Behind the Scenes with Ultralight Gear Brands
Collaboration and innovation among cottage backpacking brands
Curious about what’s happening in the outdoor industry, the future of ultralight gear, or trends in backpacking gear?
Four panelists from the ultralight backpacking outdoor gear industry speak to where we are and where we are going:
Liv Melo from allmansright
Chris Schabow from Enlightened Equipment
Sarah Berkeley from Symbiosis Gear
Whitney LaRuffa from Six Moon Designs
Hosted by Treeline Review and Moderated by Lloyd Vogel from Garage Grown Gear, Liz Snorkel Thomas and Lloyd Vogel moderate a panel on innovations in ultralight gear, featuring experts from various brands.
The panelists agree that in this competitive market, ultralight brands need to show a continuous innovation, authentic storytelling, and pushing the envelope. They also discuss the challenges of big brands imitating cottage brands and the need for collaboration and community support among small brands.
Get an insider's look at the future of innovation in ultralight gear with this special panel. Meet the people behind ultralight gear brands and learn about outdoor industry trends and how that is changing the world of ultralight.
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What is happening in the outdoor industry for ultralight brands?
We asked thought leaders in the ultralight backpacking space about the outdoor industry including:
What are some of the emerging trends or technologies you expect to shape the future of ultralight backpacking gear and generally in the broader outdoor industry?
What does innovation look like to you within your individual companies? What does your brand do that makes you different?
What are some of the key innovations in ultralight gear that you have seen in recent years?
How has the demand for women-specific ultralight backpacking gear evolved and what are the unique considerations?
Any concerns for the future of smaller outdoor brands in today's outdoor industry? Any fears of oversaturation?
How can we (the users) support small, independent ultralight gear brands and protect their innovations?
What are some practical ways for individuals to adopt the ultralight philosophy and reduce their gear weight?
Takeaways
Big box brands are starting to adopt ultralight principles, but they often lack the hands-on experience and field testing that small brands have.
There are challenges of innovating in the ultralight space, including the need to scale production while maintaining small company philosophies and sustainability.
There is a need for ultralight companies to design gear specifically for women's bodies, considering the wide range of body types and shapes that women have.
Innovation for small brands can happen by focusing on making products that are repairable, multi-use, and less wasteful, including using replaceable elastics in backpacks and finding creative uses for scrap materials.
It’s important for small brands to have agility and built community among ultralight enthusiasts. Small brands can differentiate themselves through their unique stories and customer relationships.
It’s very hard for small brands to get and enforce patents. That makes it all the more important to build a strong brand identity and community.
For ultralight brands, collaboration, innovation, and staying true to the core principles of the ultralight movement are more important than ever.
Meet the panelists:
LIVIO MELO (ALLMANSRIGHT)
Livio is Co-Founder of allmansright, an ultralight gear brand inspired by the Swedish tradition of allemansrätt, the right of everyone to freely roam and explore the outdoors.
Livio is Dominican, a hiker, artist, and designer with an industrial design degree from 'Parsons - The New School'.
Livio says, "The industrial designer in me used to believe products could save the world, but the hiker in me knows that the connections made with nature ultimately will. My hopes are that we can facilitate these connections via gear."
Instagram: @allmansright.gear
CHRIS SCHABOW (ENLIGHTENED EQUIPMENT)
Chris entered the ultralight gear space in 2016 after a 10+ year career in nonprofit administration and fund development. For this DIY gear maker and lifelong outdoor enthusiast, working for Enlightened Equipment’s budding R&D department was a dream come true.
The time spent in product development provided a framework for advancement within the growing brand.
A series of leadership opportunities on the manufacturing side of the company ultimately led to his current role of CEO in January of 2023.
Chris also owns Prairie Dog Shovel, an ultralight camp trowel company where he gets to mess around with aircraft-grade aluminum and lasers.
Passion for the outdoor space is rooted in the deep belief that everyone can enjoy the beauty of the backcountry with the correct gear.
Instagram: @enlightenedequipment/
SARAH "MALLOW" BERKELEY (SYMBIOSIS GEAR)
Has thru-hiked the Vermont Long Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Colorado Trail. She has extensive knowledge of the design process through her Master of Fine Arts degree in Art + Design. She grew up making everything from her own clothes to a 1400-square-foot log house.
Sarah also brings a wealth of business knowledge from her first business. Throughout her career, she has spearheaded large-scale projects while also managing large budgets and teams.
Sarah has a big mission-driven vision for Symbiosis Gear and the chops to make it happen.
Instagram: @symbiosisgear
WHITNEY "ALLGOOD" LARUFFA (SIX MOON DESIGNS)
Since his first thru-hike along the AT in 1996, Whitney “Allgood” La Ruffa has hiked over 10,000+ miles on long-distance trails in the US and abroad, including the first thru-hikes of the Chinook Trail, a 330-mile route through the Columbia River Gorge in WA and OR and The Blue Mountain trail a 585-mile route through the Blue Mountains of NE OR. In 2016 “Allgood” left his career in the world of forest products and reconnected with rural America by completing a thru-hike of the Continental Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada.
After many years on the trail, Allgood is fortunate enough to have his career be his passion. As the VP of Sales and Marketing for Six Moon Designs an ultra-light backpacking gear company, he shares his love of hiking and gear with others. Allgood is also the independent Director of FarOut, a Board Member of the Oregon District Export Council, and the President Eremites of The American Long Distance Hiking Association-West (ALDHA-West). When not helping others learn about hiking, you can find “Allgood” walking the trails around the US in need of a shower, a cold beer, and a pint of Ben & Jerry's.
Instagram (company): @sixmoondesigns
Instagram (personal): @agk9adventures
Moderated BY:
Lloyd Vogel Garage Grown Gear
Lloyd is the Co-Founder and CEO of Garage Grown Gear. An avid backpacker and paddler, Lloyd first entered into the outdoor industry through trip-leading and outdoor education. Based in Minneapolis, MN, Lloyd is a huge fan of small brands, light packs, and large meals.
Hosted by:
Liz “Snorkel” Thomas Treeline Review
Snorkel is Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Treeline Review. A Triple Crowner who once held the women’s self-supported Fastest Known Time on the Appalachian Trail, she’s the author of Long Trails: Mastering the Art of the Thru-hike, which won the National Outdoor Book for Best Instructional Book, with judges calling it "destined to become the bible of the sport."
She's thru-hiked over 40 long distance trails and developed the sport of urban thru-hiking, leading Outside Magazine to call Liz a "living legend."
