What Gossamer Gear does

Gossamer Gear, founded in 1998 and based in Austin, Texas, is a privately held direct-to-consumer outdoor equipment company specializing in ultralight backpacking gear. The company designs and manufactures a focused product portfolio across five categories: ultralight backpacks (framed packs such as the Mariposa 60 and Gorilla 50, frameless packs including the Kumo 36 and Murmur 36, and daypacks), shelters (single-walled trekking pole tents like The One, The Two, and The Free, plus the DCF Whisper and Twinn Tarp), trekking poles (LT5 carbon fiber and FT3 folding), sleeping pads, and accessories. Pricing spans $5-$500 with backpacks clustering at $120-$450 and shelters at $175-$499.

The company's technology foundation rests on proprietary materials science rather than electronics or software. Its patent-pending PVT (Pivot) Frame system is engineered to move with the hiker's stride for load transfer and comfort in framed packs. In shelters, the custom ClearSkies™ fabric combines 15D PFAS-free recycled Robic nylon with a 20D dope-dyed ripstop grid, achieving a 4,923mm hydrostatic head rating — 2.35 times the water resistance and 35% better tensile strength than the prior generation. The Alchemy Collection extends this materials focus via a partnership with ALUULA using Graphlyte® mono-polymer fabric fused through heat welding rather than sewing, producing nearly seamless waterproof construction. The Cumulus co-developed Aerial 330 sleeping bag introduces Toray Airtastic® (19g/m²) and 900 FP ethically sourced Polish down.

Gossamer Gear operates exclusively through its Shopify-powered DTC storefront with global multi-currency shipping, maintaining a product-led and community-led go-to-market strategy anchored on content marketing (Light Feet Blog), affiliates, and earned media coverage in Outside, Wirecutter, The Trek, Backpacking Light, and Outdoor Gear Lab. Thru-hiker programs on the Pacific Crest and Appalachian Trails and a thin operating team (1-10 employees) round out the model. Revenue derives from one-time hardware sales with no subscription component, and the company has not disclosed external funding, ownership structure, or financial figures.

Name

Gossamer Gear

Legal name

Gossamer Gear

Website

https://gossamergear.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gossamer Gear is a privately held, Austin-based direct-to-consumer outdoor equipment company that designs and manufactures ultralight backpacks, shelters, trekking poles, sleeping bags, and accessories for thru-hikers, ultralight backpackers, day hikers, and minimalist travelers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ultralight Outdoor Backpacking Gear

NAICS

Luggage and Leather Goods Retailers (458320)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Camping, Hiking & Backpacking Gear Retail (CRAMAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Backpacking & Trekking Gear Retail (CRAMAAAA), Backpacks, Bags & Load-Carriage Retail (CRAMAMAI), Tents, Shelters & Sleep Systems Retail (CRAMAMAH), Outdoor Travel Gear (Duffels, Packs, Dry Bags) Retail (CRAMAAAI)

Keywords

• Ultralight backpacks
• Trekking pole tents
• Carbon trekking poles
• Thru-hiking gear
• Outdoor equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Product Sales: Gossamer Gear sells ultralight outdoor gear (backpacks, shelters, trekking poles, accessories, sleeping bags) directly to consumers through their e-commerce store (gossamergear.com). Revenue is generated through one-time product purchases at set price points, with no recurring subscription component.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gossamer Gear designs and sells ultralight backpacking equipment directly to consumers, including framed and frameless backpacks, trekking pole tents and tarps, carbon trekking poles, sleeping bags, foam sleeping pads, and accessories. The company operates as a direct-to-consumer outdoor gear brand with nearly 30 years of specialization in ultralight design.

Product overview

Gossamer Gear is an outdoor gear company specializing in ultralight backpacking equipment. Their product portfolio centers around five core categories: ultralight backpacks (including framed packs like the Mariposa 60 and Gorilla 50, and frameless packs like the Kumo 36 and Murmur 36), shelters (trekking pole tents including The One, The Two, The Free, and The DCF Whisper, plus the Twinn Tarp), trekking poles (LT5 carbon fiber poles and FT3 folding poles with replacement parts), and accessories (foam pads, umbrellas, storage solutions, and daypacks like the Bumster and Vagabond Jet). They also offer specialized collections including the Type II Collection featuring exclusive Badlands colorways, the Alchemy Collection with welded ALUULA Graphlyte fabrics, and collaborative products like the Cumulus x Gossamer Gear Aerial 330 Sleeping Bag. The company emphasizes ultralight design philosophy with the tagline 'take less. do more,' utilizing innovative materials like custom ClearSkies fabric with high hydrostatic head ratings and PFAS-free coatings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mariposa 60 Backpack Award-winning ultralight framed backpacking pack featuring the patent-pending PVT Frame system for all-day comfort on long trails. Targeted at thru-hikers carrying heavy food resupplies over thousands of miles.
• Gorilla 50 Ultralight Backpack Ultralight backpack with pivot hipbelt for enhanced comfort and natural stride movement, designed for long-distance ultralight backpacking.
• Kumo 36 Superlight Backpack Superlight ultralight frameless backpack designed for thru-hikers seeking minimal weight.
• Skala 38 Ultralight Backpack Ultralight backpack in the Type II Collection featuring updated fabrics and exclusive features in the Badlands colorway.
• G4-20 Ultralight 42 Backpack Ultralight 42L backpack with rolltop closure for minimalist backpacking.
• Murmur 36 Hyperlight Backpack Hyperlight 36L backpack designed for ultralight hiking.
• Mirage 40 Ultralight Backpack Ultralight 40L backpack in the framed packs collection.
• Cima 15 Daypack Compact daypack for day hikes and quick outings.
• Loris 25 Daypack Versatile 25L daypack for daily adventures and travel.
• Elixir 20 Ultralight Daypack 20L ultralight daypack for day hikes and commuting.
• Vetta 20L Daypack 20-liter daypack from the Type II Collection with exclusive features in the Badlands colorway.
• Fast Kumo 36 Fastpack Fastpack version of the Kumo designed for faster-paced activities such as trail running.
• Grit 28 Fastpack 28-liter fastpack from the Type II Collection for quick-paced adventures.
• Vagabond Jet Everyday carry pack for urban and travel use.
• Aero Jet Carry-on friendly travel pack designed for air travel.
• Bumster Fanny pack or belt bag for carrying essentials on the trail.
• Bumster Jet Versatile Bumster with multiple carry options.
• The Two Shelter Award-winning single-walled ultralight trekking pole tent for two people, featuring custom ClearSkies fabric with 4,923mm hydrostatic head water resistance. Weight: 28.15 oz.
• The One Shelter Single-walled ultralight trekking pole tent for one person with custom ClearSkies fabric, 4,923mm hydrostatic head, and retractable vent. Weight: 19.68 oz.
• The Free Shelter Ultralight shelter tent featuring innovative design with rain fly and vestibule options.
• The DCF Whisper Shelter Ultralight floorless shelter weighing 9.8 oz made with 0.51-oz Bio Based DCF fabric, featuring catenary-cut panels and full mesh skirt for bug protection.
• Twinn Tarp Minimalist open tarp with 47 sq ft coverage made with ClearSkies fabric, featuring catenary cut design. Weight: 11.7 oz.
• LT5 Three Piece Carbon Trekking Poles (pair) Among the lightest 3-piece carbon trekking poles at 4.9 oz per pole, featuring twist-lock design and collapsing to 23.5 inches for compact storage.
• FT3 Folding Trekking Poles Compact folding trekking poles that pack down small for travel and technical terrain.
• Cumulus x Gossamer Gear Aerial 330 Sleeping Bag Limited-edition ultralight sleeping bag rated for 30°F with 900 FP down, weighing just 17 oz. Features Toray Airtastic fabric and no-zipper design. Co-developed with Cumulus.
• Thinlight Foam Pad Ultralight foam sleeping pad available in 1/8 inch thickness for ultralight backpacking.
• Lightrek Hiking Umbrella Ultralight hiking umbrella for sun and rain protection.
• Mariposa Starter Kit Starter bundle including Mariposa 60 backpack with accessories at a discounted price.
• Gorilla Starter Kit Starter bundle including Gorilla 50 backpack with accessories at a discounted price.
• Alchemy Shoulder Strap Pocket Ultralight shoulder strap pocket from the Alchemy Collection made with ALUULA Graphlyte welded seams.
• Gift Card Gift cards available in denominations from $10 to $500 for purchasing Gossamer Gear products.

Quantifiable outcome

• ClearSkies™ fabric delivers 2.35 times more water resistance than previous Gossamer Gear iterations
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CumuluscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCumulus is a Polish manufacturer with over 35 years of experience producing high-performance ultralight gear. They collaborated with Gossamer Gear on the limited-edition Aerial 330 sleeping bag, combining Cumulus's expertise in ethically sourced Polish down and ultralight fabrics (Toray Airtastic®) with Gossamer Gear's brand distribution. The product is exclusive to Gossamer Gear.
• ALUULAcoreTechnology or IntegrationALUULA is a manufacturer of fused mono-polymer fabrics (Graphlyte®). They collaborated with Gossamer Gear to develop the Alchemy Collection, using heat welding instead of traditional sewing to create nearly seamless, waterproof ultralight gear. This partnership enabled new manufacturing processes specific to ALUULA fabrics.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Closest direct competitor — ultralight backpacks (Windrider, Southwest, Ultralight), DCF shelters, and Dyneema gear sold DTC. Operates in the same thru-hiker and ultralight segment with comparable product categories and price points.
• Zpacks: Direct DTC competitor specializing in ultralight Dyneema (DCF) shelters, backpacks, and sleep systems. Targets the same thru-hiker community with overlapping product lines and similar premium positioning.
• Durston Gear: Direct peer in the ultralight backpack and shelter niche, founded by Dan Durston, with a strong thru-hiker following and comparable product-price positioning.
• Six Moon Designs: Direct peer offering ultralight backpacks, trekking pole tents, and tarps primarily via DTC. Overlaps with Gossamer Gear on thru-hiker target customers and shelter/backpack categories.
• Tarptent: Ultralight trekking-pole shelter specialist selling DTC. Closely comparable to Gossamer Gear's shelter line (The One, The Two, Twinn Tarp) and serves the same ultralight backpacker segment.
• Mountain Laurel Designs: Boutique direct-to-consumer maker of ultralight shelters and backpacks. Comparable product philosophy (lightweight, thru-hiker-focused) and similar premium pricing.

Broad incumbents

• Osprey Packs: Established backpack manufacturer owned by Helen of Troy with a much broader product range across hiking, travel, and commuting. Competes in the same overall pack category but at greater scale and wider price/distribution.
• Big Agnes: Established tent and sleeping bag brand overlapping with Gossamer Gear's shelter line. Operates through broader outdoor retail (REI, specialty stores) with multi-category outdoor positioning.
• REI Co-op: Largest US outdoor co-op and retailer; sells competing ultralight gear and private-label alternatives, and could function as both a competitive threat and a future wholesale channel.
• Black Diamond Equipment: Diversified outdoor equipment maker with trekking poles, headlamps, and packs that overlap with Gossamer Gear's trekking pole and accessory categories at broader price points.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/GossamerGear
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/gossamergear
• Facebookfacebook.com/GossamerGear
• Instagraminstagram.com/gossamergear
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gossamer-gear-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gossamer Gear