Collage of mountaineers from the Mountain Hardwear archives.
BUILT

TO LAST
SINCE ’93
OUR
ORIGINS
On Halloween of 1993, an eclectic group of industry experts with iconoclast tendencies, imagined a wilder path and named it Mountain Hardwear. 

At a time of rapid change in the outdoor industry, they wanted to design for the mountain, not the masses. They wanted to build durable outdoor equipment that lasts. And on the scariest day of the year, they risked it all for a future they believed in.

Embracing the unknown, our nine founders—five women and four men—left Sierra Designs (more so, its holding company, Odyssey International Inc.) as a group with a feeling of horrifying excitement.

For 30 years, we’ve made durable performance equipment that works because, out here, it matters. We’ve picked up some wisdom over the past few decades, but we still prefer to live by our own rules (and break them).

MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR FOUNDERS

Jack Gilbert

PRESIDENT

Christina Clark

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Paul Kramer

VP SOURCING & DESIGN

Paige Boucher

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Mike Wallenfels

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER

Ingrid Harshbarger

SENIOR DESIGNER

Claranne Knittle

SOURCING MANAGER

Roberta Hernandez

ACCOUNT SERVICES & HR MANAGER

Al Tabor

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Mountain Hardwear founders take a team photo at a trade show in 1994.
“

I REMEMBER THAT FEELING OF COMMITMENT, THINKING, ‘OKAY, I GUESS WE CAN’T COME BACK FROM HERE. ONCE YOU SUBMIT YOUR LETTER OF RESIGNATION AND WALK OUT THAT DOOR, YOU’RE DOING SOMETHING ELSE ON MONDAY.

I PUT A WHOLE LOT OF FAITH BOTH IN THE TEAM BUT ALSO IN MYSELF THAT WE COULD DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

THAT DAY WILL LIVE IN MY MEMORY FOREVER.

”
MIKE WALLENFELS, FOUNDER
“

I REMEMBER THAT FEELING OF COMMITMENT, THINKING, ‘OKAY, I GUESS WE CAN’T COME BACK FROM HERE. ONCE YOU SUBMIT YOUR LETTER OF RESIGNATION AND WALK OUT THAT DOOR, YOU’RE DOING SOMETHING ELSE ON MONDAY.

I PUT A WHOLE LOT OF FAITH BOTH IN THE TEAM BUT ALSO IN MYSELF THAT WE COULD DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

THAT DAY WILL LIVE IN MY MEMORY FOREVER.

”
MIKE WALLENFELS, FOUNDER
“

WE WERE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT KNEW AND TRUSTED EACH OTHER, AND I JUST REMEMBER FEELING SO FORTUNATE AND HAPPY THAT I WAS ASKED TO COME OVER AND WORK WITH A WONDERFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE.

”
ROBERTA HERNANDEZ, FOUNDER
“

ON ANY GIVEN DAY, I WOULD EITHER BE BUYING GORE-TEX COATS OR TRYING TO FIX THE PRINTER; AND WHETHER I FIX THE PRINTER BEFORE BUYING THE COATS DEPENDED ON WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO PRINT.

”
AL TABOR, FOUNDER
Living Legend: Ed Viesturs. The first MHW athlete team member
Mt. Everest base, 1996. Ed Viesturs, the first (and only) American to summit all 14 of the world’s 8000ers, one of only five people to do them without oxygen, was our very first MHW Athlete Team member. An incredible human and athlete, we are thankful for how Ed set the tone for how we collaborate with athletes to develop product for the wildest of places. He set the bar high for the wild spirit we look for in athlete partners.

Living Legend: Ed Viesturs

THE FIRST MHW ATHLETE TEAM MEMBER
MT. EVEREST BASE, 1996
Ed Viesturs, the first (and only) American to summit all 14 of the world’s 8000ers, one of only five people to do them without oxygen, was our very first MHW Athlete Team member. An incredible human and athlete, we are thankful for how Ed set the tone for how we collaborate with athletes to develop product for the wildest of places. He set the bar high for the wild spirit we look for in athlete partners.

Image: MHW Archives
The Chill Factor. Our first product ever sold, 1994. After quickly showing up at our first trade show will a full line - something most people in the industry didn’t think could be done - the first product we wrote and order for was The Chill Factor Fleece Jacket. Warm yet breathable with distinct black color blocking and chest pocket, this style was signature Ingrid Harshbarger, our first Head of Design. She influenced all product for the first decade of Mountain Hardwear.

The Chill Factor

OUR FIRST PRODUCT EVER SOLD, 1994
After quickly showing up at our first trade show with a full line (something most people in the industry didn’t think could be done) the first product we wrote an order for was The Chill Factor Fleece Jacket. Warm yet breathable with distinct black color blocking and chest pocket, this style was signature Ingrid Harshbarger, our first Head of Design.

Image: MHW Archives
The Late Karen McNeill & Sue Nott. Early MHW team athletes. When Sue Nott and Karen McNeill, two of the world’s leading alpinists, disappeared on Alaska’s Mount Foraker in May 2006, their lives and climbing careers were cut short prematurely. To honor these women and continue their legacy as boundary-pushing mountaineers, Mountain Hardwear and the American Alpine Club established the McNeill-Nott Award in 2007. Image Credit: Ian Parnell

The Late Karen McNeill & Sue Nott

EARLY MHW TEAM ATHLETES
When Sue Nott and Karen McNeill, two of the world’s leading alpinists, disappeared on Alaska’s Mount Foraker in May 2006, their lives and climbing careers were cut short prematurely. To honor these women and continue their legacy as boundary-pushing mountaineers, Mountain Hardwear and the American Alpine Club established the McNeill-Nott Award in 2007.

Image Credit: Ian Parnell
The late Karen McNeill. Early MHW team athlete. Image Credit: Andrew Querner

The Late Karen McNeill

EARLY MHW TEAM ATHLETE
New Zealand-born Karen McNeill moved to North America in 1994 and became an ice climbing instructor for Chicks with Picks. She put up first ascents in Greenland and Patagonia, and eventually moved to Canmore, Canada, to climb in the Rockies.

Image Credit: Andrew Querner
The Late Sue Nott. Early MHW team athlete. Colorado-born Sue Nott was the first woman to make a winter ascent of the Eiger. She had done extensive climbing in Alaska, Patagonia, and the French Alps prior to meeting Karen McNeill at an American ice climbing competition and teaming up in 1999. In 2004, they became the first women to climb Denali’s Cassin Ridge. Image Credit: Cameron Lawson

The Late Sue Nott

EARLY MHW TEAM ATHLETE
Colorado-born Sue Nott was the first woman to make a winter ascent of the Eiger. She had done extensive climbing in Alaska, Patagonia, and the French Alps prior to meeting Karen McNeill at an American ice climbing competition and teaming up in 1999. In 2004, they became the first women to climb Denali’s Cassin Ridge.

Image Credit: Cameron Lawson
Our Sew Team: second to none. Lunch in our first sew room. From day one, the creative and talented folks in our on-site sewing room have been the heart of the company. Second to none. In the beginning, we were doing patterns and prototyping in-house. Today, the sew team focuses on warranty. They can do anything, fix anything. Make it new again. Their skillset and knowledge is incredible. Image: MHW Archives

Our Sew Team: Second To None

LUNCH IN OUR FIRST SEW ROOM
From day one, the creative and talented folks in our on-site sewing room have been the heart of the company. Second to none. In the beginning, we were doing patterns and prototyping in-house. Today, the sew team focuses on warranty. They can do anything, fix anything. Make it new again. Their skillset and knowledge is incredible.

Image: MHW Archives
Ed takes Us To The Top of the world. Mt. Everest, 1996. Ed Viesturs climbed the world’s tallest mountains in our first mountaineering suit, putting it to the ultimate test. Thanks to his expertise and collaboration with our product designers, our high alpine designs are still some of the most trusted pieces of equipment on 8,000-meter peaks. Image: MHW Archives

Ed Takes Us To The Top Of The World

MT. EVEREST, 1996
Ed Viesturs climbed the world’s tallest mountains in our first mountaineering suit, putting it to the ultimate test. Thanks to his expertise and collaboration with our product designers, our high alpine designs are still some of the most trusted pieces of equipment on 8,000-meter peaks.

Image: MHW Archives
Play Hard, Think Freely. Halloween 1998. Two of our founders setting a solid example. Our first CFO, Christina Hernandez (L) and our first Head of HR, Roberta Hernandez (R) keep it light on Halloween, doubling as our fifth anniversary. Image: MHW Archives

Play Hard, Think Freely

HALLOWEEN 1998
Two of our founders setting a solid example. Our first CFO, Christina Clark (L) and our first Head of HR, Roberta Hernandez (R) keep it light on Halloween, doubling as our fifth anniversary.

Image: MHW Archives
Our nine founders - five women and four men - left Sierra Designs (moreso its holding company, Odyssey International Inc.) as a group in the summer of 1993. On Halloween of that year, they founded Mountain Hardwear. After working around the clock for not more than five months, Mountain Hardwear showed up to our first Outdoor Retailer Trade Show with a full-blown line of technical product and a makeshift catalog with vector drawings. In years following, the booth slogan, “New From The Old Gang,” meant that they had stuck together and created fresh product they were proud of. Our first CFO, Christina Clark, is second from left in the black sweater. Our first Head of Design, the late Ingrid Harshbarger, is seen on the right. Image: MHW Archives.

That New New From The Old Gang

AN EARLY OUTDOOR RETAILER
TRADE SHOW (MID 1990s)
Our nine founders - five women and four men - left Sierra Designs (moreso its holding company, Odyssey International Inc.) as a group in the summer of 1993. On Halloween of that year, they founded Mountain Hardwear. After working around the clock for not more than five months, Mountain Hardwear showed up to our first Outdoor Retailer Trade Show with a full-blown line of technical product and a makeshift catalog with vector drawings. In years following, the booth slogan, “New From The Old Gang,” meant that they had stuck together and created fresh product they were proud of.

Image: MHW Archives
The unbound trust expedition teams have in each other as they inch their way up an 8,000-meter peak inspires the way we work together in the design process, encouraging a sense of partnership from start to finish. Because if we want to make gear for those climbing big mountains, we have to think like one. Image: MHW Archives.

Team Work Making The Dream Work

ED AND TEAM ON EVEREST, 1996
The unbound trust expedition teams have in each other as they inch their way up an 8,000-meter peak inspires the way we work together in the design process, encouraging a sense of partnership from start to finish. Because if we want to make gear for those climbing big mountains, we have to think like one.

Image: MHW Archives
Celebrating his Top Of The World 
Mt. Everest achievement back at normal elevations. As Ed says, “Climbing has to be a round trip. Summiting is optional, but descending is mandatory.” He has summited Everest seven times. Image: MHW Archives.

A Round Trip

OR TRADE SHOW, CIRCA 1996
Celebrating his Top Of The World 
Mt. Everest achievement back at normal elevations. As Ed says, “Climbing has to be a round trip. Summiting is optional, but descending is mandatory.” He has summited Everest seven times.

Image: MHW Archives
Laying out some sleeping bags for product run-through at an early sales gathering, a frequent sighting to this day for those hopping on and off the Richmond ferry, passing by the front lawn of our office in the historic Ford Assembly Building. Image: MHW Archives.

When We Test Low, Climbers Go High

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA (CIRCA 1995)
Laying out some sleeping bags for product run-through at an early sales gathering, a frequent sighting to this day for those hopping on and off the Richmond ferry, passing by the front lawn of our office in the historic Ford Assembly Building.

Image: MHW Archives
Our current squad has tried to find this woman’s name to no avail. Part of the Everest team in 1996 with Ed Viesturs, her merging of technical gear with her own joyous mountain style inspires our approach to our kits today. Image: MHW Archives.

Technical Prowess And Style

UNKNOWN MEMBER OF THE 1996 EVEREST TEAM
Our current squad has tried to find this woman’s name to no avail. Part of the Everest team in 1996 with Ed Viesturs, her merging of technical gear with her own joyous mountain style inspires our approach to our kits today.

Image: MHW Archives
Cynthia Chapple: The Butterfly. Since 1997. Cynthia Chapple is the warmth, positivity, and kindness that is the foundation of Mountain Hardwear. Having been with us (almost) from the beginning, she sets the tone for our office culture. She is the organizer, the welcomer, the listening post, the best giver of hugs, the keeper of office ghost stories. She is a beacon of stability and positivity - and one of the core reasons Mountain Hardwear feels like a family.

Cynthia Chapple: The Butterfly

SINCE 1997
Cynthia Chapple is the warmth, positivity, and kindness that is the foundation of Mountain Hardwear. Having been with us (almost) from the beginning, she sets the tone for our office culture. She is the organizer, the welcomer, the listening post, the best giver of hugs, the keeper of office ghost stories. She is a beacon of stability and positivity - and one of the core reasons Mountain Hardwear feels like a family.
Ed on Mt. Everest. Mountaineering technical style at its best. One of the first versions of our Absolute Zero Down Suit. Ed Viesturs worked closely with our sewing team and Ingrid Harshbarger, our first Head of Design, to create a range of solid, functional product for his 1996 trip to Mt. Everest. Updates have been made since then, but the suit continues to be an integral part of our line of high alpine equipment. Image: MHW Archives

Engineered For The Experience

ED ON MT. EVEREST
Mountaineering technical style at its best. One of the first versions of our Absolute Zero Down Suit. Ed Viesturs worked closely with our sewing team and Ingrid Harshbarger, our first Head of Design, to create a range of solid, functional product for his 1996 trip to Mt. Everest. Updates have been made since then, but the suit continues to be an integral part of our line of high alpine equipment.

Image: MHW Archives
All cowboy’d up one Halloween, Jack Gilbert, our first president, was the first buck-stops-with-him buckeroo to lead at Mountain Hardwear.

Jack Gilbert: Our First President

RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA (CIRCA 1995)
All cowboy’d up one Halloween, Jack was the first buck-stops-with-him buckeroo to lead at Mountain Hardwear.

Image: MHW Archives
Sue Nott sips from a beer in the high alpine.

DRINK UP THE GOOD TIMES

THE LATE SUE NOTT, EARLY MHW ATHLETE
We’re not sure what Sue must have been cheersing to, but there’s just something about a celebratory beverage, even in a place as icy as this, that really hits the spot. Unbelievable views. The satisfaction of the first sip of something that kept you going through the temptation to quit. The sense of accomplishment in each other. Now that’s cloud nine.

Image: Kennan Harvey
Creating Together. Helen Li, member of one of our early sew teams, and Paul Kramer, our first VP of Sourcing and Design, figuring on the details together. Image: MHW Archives

Creating Together

BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA (CIRCA 1997)
Helen Li, member of one of our early sew teams, and Paul Kramer, our first VP of Sourcing and Design, figuring on the details together.

Image: MHW Archives
The early 2000’s Synchro™ jacket. After our 90s color-blocked aesthetic came a new school of thought from another one of our early designers, Cheryl Knopp. She and Mountain Hardwear pioneered the welding and taping process of garment construction with The Synchro™ Jacket. This method allowed the garment to be lighter, more efficient with no stitching, and made for a technical, modern, clean style still used in today’s designs. Image: MHW Archives.

Innovative Construction And Style

THE EARLY 2000s SYNCHRO™ JACKET
After our 90s color-blocked aesthetic came a new school of thought from another one of our early designers, Cheryl Knopp. She and Mountain Hardwear pioneered the welding and taping process of garment construction with The Synchro™ Jacket. This method allowed the garment to be lighter, more efficient with no stitching, and made for a technical, modern, clean style still used in today’s designs.

Image: MHW Archives
Leap of faith. Similar to jumping a crevasse, our founders took a leap of faith together. We continue to take risks (wisely) like they did. Because if it all worked out for them, what else is possible? Image: MHW Archives

Leap Of Faith

UNKNOWN CLIMBER
Similar to jumping a crevasse, our founders took a leap of faith together. We continue to take risks (wisely) like they did. Because if it all worked out for them, what else is possible?

Image: MHW Archives
Our design team focuses on what works for the mountain, and what looks good everywhere. Two original employees sporting mountain vibes in the office: Ken Laak on the left, a long-time Warranty Manager, and Paul Kramer, one of our founders and the original VP of Product. Image Credit: MHW Archives.

On-Mountain Style In The Office

DESIGNING WITH FLEXIBLE STYLE
Our design team focuses on what works for the mountain, and what looks good everywhere. Two original employees sporting mountain vibes in the office: Ken Laak on the left, a long-time Warranty Manager, and Paul Kramer, one of our founders and the original VP of Product.

Image: MHW Archives
The Nitrous™: the precursor 
to our Ghost Whisperer™. For us, there has always been a badge of honor involved in creating the lightest piece of warm gear possible. The Ghost Whisperer/2™ is our most recent version of this original, light-as-a-ghost jacket. Image Credit: MHW Archives

Still Haunting Our Design Inspiration

THE NITROUS™: THE PRECURSOR
TO OUR GHOST WHISPERER™
For us, there has always been a badge of honor involved in creating the lightest piece of warm gear possible. The Ghost Whisperer/2™ is our most recent version of this original, light-as-a-ghost jacket.

Image: MHW Archives
Make it last. Basecamp in the Himalaya. Our product, from jackets to tents to packs and beyond, is made to last. Tested, mended, improved, and repeated all over again, we put our ideas through the real-life rigors of exploring wild places. And just like our product, our company is built to last. Image Credit: MHW Archive

Make It Last

HIMALAYA
Our product, from jackets to tents to packs and beyond, is made to last. Tested, mended, improved, and repeated all over again, we put our ideas through the real-life rigors of exploring wild places. And just like our product, our company is built to last.

Image: MHW Archives
Living Legend: Ed Viesturs. The first MHW athlete team member
Mt. Everest base, 1996. Ed Viesturs, the first (and only) American to summit all 14 of the world’s 8000ers, one of only five people to do them without oxygen, was our very first MHW Athlete Team member. An incredible human and athlete, we are thankful for how Ed set the tone for how we collaborate with athletes to develop product for the wildest of places. He set the bar high for the wild spirit we look for in athlete partners.
The Chill Factor. Our first product ever sold, 1994. After quickly showing up at our first trade show will a full line - something most people in the industry didn’t think could be done - the first product we wrote and order for was The Chill Factor Fleece Jacket. Warm yet breathable with distinct black color blocking and chest pocket, this style was signature Ingrid Harshbarger, our first Head of Design. She influenced all product for the first decade of Mountain Hardwear.
The Late Karen McNeill & Sue Nott. Early MHW team athletes. When Sue Nott and Karen McNeill, two of the world’s leading alpinists, disappeared on Alaska’s Mount Foraker in May 2006, their lives and climbing careers were cut short prematurely. To honor these women and continue their legacy as boundary-pushing mountaineers, Mountain Hardwear and the American Alpine Club established the McNeill-Nott Award in 2007. Image Credit: Ian Parnell
The late Karen McNeill. Early MHW team athlete. Image Credit: Andrew Querner
Our Sew Team: second to none. Lunch in our first sew room. From day one, the creative and talented folks in our on-site sewing room have been the heart of the company. Second to none. In the beginning, we were doing patterns and prototyping in-house. Today, the sew team focuses on warranty. They can do anything, fix anything. Make it new again. Their skillset and knowledge is incredible. Image: MHW Archives
Ed takes Us To The Top of the world. Mt. Everest, 1996. Ed Viesturs climbed the world’s tallest mountains in our first mountaineering suit, putting it to the ultimate test. Thanks to his expertise and collaboration with our product designers, our high alpine designs are still some of the most trusted pieces of equipment on 8,000-meter peaks. Image: MHW Archives
Play Hard, Think Freely. Halloween 1998. Two of our founders setting a solid example. Our first CFO, Christina Clark (L) and our first Head of HR, Roberta Hernandez (R) keep it light on Halloween, doubling as our fifth anniversary. Image: MHW Archives
The Late Sue Nott. Early MHW team athlete. Colorado-born Sue Nott was the first woman to make a winter ascent of the Eiger. She had done extensive climbing in Alaska, Patagonia, and the French Alps prior to meeting Karen McNeill at an American ice climbing competition and teaming up in 1999. In 2004, they became the first women to climb Denali’s Cassin Ridge. Image Credit: Cameron Lawson
Our nine founders - five women and four men - left Sierra Designs (moreso its holding company, Odyssey International Inc.) as a group in the summer of 1993. On Halloween of that year, they founded Mountain Hardwear. After working around the clock for not more than five months, Mountain Hardwear showed up to our first Outdoor Retailer Trade Show with a full-blown line of technical product and a makeshift catalog with vector drawings. In years following, the booth slogan, “New From The Old Gang,” meant that they had stuck together and created fresh product they were proud of. Our first CFO, Christina Clark, is second from left in the black sweater. Our first Head of Design, the late Ingrid Harshbarger, is seen on the right. Image: MHW Archives.
The unbound trust expedition teams have in each other as they inch their way up an 8,000-meter peak inspires the way we work together in the design process, encouraging a sense of partnership from start to finish. Because if we want to make gear for those climbing big mountains, we have to think like one. Image: MHW Archives.
Celebrating his Top Of The World 
Mt. Everest achievement back at normal elevations. As Ed says, “Climbing has to be a round trip. Summiting is optional, but descending is mandatory.” He has summited Everest seven times. Image: MHW Archives.
Laying out some sleeping bags for product run-through at an early sales gathering, a frequent sighting to this day for those hopping on and off the Richmond ferry, passing by the front lawn of our office in the historic Ford Assembly Building. Image: MHW Archives.
Our current squad has tried to find this woman’s name to no avail. Part of the Everest team in 1996 with Ed Viesturs, her merging of technical gear with her own joyous mountain style inspires our approach to our kits today. Image: MHW Archives.
Cynthia Chapple: The Butterfly. Since 1997. Cynthia Chapple is the warmth, positivity, and kindness that is the foundation of Mountain Hardwear. Having been with us (almost) from the beginning, she sets the tone for our office culture. She is the organizer, the welcomer, the listening post, the best giver of hugs, the keeper of office ghost stories. She is a beacon of stability and positivity - and one of the core reasons Mountain Hardwear feels like a family.
Ed on Mt. Everest. Mountaineering technical style at its best. One of the first versions of our Absolute Zero Down Suit. Ed Viesturs worked closely with our sewing team and Ingrid Harshbarger, our first Head of Design, to create a range of solid, functional product for his 1996 trip to Mt. Everest. Updates have been made since then, but the suit continues to be an integral part of our line of high alpine equipment. Image: MHW Archives
All cowboy’d up one Halloween, Jack Gilbert, our first president, was the first buck-stops-with-him buckeroo to lead at Mountain Hardwear.
Sue Nott sips from a beer in the high alpine.
Creating Together. Helen Li, member of one of our early sew teams, and Paul Kramer, our first VP of Sourcing and Design, figuring on the details together. Image: MHW Archives
The early 2000’s Synchro™ jacket. After our 90s color-blocked aesthetic came a new school of thought from another one of our early designers, Cheryl Knopp. She and Mountain Hardwear pioneered the welding and taping process of garment construction with The Synchro™ Jacket. This method allowed the garment to be lighter, more efficient with no stitching, and made for a technical, modern, clean style still used in today’s designs. Image: MHW Archives.
Leap of faith. Similar to jumping a crevasse, our founders took a leap of faith together. We continue to take risks (wisely) like they did. Because if it all worked out for them, what else is possible? Image: MHW Archives
Our design team focuses on what works for the mountain, and what looks good everywhere. Two original employees sporting mountain vibes in the office: Ken Laak on the left, a long-time Warranty Manager, and Paul Kramer, one of our founders and the original VP of Product. Image Credit: MHW Archives.
The Nitrous™: the precursor 
to our Ghost Whisperer™. For us, there has always been a badge of honor involved in creating the lightest piece of warm gear possible. The Ghost Whisperer/2™ is our most recent version of this original, light-as-a-ghost jacket. Image Credit: MHW Archives
Make it last. Basecamp in the Himalaya. Our product, from jackets to tents to packs and beyond, is made to last. Tested, mended, improved, and repeated all over again, we put our ideas through the real-life rigors of exploring wild places. And just like our product, our company is built to last. Image Credit: MHW Archive
WE DIDN’T
GET HERE
WITHOUT
GETTING
A LITTLE
EARTH
UNDER OUR
FINGERNAILS
When you have less than ten people trying to start a company, there are no lanes, let alone departments or job descriptions. Everybody’s just doing their best to get an idea off the ground. We’ve come a long way since then, but we still prefer the “by any means necessary” philosophy that got us here.

Al Tabor describes it best. “On any given day, I would either be buying Gore-Tex coats or trying to fix the printer; and whether I fixed the printer before buying the coats depended on what you were trying to print.”
From the archives: early Mountain Hardwear wind breaker.
From the archives: early Mountain Hardwear puffy jacket.
From the archives: early Mountain Hardwear fleece jacket.
From the archives: early Mountain Hardwear mountaineering shell.

CLASSIC HARDWEAR
STYLE BY INGRID

The late Ingrid Harshbarger was one of our brand founders and the original apparel designer at Mountain Hardwear. Known for her meticulous attention to detail, sweating every seam and every stitch, it was her next-level craftsmanship that made a powerful mark on Mountain Hardwear and put the brand on the map.
Shu Mei Cheung, one of our first seamstresses, working in the sewing room.

NOTHING THAT
COULDN’T BE FIXED

From day one, the creative and talented folks in our on-site sewing room have been the heart of the company. Second to none. Pictured here is Shu Mei Cheung, one of our first seamstresses. She followed in the footsteps of Kimiyo, our first seamstress, whose forte was equipment and tents.

Back then, we were doing patterns and prototyping in-house. Alongside Ingrid, they had the skillset and experience to know what is and isn’t going to work.

To this day, this team is the reason we can stand by our product.
WE CONTINUE
TO HOLD ONTO
THE SPIRIT OUR
FOUNDERS
CULTIVATED
IN THOSE
EARLY DAYS
OF MOUNTAIN
HARDWEAR.

WE DARE TO BE
BOLD, FOLLOW
OUR GUT, AND
FORGE OUR
OWN PATH.
Balancing a full AMG 55 backpack on his head, a climber poses for the camera.

IT’S BEEN THIS WAY
SINCE THE BEGINNING

Nothing gets us going like heading into wilder places—whether it’s a snowy peak nobody’s ever climbed or a dirt road that disappears into the canyon. Because the wild does something to you. You come home and you’re just different. A little wilder, a little wiser.

We want more people to get out there. Like way out there: explore their wilder sides, get that heart pumping so loud you can hear it, push beyond the expected, and come back with that next-level knowing you get from finding out what you’re made of, when it’s just you, a few friends, and Mother Nature.

That’s why we’ve spent thirty-plus years seeking our own path to building better outdoor gear. We empower people to seek their own wilder paths—because we’ve been there. We’re still going. And we’re right there with you, every step of the way.
Mountain Hardwear founders hanging in the warehouse after hours.