Trail Designs Retirement Announcement

More than a great product line, Russ, Rand and Lee are a fantastic group of guys.  They have given a lot to the community and have really made an impact on the UL field.  I hope that they find the right partner to carry on the Trail Design legacy.  Enjoy retirement!

Fantastic products and very responsive and helpful people.

If you want repeat customers, don’t sell a product that doesn’t break.

If you want repeat customers, don’t sell a product that doesn’t break.

Haha, I was honestly thinking that same thought. Although I’ve bought multiple caldera cones for different pots.

Hope whoever steps in continues the products.   I was super happy with their quick response and their willingness to hear “I’ve already got THIS stove, and THIS pot, but I want a cone that is like THIS” and within a few hours I had a return email with a link to a custom cone exactly what I’d dreamed up.

If you want repeat customers, don’t sell a product that doesn’t break.

Or…sell a product that does break and those that have purchased it will advise others not to.

I’ve used the same Caldera Cone for 15+ years.  It’s pretty beat up, it’s starting to wear through in the dovetail joint but it keeps going – Even the 12-10 stove.

We have a review of TD from when they started, around 2005 I think :
https://backpackinglight.com/trail_designs_vari-vent_windshield-spotlight_review/

I am still using the ones they sent me for review back then.

Cheers

I’m going to need to make a purchase in case they stop making their products.

I just saw that. Good for them, but it would be a big loss to the community if their products disappeared. Hopefully they find a buyer.

An anonymous person wrote a love letter to their Caldera Cone, so you know it has to be good.

I’ve used the outer section of a Caldera Cone as a lightweight wind screen for a simple Pocket Rocket for years. works great!! AND, should the pocket Rocket ever fail–it never has–the design of the Caldera would allow me to use tent stakes to hold a pot up top and burn wood chips below to boil water, which is all I ever need to do. weight of the Caldera Cone outer wall? About an ounce, as I recall. Damn brilliant stove!

I’m also a fan of the Kojin stove. So simple and compact.

I’ve been aware of their upcoming retirement for awhile, but I don’t think I understood what a revolutionary product this is. I’m going to order the CC system. I think I’ll go ahead and grab the 12-10 and Kojin, because to quote Bart Simpson – I really shouldn’t, but when am I gonna be here again? Anything else I might wish I’d gotten if I don’t get it now? ETA – I’m now leaning toward Ti-Tri.

Splurge for the Ti, get the floor option it’s worth it, and make sure to get the right style so it fits inside your pot.

My go to pot is an ECA 253, which is the short 1.3. I only see it in the Sidewinder’s pick list. Is it fair to assume this is because the other versions aren’t available in that size?

Sorry, miss-read your post.  The Sidewinder is the perferred option as the cone will nest inside of the pot.

https://www.traildesigns.com/products/caldera-cone-system?variant=45425244111067

https://www.traildesigns.com/products/evernew-1-3l-ul-pot-sidewinder-ti-tri-bundle

I’d not noticed the Kojin stove.  I ordered one.   I’m saddened that they are retiring.  I had several pots and stoves and had decided what I liked best.  But there wasn’t a Cone system for what I already had and didn’t want to “start over”.   I contacted TD.  We traded emails back and forth a few times as I described what I already had “I have THIS stove, but also this other stove, and THIS TI pot, and…”.   They put together a parts list and sent me the link to it.  That way, I had a cone that fit my pot, and stoves, and something else….   Custom stuff.   I clicked that link and ordered a minute later.

They put together a parts list and sent me the link to it.  That way, I had a cone that fit my pot, and stoves, and something else….   Custom stuff.   I clicked that link and ordered a minute later.

I had experiences like this also. They were so helpful

I have the TD titanium Sidewinder plus the gasifier INFERNO insert kit.

Mostly I’ve used mine as an ESBIT stove which works great with a BEGET (Brian Green) fuel tab holder. Two Grand Canyon backpacks saw me using this setup to keep weight down. I’m not a fan of alcohol – FUR+EL that is. “Medicinal” alcohol is another story and a good rye whiskey can be great for attitude adjustment.

The INFERNO insert makes this stove THE lightest and smallest packing of any gasifier stove and it is HOTTT! Thus the reason the entire setup is made of titanium. Garage Grown gear lured me into being a tiny “twig saw” made from a long saber saw blade with the clever, (likely) printed metal handle. It works well for making unbreakably thick twigs fit in the stove.  The wood burning gasifier setup is great for melting snow and saving white gas stove fuel for cooking. And you also can cook on both stoves for, say, sausage on the cone stove and and pancakes on the more controllable white gas burning Whisperlite Universal.

In case you have not heard, Trail Designs lives on!

THE TRAIL GOES ON!
ANNOUNCING A NEW STEWARD FOR TRAIL DESIGNS
Thank you to our incredible community for the outpouring of support following our retirement announcement. We are excited to share some wonderful news: a new owner has been found to continue the Trail Designs journey!

We have entered into a formal agreement and are working to finalize the sale of the business by the end of November 2025.

Our chosen successor is a passionate member of the backpacking community who is dedicated to upholding the values that make Trail Designs special. You can be confident that the commitment to ultralight performance, clever design, and American manufacturing will remain the core of the business.

What to Expect:

Uninterrupted Service: We are committed to a smooth transition. Production and sales of our iconic Caldera Cones, Ti-Tri systems, and accessories will continue.
New Adventures from a New Base: The business will be relocating to Virginia, ready to embark on its next chapter.
Passing the Torch: We are spending the next few months sharing two decades of knowledge to ensure the quality and spirit you expect from us are passed on seamlessly.   To help facilitate the handoff, the website will pause temporarily mid-November and reopen early January.
We couldn’t be more pleased with this outcome and are confident that Trail Designs is being placed in excellent hands. Thank you for being a part of our story, and we can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds for the brand you helped us build.

With gratitude,

Russ, Lee, and Rand, The Trail Designs Founders

Outstanding news.

I did order and played with the Kojin stove.  Nice unit.

To Russ, Lee and Rand
My best wishes for your retirement, and also to the new owner.
I still have, and still use, the early TD windshields you sent me for review in 2006.
Cheers
Roger Caffin

I’m happy to hear that the next generation of backpackers will continue to have access to your excellent products.