and thx to those who answered.
I have found a couple of companies that are based in the USA, that appear to make some, if not all of their gear here. May have to call or email to confirm.http://www.sixmoondesigns.comhttp://www.arucsystems.com/http://www.gossamergear.com/http://www.ula-equipment.com/http://antigravitygear.com/products.php?…
There is a list of more items here,although most of these don’t seem to have a web site, and most seem to be everyday packs, and not camping.http://www.hikemore.com/hiking/usa-gear/…
Another alternative is to make your own, or get a design and have a local craftsperson make you one. There are lots of designs available, a good place to start is here:http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html
Gregory backpacks used to be made in America. I don’t know if they still are. Wiggys and Stevenson warmlight sleeping bags are american made. White’s boots makes hiking boots in Spokane, Washington. They make some of the best boots you can buy. They are made to order to fit your feet. I try to buy American as much as possible. Sometimes the search gets frustrating.
yeah, Gregory packs are still made in the USA. They are made in Southern California about an hour or so from San Diego (my location). They are great packs and make plenty of other things too. Good luck with the search and Happy Hiking!