Every spring, for the past four years, a special event has been taking place in the otherworldly expanse of southern Utah, near the town of Escalante. Outdoor industry retail representatives from across the country are brought together to explore a land defined by geological wonders, scattered with Native American ruins, and full of wisdom-laden locals. Sprinkle in some canyoneering, hiking, and fly fishing expeditions followed by interactive sessions with the employees and gear designers, and you get the ultimate feedback environment for a line of outdoor products— Mountain Hardwear Basecamp 2010. Read More …
Gear Articles tagged ‘factory tours’
Mountain Hardwear Basecamp: Inside Scoop
By: Cole Lehman | May 4th, 2010
Charlie giving the slot canyon a boost
I recently had the honor of attending a weekend gear-testing session in Escalante, Utah, that was sponsored by Mountain Hardwear. Mingling with the reps and designers in between 8-hour hiking and canyoneering sessions opened my eyes to a few things. Among them: Escalante is quite possibly the coolest place in the world, and the people who make Mountain Hardwear tick care deeply about everything they do. Read More …
Moment: The Biggest Little Skimaker in the World
By: Rob de Luca | November 24th, 2009
We felt the need for a sequel to The Birth of a Ski, which told the story of Hardwood Skis, a one-man operation based in a Salt Lake City garage. Reno-based Moment Skis fit the bill: bigger-just barely-than a garage, within driving distance, and willing to show us around the Moment factory. So Nick Franchi (Backcountry Art Director), Porter Haney (Affiliate Marketing whiz), and I drove west to check them out. We brought bikes, clean underwear, and a single stick of deodorant (thanks, Nick).
The Birth of a Ski: When Wood, Fiberglass, Metal, and Beer Meet in a Garage
By: Beth Lopez | October 19th, 2009
If you love talking skis as much as we do, you follow ski companies’ every development, own a coffee table just for a spot to pile the annual Best Of mags, and gorge yourself at resort demo days. But the ability to rattle off a few tech terms, materials, and construction types doesn’t necessarily equate to a commanding knowledge of how skis are actually made. I do know the difference between torsion box construction and a baby unicorn, but for a more in-depth understanding of ski building, I spent some time at the Salt Lake garage workshop operated by Dwyer Haney, HardwoodSkis.com blogger / sandwich-eater extraordinaire. Read More …
Creating the Carabiner: A walk through Black Diamond headquarters
By: Andy Anderson | May 19th, 2009
Strangely enough, the humble beginnings of Salt Lake City-based climbing and skiing gear manufacturer Black Diamond can’t be traced to some snow-choked mountain hamlet or crag-loaded Front Range town. Read More …
GORE-TEX® Technology: The Dry Truth
By: JGW | March 18th, 20102 Comments »
Tags: fabric tech, factory tours, GORE-TEX®, rain jackets
Posted in Commentary, Gear Guide |