In honor of Independence Day and all the hard working people that comprise America’s labor force, we are highlighting outdoor companies who manufacture products in the United States.
There are several reasons to buy products made in the USA: stricter pollution & environmental laws which lead to cleaner manufacturing processes that protect the environment. American workers have OSHA regulations, higher minimum wages, worker protections, and laws against child and slave labor. Manufacturing and selling products stateside greatly reduces the carbon footprint since they aren’t imported from overseas. And with all of our featured PNW brands, you’re supporting local businesses and families that live closer than you think!
The overarching theme for these businesses getting their start was acknowledging a gap in gear while out adventuring, so the founders wanted to create products that filled the gap and make recreating outside more enjoyable. Perhaps you have also noticed something missing from your gear and food repertoire, so use this post as inspiration to get started on your own product ideas and we’ll feature you in the future!
Pacific Northwest Brands
Feathered Friends (Seattle, WA)
Handmade in Seattle since 1972, Feathered Friends has been making functional designs with innovative, quality materials that are built to last for years, if not decades. They were one of the first companies on board with the Responsible Down Standard, and all of their products use down that is 100% certified under the RDS.
NW Alpine (Salem, OR)
The founder of NW Alpine, Bill Amos, was dissatisfied in the 2000s when outdoor apparel companies redirected their focus to fashion instead of function while trying to appeal to a larger market. He then created NW Alpine in 2010 with the goal to make clothes for climbing that are simple, functional, light, and of the highest quality; support domestic manufacturing; and provide the best customer service.
Kula Cloth (Seattle, WA)
Anastasia Allison, Kula Cloth’s founder, was backpacking in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in WA when she encountered a mess of used toilet paper behind a tree. Perturbed by all the waste, she started using and encouraging others to use pee rags instead of TP. She thought it would be better to have a nice pee rag instead of a random piece of microfiber cloth, and the Kula Cloth was born! Featuring antimicrobial fabric, snap closures, reflective thread to make it easier to find at night, and the best social media presence ever, Kula has taken off and made a world of difference to women who want to reduce their impact on the environment.
*Author’s Note: I got one as a present from my sister 2.5 years ago. I thought it was really weird initially but now I love having one and I don’t go on a single hike without it! It washes easily in the shower and still doesn’t smell after all this time. 11/10 would recommend.
Blackstrap (Bend, OR)
Bend-based Blackstrap is focused on reducing their environmental impact by using recycled packaging, non-toxic ink, and sew and cut facilities in the US. They also created a Waste Zero line to upcycle fabric scraps into products like goggle covers and headbands to reduce the amount of materials that wind up in landfills.
*Author’s Note: The hoods are great for layering under ski helmets, keeping head and neck warm with the ability to pull the front lower part up and over your nose or down below your chin depending on how warm you are.
Showers Pass (Portland, OR)
Celebrating 25 years this year, Showers Pass is accustomed to the rainy climate of the PNW. They create cycling and outdoor apparel to handle the soggy weather for long periods of time. They’re continually innovating products that hit the balance of weather protection, breathability, and fit for different activities. Showers Pass is focused on reducing their environmental impact while producing products that are high-quality and long lasting.
*Author’s note: The waterproof socks are phenomenal at protecting my feet when running or biking in the rain. No more uncomfortable, cold soggy feet on wet days!
Trail Butter (Portland, OR)
Founded by brothers Jeff and Brad Boggess, Jeff got inspiration on a multi-continent bike tour with bulky containers of nuts, butter, honey, and dried fruits taking up room in his panniers. He had the light bulb idea to combine them into one container and voila! Trail Butter was born. Operating out of Portland, Trail Butter initially gained popularity at farmers markets before selling wholesale and online.
*Author’s note: Our employee Jan swears by Trail Butter for all of her adventures. Jan (and her dogs) tested and approved!
Range Bars (Vancouver, WA)
Founder Zach Hein was attending college in Bozeman when he created Range Bars, filling a void in his nutrition for long days on the trail. He wanted a product that was healthy, crush-proof, lightweight, and needed no preparation. Enter Range Meal Bars, which pack a whopping 700 calories in 2 delicious flavors! Zach moved back to Vancouver after college and enlisted the help of his parents to scale production so he could bring Range Bars to the masses.
*Author’s Note: These bars are an essential for every adventure I embark on! They’re easy to munch on at 2am when you know you need calories but nothing sounds good.
Mountain House (Albany, OR)
Mountain House’s parent company, Oregon Freeze Dry, got their start making rations during the Vietnam Conflict for soldiers. In 1969, surplus rations were sold to sporting goods stores and were a smashing success - and that’s when Mountain House was born. They’ve been providing high-quality, tasty dehydrated meals for outdoor adventures for over 50 years and are constantly working on new flavor combinations.
Fernweh Food (Portland, OR)
Fernweh Food was established in 2015 by Ashley Lance. She was making her own food for bikepacking, and wanted to reduce the amount of single use plastics in the outdoors. Fernweh uses packaging that is 100% Omnidegradable or compostable.
They lessen their carbon footprint by omitting meat and only producing plant-based products.
Mountaineer Books (Seattle, WA)
Every climber is familiar with the book, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, as it is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, book to learn how to be a mountaineer. In 1960, Mountaineer Books was established by volunteers of The Mountaineers to share their climbing knowledge. They are the nation’s leading independent publisher of outdoor recreation books.
Green Trails (Seattle, WA)
Founded in 1973, Green Trails combined forces with The Mountaineers, who we touched on above, to bring the best compilation of knowledge and maps to the public. They provide the most up-to-date maps for road and trail information all over the West. All of their high-quality recreational topographical maps are printed in the US.
SMC (Seattle, WA)
SMC got its start in 1967 during the golden age of high-altitude mountaineering, and expanded into manufacturing rescue equipment in the 80’s when the request for durable, stronger, and more sophisticated tools came in. They’re known for pulleys, pickets, carabiners, and a plethora of other tools to aid in mountaineering and rescue operations.
Metolius Climbing (Bend, OR)
Over 35 years in the making, Metolius has been following a safer-by-design philosophy to make the strongest, safest, most bomb-proof gear in the world. Metolius exceeds established safety standards while providing the highest level of performance.
They also act as guinea pigs and test out new products throughout several renditions to make sure they are absolutely safe and dependable before manufacturing.
Karakoram (North Bend, WA)
Founded in 2008 by twin brothers, Tyler and Bryce, Karakoram provides high quality splitboard binding systems. 94% of the parts used to make the bindings are made in the US, and 91% of those made in Washington state! They build bindings to perform at the highest standards because they are the end users of their products, just like consumers. Not only is Karakoram a small, PNW business, but they also provide local work for two CNC shops, an Injection Molder, and a Sheet Metal shop.
US Brands
Kate's Real Food (Bedford, PA)
Made with organic ingredients, Kate (the founder), was filling a nutritional void she encountered while recreating outside. Coming from a 200 year old family farm passed down for generations and working at a farm in Idaho, Kate had a lot of knowledge and experience to apply towards making delicious, organic food fit for an active lifestyle. Kate’s Real Food is always developing new flavors and implementing strategies to increase sustainability practices.
Voile (Salt Lake City, UT)
Voile was founded in Salt Lake City in 1980 with a focus on telemark skiing. They really blew minds when they debuted the first splitboard, called the Voile Split Decision in 1991. After shocking the snowboarding community, they went after skis, producing the Voile Telesurf, a fat powder ski that was far shorter and wider than anything on the market. It shocked the ski community and a new generation of skis was introduced. Voile crafts a whopping 98% of their backcountry equipment (skis, splitboards, tele bindings, and voile straps) in house in SLC. This cuts down immensely on emissions, materials, and shipping. They also work hard to source materials domestically which enables more control on quality and control over the product’s manufacturing process.
Spark R&D (Bozeman, MT)
One of the top producers of splitboard bindings, Spark R&D took off in 2006 because splitboard bindings were limited to the puck design that Voile had created over a decade before. The founders integrated the slider track into the baseplate of the binding making it stiffer, lower and lighter for better control and performance. Now, Spark R&D manufactures the entire product line from start to finish in house, from design to CNC machining, to packaging & shipping.
WNDR Alpine (Salt Lake City, UT)
This newer ski and now splitboard company got started because the founder, Matt Sterbenz, wanted to change what skis are made out of. WNDR now uses an algae-based resin instead of petroleum to reduce their impact on the environment. They are an industry first B Certified brand and are always working on improving design and construction of biobased ingredients. WNDR facilities are 100% powered by renewable energy, they reuse castoffs from skis to make displays, and all their products are packaged using recycled and recyclable paper and cardboard - no single-use plastic wrap on skis from this brand! They are able to create incredible, lightweight, high-performing skis using nontraditional methods that are sold at a reasonable price compared to the rest of the inundated ski market.
