Our
Story

Myself and two of my classmates at UC Berkeley had little to no hiking experience, but we knew we wanted to explore the outdoors. After navigating the many links and impossible to find information on the NPS website, we somehow managed to plan a hike in Yosemite that was, in hindsight, bigger than we could handle.

On this hike, which started off with a 4,000ft elevation gain in the first 4 miles, we encountered a problem (besides us being out of shape) – our gear sucked….and it was heavy. As the founder of a highly technical ultralight gear company, I’m embarrassed to admit the first “pack” I brought was a Nike Baseball duffel bag, since my Jansport couldn’t fit all my bulky gear. Only one of us had a hiking backpack – an Osprey – which fit them more comfortably than my friend’s school bag, but was still very heavy and cost them more money than they wanted to pay given its size and weight. Despite the baseball shorts, cotton T-shirts, gym shoes, and the singular shoulder strap of my duffel bag digging into my shoulder, we completed the ~13 mile hike from Camp 4 to El Capitan and back, stopping by Eagle Peak along the way. Although the hike was finished, we wanted to explore more, but our backs and shoulders ached, and our heavy uncomfortable gear killed our morale. I wished my friends and I had better, lighter gear to keep moving forward.

I bought and tested several Dyneema & other technical hiking backpacks and thought – I could make these, but better, lighter, way less expensive. They’d have easier features, and would be fully customizable – not just your basic select few colors and size options . I invested heavily in Orion Gear’s website and supply chain so that you can show your true colors to the fullest, using any custom uploaded picture, color, design, patches, zippers, fabric, amenities, buckles, and everything else to make your vision come true. No more basic color options, no more corporate limitations on self expression, and definitely no more gear that’s too heavy and/or expensive. Over the span of 3 years, I put my nose to the design grindstone and made 4 sized backpacks and several accessories. The different designs are perfect for day hikes and medium to long distance journeys in various weather conditions. After testing them over hundreds of miles (including the PCT in 2024) and gathering feedback from many well seasoned hikers, I truly believe Orion Gear products are the pinnacle of backpacking equipment.