SectionHiker.com Backpacking Gear Reviews and FAQs 
A cottage industry backpacking gear company is one that designs and manufactures its own products. They’ll often customize them for a fee, as well. Cottage gear companies often make backpacking gear that can’t be obtained from mainstream manufacturers because it’s very specialized and relatively few people need it. They’re often at the forefront of many fabric or material innovations in their respective industries because they can make one piece of gear at a time and don’t need to inventory large amounts of raw materials. Most can’t anyway because they don’t have the cash reserves or credit lines of larger businesses.
Please purchase directly from these manufacturers. Covid-19 has made it even more challenging for these small manufacturers to stay afloat. If you’re interested in sponsoring the innovation they provide and purchasing their products, we’d encourage you to buy them directly.
*New Additions
Cottage Backpacking Gear Directory
- Aarn Packs: Balanced backpacks that distribute pack weight across the front and back of your torso.
- Adotec – Dyneema Backpacking Gear made in Canada.
- Alien Outdoor Gear: Ultralight Backpacks
- AlpineLiteWorks: Ultra chest and fanny packs.
- Atelier Longue Distance: French backpack manufacturer.
- allmansright – Well-designed ultralight backpacking gear, make in the Bronx, NY
- Alpacka Rafts: Leading packraft manufacturer.
- Alpen Fuel: High-calorie breakfast meals made with wholesome goodness.
- Alpha Pak: Dog backpacks and trail gear.
- Alpine Fit – Alaskan-based baselayers and garments for wilderness expeditions.
- Alpine Luddites: Custom backpack maker specializing in classic alpine and climbing backpack reproductions.
- Alpine Start Foods: Outdoor instant coffee.
- Alt Route Meals: Plant-based dehydrated backpacking meals.
- Amok Equipment: Manufacturer of a unique horizontal hammock.
- Anda Ultralight: Ultralight bivies and tarps.
- Anti-Gravity Gear: Small retailer, mainly focused on the Appalachian Trail, that makes their own products and sells maps, guides, ultralight gear, and other essentials.
- Apex Giant: Titanium camping gear.
- Appalachian Gear Company: Alpaca fiber performance apparel and gear.
- Appy Trails: Inexpensive-shaped tarps.
- Arrowhead Equipment: Hammock gear and quilt manufacturer and one of the few to offer synthetic insulated quilts.
- As Tucas: European ultralight quilt and clothing manufacturer.
- Atlas Guides: Makers of Guthook’s Trail Guides.
- Atom Packs: UK ultralight backpack manufacturer.
- Balabusta Gear: Handmade fleece skirts and clothing.
- BearPaw Wilderness Designs: Custom shelter manufacturer.
- Bear Vault: Bear canisters.
- Blind Banana Bags – Danish UL backpack maker. Looks prety good.
- Blizzard Survival: Emergency blankets and bivy sacks.
- Bight Gear: Outdoor apparel.
- Big Sky International: Ultralight tents.
- Blue Bolt Gear: Ultralight quits and shelters
- BoglerCo: Popular Ultralight Titanium Trowel
- Bonfus – Ultralight backpacks and shelters, made in Italy, but shipped worldwide.
- Borah Gear: Ultralight tarps and bivies.
- Borealis Wool Company: Wool apparel.
- Brasslite: Ultralight brass stoves.
- Brynje: Famous fishnet long underwear (wool or synthetic) that keeps you really warm.
- Buffalo Systems: Outdoor jackets and apparel.
- Bushbuddy: Backpacking wood stoves.
- Bushka’s Kitchen: Scrumptious backpacking meals
- Butt in a Sling: Hammocks and accessories.
- Cascade Wild: Lightweight camping furniture.
- Cascadia Coffee Roasters: Instant coffee.
- Cave Creek Hammock: Hammocks, tarps, and quilts.
- Cedar Ridge Outdoors: Hammock quilts.
- Chairbuddies: Footpads for camping chairs that prevent sinking in soft ground.
- Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear: Ultralight backpacks.
- CiloGear: Mountaineering backpacks.
- Cioch Outdoor Clothing: Custom outdoor clothing.
- Clickstand: Backpacking stoves and windscreens.
- Cloud Gear: Ultralight dry bags.
- Cloudline Apparel: Outdoor clothing.
- Cnoc Outdoors: Water reservoirs and trekking poles
- Cold Case Gear: Indestructible, insulated phone cases for backpackers and adventurers.
- Cold Cold World Backpacks: Climbing and mountaineering backpacks.
- Cooke Custom Sewing: Tarps, backpacks, and canoeing supplies.
- CragDog – Custom dog equipment.
- Cumulus: Sleeping bags.
- Dandee Packs: Ultralight backpacks, bags, and accessories.
- DD Hammocks: Tents, hammocks, and shelters.
- Deliberate Life Designs: Custom minimalist sport sandals.
- Dirty Girl Gaiters: Gaiters for running and hiking.
- D.I.Y. Gear Supply: DIY Fabric and component supplier.
- DIY Packrafts: Packraft kits
- Dragontail Tenkara: Ultralight fly fishing gear for backpackers.
- Dream Hammock: Custom hammocks and tarps
- Durston Gear: Makers of the famed X-Mid and X-Mid Pro UL tents.
- Dutchware Gear: Offer a wide range of hammock gear.
- eclipse: Sun protective clothing
- El Coyote Quilts: Ultralight custom quilts
- Elemental Horizons: Lightweight backpack manufacturer.
- Emberlit: Wood stoves, flints, and survival gear.
- Enlightened Equipment: Backpacking quilts and apparel.
- Epiphany Outdoor Gear: Fire-starting tools
- Evergreen Adventure Foods: Dehydrated plant-based meals
- Farm to Summit: Sustainable dehydrated meals.
- FarPointe Outdoor Gear: Small-batch outdoor clothing
- Feathered Friends: Down sleeping bags and quilts.
- Featherstone Outdoor: Low cost lightweight quilts and tents.
- Ferweh Food Company: Dehydrated backpacking meals.
- Fibraplex: Carbon fiber tent poles.
- Flat Cat Gear: Ultralight stoves and accessories.
- Flowfold: Minimalist wallets and PPE, including faceshields!
- Food for the Sole: Interesting gourmet dehydrated trail meals.
- Forty Below: Neoprene insulation for mountaineering.
- Fox River: Socks and sock monkeys!
- Frau Fowler: Oral tooth care for the trail.
- Freelight: Ultralight backpacking gear.
- Frye-Bake: Backpacking cooking pots.
- Four Dog Stove: Backpacking and camping stoves.
- Gear Bags and More: Dyneema stuff sacks and pockets
- Glacial Gear: Wool clothing and accessories.
- Glad Rags: Eco-friendly pads and menstrual cups
- Good To-Go: Gourmet dehydrated camping meals.
- Goose Feet: Down apparel.
- Gossamer Gear: Ultralight backpacks and shelters.
- Grayl: Innovative water purifiers perfect for day hiking and international travel
- Greenbelly: High-calorie meal bars for thru-hiking.
- Green Goo: Hand sanitizer and skin lotions.
- Gryphon Gear: Down quilts and sleeping bags.
- Hammock Bliss: Hammocks.
- Hammock Gear: Hammocks, tarps, and quilts.
- Hanchor: Lightweight backpacks.
- Hang Tight Shop: Low cost down quilts with silver heat reflective liner. Amazing!
- Hartford Gear Company: Ultralight accessory stuff sacks and bags
- Hawbuck Wallets: Minimal ultralight wallets.
- Hawk Vittles: Backpacking food.
- Heather’s Choice: Lightweight packable meals for camping and backpacking.
- Hennessy Hammock: All-in-one hammock tents.
- High Tail Designs: Funky ultralight stuff sacks, dry bags, clothing and accessories.
- Hilleberg: Fantastic, bombproof tents.
- Hill People Gear: Backpacks and hunting accessories.
- Himali: Mountaineering layers and clothing.
- Hillsound: Winter traction devices, crampons, and gaiters
- Hilltop Packs: Cool Ultralight backpacks, food bags, and stuff sacks
- Hoffman Outdoor Gear Supply: DIY Materials and accessories.
- HydroBlu – Water filter that’s better than a Sawyer.
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Ultralight backpacks and shelters.
- Imlay Canyon Gear: Canyoneering Packs and equipment.
- Injini: Toes socks for blister prevention.
- Insect Shield: Insect shield (Permethrin) your clothes.
- Jacks ‘R’ Better: Hammocks, quilts, and tarps.
- Jolly Gear: Hiking Shirts.
- JustinsUL: Wildly popular water bottle sleeves.
- KAM Outdoors: Ultralight sternum pouches and wallets
- Kammok: Hammocks, quilts, tarps.
- Katabatic Gear: Fantastic Backpacking quilts.
- Kates Real Food: Yummy food bars.
- Kifaru International: Hunting backpacks and shelters.
- Klymit: Sleeping pads mainly.
- Kokopelli Packrafts:Packrafts.
- KS Ultralight Gear: Custom ultralight backpacks.
- KUIU – Backpack hunting packs, tents, and clothing.
- Kula Cloth – Pee cloths for women
- Lawson Outdoor Equipment: Cordage and accessories.
- Lawson Hammock: Popular bridge-style hammock
- Light Heart Gear: Ultralight tents and apparel.
- LiteAF: Ultralight backpacks.
- Lite Outdoors: Titanium stoves and tarps.
- Liteway Equipment: UL Packs, Mids, and Apparel
- littlbug: Backpacking stoves
- Locus Gear: Ultralight tarps and tents.
- Loco Libre Gear: Hammock quilts.
- Lone Star Ultralight: Ultralight backpacking tarps and accessories.
- LoopAlien: No knot hardware
- Luno: Air mattresses for camping in your car at trailheads and on the road.
- LuminAid: Solar powered lanterns and lightning
- McHale Alpine Packs: Custom backpacks.
- Macabi – Hiking Skirts/Pants for men and women.
- Mayfly Ultralight Equipment: Ultralight sandals.
- Matador: Backpacking and travel accessories
- Maven Optics – Super high-quality binoculars and scopes made in the USA.
- Melanzana: Clothing.
- Miles Gear: Bivy sacks.
- Minus 33: New Hampshire based merino wool clothing for men and women
- Molly Mac Gear: Hammock accessories.
- Montem: Low-cost carbon fiber trekking poles.
- Morsel: Sporks
- Mountain Laurel Designs: Ultralight backpacking gear.
- MPowered: Luci solar-powered inflatable lanterns and accessories.
- Mountainsmith: Old school backpacking company that’s quietly reinvented itself
- Mystery Ranch: Backpack manufacturer that focuses on wilderness backpacking
- Nanga: Down Sleepings Bag, Quilts, and Clothing
- Nashville Packs: Ultralight Backpacks
- Nitecore: Lightweight headlamps and flashlights favored by hikers and hunters.
- Nomad Nutrition: Plant-based dehydrated backpacking meals
- North45: Fog-free balaclavas for skiing and winter sports
- Northern Lites: Ultralight snowshoes.
- Northern Sled Works: Sleds and pulks.
- Northern Ultralight: Canadian Ultralight backpack manufacturer.
- Norrona: Norwegian outdoor clothing and gear manufacturer.
- NWAlpine: Hiking and climbing apparel.
- Nunatak: Ultralight quilts.
- The Original Bugshirt Company: Insect-proof clothing.
- Outdoor Element: Multi-tools and survival gear.
- Outdoor Herbivore: Vegetarian backpacking food.
- Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics: DIY Fabric and component supplier.
- Oware: Tarps and shelters.
- PackbackDesigns: Ultralight backpacks, accessory pockets, and stuff sacks.
- PacerPole: The people who make Philip’s incredible trekking poles.
- Pa’lante Packs: Ultralight backpacks.
- Parapack: Folding Billed Caps
- Peter Limmer and Sons: Custom leather hiking boots.
- PHD: Down clothing, quilts, and sleeping bags.
- Pinnacle Foods: Delicious freeze-dried backpacking meals.
- Ponds Edge: Ultralight stuff sacks and ditty bags.
- Pstyle: Personal urinary device
- Purcell Trench: Camping grills.
- Purple Rain Adventure Skirts: Hiking apparel.
- QiWiz: Ultralight titanium trowels and stoves
- Ragged Mountain Equipment: Hiking and climbing apparel.
- Ray Way Products: DIY Tarp Kits.
- RBH Designs: Vapor barrier clothing.
- Red Paw Packs: Ultralight backpacks, fanny packs, and sewing patterns
- Ripstop by the Roll: DIY fabric supplier for small lot manufacturers and individuals.
- Rivendell Mountain Works: Backpacks.
- Rumpl: Puffy cozy blankets. It all started in the back of a van on a cold morning when it wouldn’t start
- Ruta Locura: Ultralight backpacking accessories.
- Sagebrush Dry Gear: Really waterproof backpacks and sacks
- Samaya Equipment: Ultralight mountaineering tents and backpacks.
- Seek Outside: Backpack manufacturer that specializes in lightweight external frame backpacks for backpacking and hunting.
- Senchi Designs: Small batch Polartec clothing
- Shamma Sandals: minimalist footwear
- Sheltowee Hammock Company Insulated hammocks.
- Sierra Madre Research: Hammocks, quilts, and camping accessories.
- simBLISSity Gaiters.
- Simple Outdoor Solutions Ultralight backpacking accessories.
- Simply Light Designs: Hammocks and tarps.
- Six Moon Designs: Ultralight backpack and tent manufacturer.
- Skygoat: Hoodies and casual clothing
- SlingFin: Innovative lightweight tent manufacturer.
- Space Bear Bags: UL punches and bags. The company is named after a cat.
- Snowtrekker Canvas Tents: Canvas tents.
- Strapworks: Largest supplier of buckles and plastic hardware. Great for gear repair!
- Suluk 46: Ultralight backpacking accessories.
- Supai Adventure Gear: Ultralight packrafts.
- Superior Hammock: Insulated hammocks.
- Superior Wilderness Designs: Ultralight backpacks.
- Tarptent: Extremely well-designed ultralight tents.
- Tentpole Technologies: Replacement tentpoles.
- Tentsmiths: Historic tents for re-enactors.
- Terra Rosa Gear: Ultralight tarps and sleeping bag covers.
- The Tentlab: Makers of tents and trowels
- Thrupack: fanny packs and stuff sacks
- Ticket to the Moon: Hammocks and tarps.
- Tier Gear: Tasmanian Ultralight backpacking gear.
- Timmermade: Insulated clothing and quilts.
- Tinny’s Trash: The alcohol stove wizard’s latest creations.
- Trail Designs: Manufacture stove windscreens that optimize fuel efficiency.
- Trailheads: Hats.
- Trailtopa Adventure Foods: Inspiring backpacking meals
- Tread Labs – Innovative replaceable insoles going head-to-head against Superfeet.
- UGQ Outdoors: Hammock quilts and tarps.
- ULA Equipment: Ultralight backpacks.
- Ultimate Direction: Trail running and fastpacking gear.
- UltraliteSacks: Ultralight stuff sacks
- Ursack: Lightweight bear-resistant bear bags.
- Vargo Outdoors: Titanium backpacking gear
- Voormi: Outdoor adventure clothing
- Wander Woman Gear: Reusable pee rags and cloths
- Warbonnet Outdoors: Hammocks, tarps, and quilts.
- Waymark Gear Company: Ultralight backpacks.
- Whyld River: Ultralight insulation for dogs
- Wiggy’s: Climashield sleeping bags and cold weather gear.
- Wild Ideas: Ultralight bear canisters.
- Wilderness Thread Works: ultralight backpacks
- Wintergreen Northern Wear: Apparel.
- Xero Shoes: Minimalist and barefoot hiking shoes and sandals popular with hikers.
- YAMA Mountain Gear: Ultralight tents and tarps.
- Yankee Maker: Maker of the One Bottle Hydration System.
- YAR.gear: Ultralight backpacks
- Yonah Packs: Tenkara fishing packs and bags.
- Zimmerbuilt Custom Backpacks: Ultralight backpacks.
- Zpacks: Ultralight backpack, tent, quilt, and sleeping bags.