See our Gear Guide to Small, Startup, and Cottage Brands Here »
Celebrating the small, startup, and cottage products, brands, and people that bring forth new methods or ideas that reflect unique originality, creativity, and advances in materials, design, application, or aesthetic to help hikers and other backcountry enthusiasts thrive outdoors.
| CATEGORY | PRODUCT or PERSON | ABOUT | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Leave No Trace | Kula Pee Cloth | The Kula Cloth is characterized by its microfiber construction, with a soft brushed face on the business side, beautiful art printed on the other, and a small snap strap for hanging it on your pack. Kula Cloth has popularized an entirely new product category based on sustainability and the desire to support creative artists and organizations that promote stewardship of our public lands. |
 | Apparel | Farpointe Alpha Cruiser Hoodie | The Farpointe Alpha Cruiser Hoodie solves one of the greatest conundrums in outdoor gear over the past two decades: a layer that allows us to stay warm when moving in cool temperatures while maintaining very high levels of breathability. |
 | Shelters | Durston X-Mid 1P | With a new type of design that incorporates an offset floor, a four-stake pitch, and trekking poles that don't get in the way of entry and exit, the Durston X-Mid 1P offers light weight, livable space, ease of pitch, and storm resistance that we've never seen before at this price point. |
 | Food Storage | Nylofume Pack Liners | Several different cottage gear manufacturers and retailers have been distributing Nylofume liners for several years, primarily for use as a waterproof pack liner. Nylofume is the brand name of an odor barrier plastic film used to protect food and plants during fumigation, so we recognize this product primarily for its use as an odor barrier in bear canisters, ursacks, and food bags, rather than as a pack liner. |
 | Lifetime Achievement | Henry Shires, Tarptent | Henry Shires (founder) and Tarptent are recognized with a Cottage Gear Innovation Lifetime Contribution Award to advancing backpacking shelter design best practices. Tarptent designs represent some of the most recognizable, iconic, performant, and beloved shelters that have accompanied, inspired, and protected tens of thousands of hikers worldwide for over 20 years. |
