Mountain Hardwear
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mountain Hardwear Inc. | |
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| Type | {{{company_type}}} |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Richmond, California |
| Key people | Mike Wallenfels, President |
| Industry | Apparel, Outdoor Gear |
| Products | Outerwear and sportswear |
| Slogan | Radical Thinking |
| Website | www.mountainhardwear.com |
Mountain Hardwear, founded in 1993, is a California-based company that manufactures outdoor clothing, backpacks, sleeping bags, and tents. Columbia Sportswear purchased Mountain Hardwear in 2003 for a purchase price of $30 million in cash and $6 million in debt.
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[edit] Hardwear Sessions
In February of 2007 Mountain Hardwear launched their blog, Hardwear Sessions. Hardwear Sessions was constructed as a basecamp for alpinists, adventurers, and climbers the world over. Monthly contests, podcasts, video, insider articles, gear philosophy, expedition tips and tricks.
[edit] Athletes and Gear Testing
During the 1995 climbing season, with the help of Ed Viesturs, Mountain Hardwear began to redefine the way products were tested. In a one-week span in May, Ed took Mountain Hardwear to the peaks of both Everest and Lhotse, and in September, they followed him to the 26,904-foot summit of Cho Oyu, and Everest.
Robert Link proved to be invaluable to the evolution of Mountain Hardwear's product lines thanks to his unique ability to pinpoint and articulate both the strong and weak points of a design.
Link's mountaineering career took flight when, at the tender age of seven, he climbed Washington's 12,276-foot Mount Adams. By the time he became acquainted with Mountain Hardwear's gear, he had summited Mount Rainer "only" 195 times and has since gone on to climb, amount others, South America's Orizaba, Chimborazo, Illimani, Cotopaxi, and Aconcagua, and the Himalaya's Kanchenjunga, Cho Oyu, and Everest.
Athletes such as Viesturs and Link have played an extremely pivotal role in the creation and testing of Mountain Hardwear gear in authentic harsh and punishing real world environments.
On a Monday morning in early May, 1999, a man named Babu Chiri Sherpa strolled into Mountain Hardwear's offices with a proposal. He was short, smiled often, and had an easy-going, quiet way that belied his ambitions. "Build me a tent," he said, and I will spend the night on the summit of Everest. The catch? Babu was to embark on his quest in only four days.
Before Babu, no one had even considered overnighting on the roof of the world. By the time the details had been hashed out, only three days remained. Nevertheless, that Friday morning lead tent designer Martin Zemitis handed Babu a tent; Babu tucked it under his arm, waved goodbye, and flew to Nepal.
The story of Babu Chiri Sherpa is crucial to understanding Mountain Hardwear, not because Babu was successful (though he was, and Babu spend record-setting 21 hours at the top of the world), but because Mountain Hardwear is not afraid to try new things, it says they're swift on their feet and strong in their minds and bodies.
[edit] History
In 1993, a small group of people who had weathered years in the outdoor industry decided to get together and form Mountain Hardwear. In addition to working in the outdoor industry, the Mountain Hardwear founders were avid outdoors people themselves and included:
- Jack Gilbert
- Paul Kramer
- Mike Wallenfels
- Paige Boucher
- Ingrid Harshbarger
- Clareanne Knittel
- Roberta Hernandez
- Alan Tabor
Newly formed Mountain Hardwear had the challenge of bringing technologically advanced products together to form a product line within 90 days. Many thought the task was impossible, but when Mountain Hardwear, barely three months old, debuted 17 products, two of which are still in the line today: the Exposure™ Parka and the Sub Zero™ Jacket.
The spring product line feathered no fewer than nine tents, including the industry's first four-season shelters with clear (UVX) windows.
1996 will always be remembered by alpinists as a special year. That year Ed Viesturs joined an expedition to the top of Everest to accompany a group of IMAX documentary filmmakers. Mountain Hardwear was asked to fabricate a special custom half "tent" for David Breashears's camera that could withstand the ferocious conditions of Everest. The tragedy that struck Everest on May 10, 1996 has been well documented, and will live in infamy. Although the IMAX crew, which had been forced to descend to Base Camp II by high winds two days prior, temporarily abandoned their project to aid the rescue. Although the IMAX team achieved their summit goal 13 days later, Mountain Hardwear's employees and athletes are only more determined to design and build gear that will protect the world's best climbers in the world's harshest environments.
The company currently has over 90 people in their California office, more than 35 sales reps and associates across the United States and Europe, and representatives in Canada, Asia, South America, Australia, and New Zealand. With Columbia Sportswear backing, Mountain Hardwear is free to develop even more cutting edge designs and products.
The company has maintained its focus on small, specialized shops. They realized that the enthusiasts working in small shops like to sell what they use and they like to use what works.
[edit] History of Innovation
- 1993 Mountain Hardwear founded
- 1995 First window use in tent flys
- 1996 Pioneered Windstopper® Fleece
- 1997 Conduit waterproof/breathable membrane
- 1999 Welded technology first used in apparel
- 1999 Conical Waists (patent) on pants and rotated seams on shirts for backpacking
- 2000 Pioneered Gore-Tex® XCR®
- 2001 Partnered with Gore® to develop Windstopper® next-to-skin garment fabric
- 2003 First waterproof sleeping bags
- 2006 Exodus™ Backpack System
