There aren鈥檛 many outdoor jackets from the 1990s still kicking around鈥攗nless it was made by Mountain Hardwear. When the brand debuted in 1993, it made a splash by eschewing design dogma and committing to a unique take on craftsmanship and innovation. The dedication to alpine equipment made to perform in the worst conditions and withstand decades of real-world abuse earned Mountain Hardwear a generation of loyalists. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the brand is bringing its heritage to life for a new generation of explorers. To learn how the brand is celebrating this milestone and its legacy, we talked to three Mountain Hardwear pros.
30 Years of Advancing Outdoor Gear
国产吃瓜黑料: What makes Mountain Hardwear unique?
Matt Burbach, vice president of marketing: In 1993, Mountain Hardwear was who wanted to shake things up and design the best mountain equipment and apparel on the market. Those tenets are still our guiding light today. Durable products rooted in everything you need and nothing you don鈥檛鈥攁ll designed, developed, and built by people who care deeply about improving your outdoor experiences. By engineering for the experience, making products that last, thinking freely, and creating together, Mountain Hardwear has maintained a culture worth being a part of. Now, the brand has more than 30 years of experience in the mountains but maintains its youthful curiosity. We鈥檙e old enough to know better but young enough to do it anyway.
How is Mountain Hardwear celebrating its 30th anniversary?
The most intentional way to celebrate any anniversary is to reflect on the moments and experiences that influenced where you are today. We鈥檙e taking a pause to celebrate with the Humans of Hardwear鈥攖he people who have shaped this brand. We鈥檝e always been focused on the product, so there鈥檚 no better way to celebrate that than by launching our collection, bringing back three iconic styles with modern updates. It鈥檚 a nostalgic nod to our heritage.
The Hardwear Heritage
What鈥檚 your favorite experience you鈥檝e had with Mountain Hardwear?
Tim Emmett, athlete and ambassador: I had the opportunity to go to Everest Base Camp with the design and marketing team from Mountain Hardwear. Being in such a powerful location, sleeping in tents, and using gear that the Hardwear team put so much time and passion into creating was an experience like none other. The hike to base camp, sharing the joy of the moment鈥攖he whole experience was an integral part of the connection we all have built together.听
What have been some of your favorite products?
Over the years, I鈥檝e accumulated a lot of favorites. These are the ones I use most frequently:
- The is the jacket I wear or carry with me nearly every day. It鈥檚 so light and compressible that it鈥檚 easy to bring along anywhere.
- The is great for camping, cragging, or walking around town. I climb in these products when I鈥檓 warming up, especially the .听
- The is my favorite on-the-wall pack. It鈥檚 a great size and has two hauling handles. You can remove the carrying straps and the water bottle holder, which is a nice feature.
- The is the only tent I want to be in during a storm. I鈥檝e been using these tents for more than 20 years鈥攖hey鈥檙e amazing and so reliable.
- The is a must-have. In the 24 years I鈥檝e been working with Mountain Hardwear, I鈥檝e never had a fail me. And that鈥檚 impressive considering how many places I鈥檝e been to and the extreme environments I frequent. It鈥檚 a true testament to the craftsmanship Mountain Hardwear strives for.
The Legacy Continues
国产吃瓜黑料: What is the ReIssue collection?
Paxton Madison, creative director: is a collection of our most iconic outerwear pieces from the brand鈥檚 early days, featuring the , , and . The original jacket styles really defined Mountain Hardwear in the outdoor space and created its iconic language that鈥檚 still recognizable today.听
While there are many longtime fans who are familiar with the Reissue styles, it was exciting to see some of the younger team members get a first look at them. They were pulling old styles from the closet and integrating them into their current style in a fresh new way. That鈥檚 when the realization happened鈥攊t might be time to tap back into the brand鈥檚 original vibe. While these styles were originally built for alpine climbing, in today鈥檚 context, the color, construction, proportion, and silhouettes are exaggerated and bold and are as much about individual expression as surviving in the elements.
Why is the Reissue collection such a meaningful way to celebrate Mountain Hardwear鈥檚 30th anniversary?聽
A lot of people on the team have been wearing and using our products since the brand鈥檚 launch back in the 鈥90s. I still remember getting my first piece from my grandma for Christmas back in middle school鈥攁 new Mountain Tech soft shell.听
At the same time, some of the younger members of the team know the brand more for what it is today. They鈥檙e digging into our archive closet and wearing old pieces not for nostalgia, but because outerwear from that period is current and relevant in a new context today. We鈥檝e never reintroduced any original, iconic pieces or relied too heavily on a heritage-inspired language in our new products. Until now, our classic looks were only available as vintage pieces.
Once we got the Reissue project in motion, we started receiving all kinds of old-school jackets from people鈥檚 closets. We reached out to some of our brand veterans as well as some original leadership members for info and context behind the styles we settled on. Seeing the way these classic styles are embraced by different groups for different reasons and how they鈥檝e allowed us to champion some of the original flavor and vibe from the brand鈥檚 early days has made Reissue an incredibly meaningful project鈥攁nd the best way to share the brand鈥檚 history and iconic look to a new audience.
was founded in 1993 and is based in Richmond, California. We exist to encourage and equip people to seek a wilder path in life. For 30 years, we鈥檝e built essential equipment for climbers, mountaineers, and outdoor athletes and have supported expeditions on the world鈥檚 highest peaks.