Dana Gleason first came to fame after starting聽Dana Designs, a brand of durable packs known for their innovative interior frames and the聽ability to comfortably carry heavy loads over long distances. Backpackers loved them, and by 1990, Dana Designs was the best-selling manufacturer of backpacks. Gleason sold the company to K2 Sports in 1995 and retired to ski, climb, and hike around his home in Bozeman, Montana.
鈥淚 got to ski powder for 90 continuous days,鈥 the 65-year old designer says. 鈥淚t got to the point where it actually felt like work, which was disappointing.鈥
Then, after sewing a simple hip pack for his teenage daughter, Gleason rediscovered his love for pack design and founded in 2000. Today, the company makes consumer packs but also聽works聽with the military, wildland聽firefighters, and聽rescue teams to build highly聽technical聽packs for their needs.
We wanted to聽find out what聽Gleason keeps in his daypack聽when he goes for a hike, so we called him up and asked. Here’s what he said.
Mystery Ranch Coulee 25 pack ($170)

This is my favorite . It has a unique,聽three-zip design which lets you quickly access any pocket on the pack. This zipper was originally built for ski packs. Turns out the military loves it so we鈥檝e now incorporated it into all our military packs.
Brunton Compass ($15)

I鈥檓 old school, so I have a little junky compass that I鈥檝e been carrying for 30 years. If you don鈥檛 have your own old-school compass, go with this simple model聽from .
Power Traveler PowerMonkey Explorer 2 Battery ($100)

I always have a backup battery with me. I鈥檝e been using for at least three years. It鈥檚 a 6000mAh lithium-ion battery that can charge your phone three times.
Oboz Scapegoat Mid Hiking Boots ($145)

I鈥檓 partial to these . I also have a pair of Danners, which are great, but they鈥檙e heavy and I鈥檝e been getting lighter and lighter with my kit. And no Gore-Tex boots for me. If it鈥檚 gonna get wet, it鈥檚 gonna get wet. I don鈥檛 want the extra weight.
Outdoor Research Foray Jacket ($215)

This is a solid two-layer 聽that聽I like because it packs down tight into the bottom of the pack. I don鈥檛 bother with rain pants.
Ray-Bans Folding Wayfarer Sunglasses ($150)

These incredibly cool聽聽fold up at the nose聽so they don鈥檛 take up as much space. They are my favorite pair of sunglasses so far.
LED Lenser MH10聽Headlamp ($80)

I love this company and the packs 600 lumens in a tiny package.