Maybe it’s no wonder that the state of California has been the cradle for so many great American outdoor brands. Sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Sierra Nevada mountains, and encompassing no less than nine US National Parks, the Golden State has long been a mecca for outdoor adventurers of every ilk. Sierra Designs is a case in point. California was the natural place for the brand’s co-founders, a pair of young outdoor aficionados named George Marks and Bob Swanson, to set up shop.

They first met in late 1963 at while working at The Ski Hut in Berkeley, CA. Two years later, Sierra Designs was born, an idea dreamed up on a sailing trip in Monterey Bay after a not-altogether-serious conversation with friend and investor David Buschman, who agreed to put up $25,000 in seed money to fund the fledgling company.

It proved to be a wise investment. Today, the brand continues to create outdoor equipment and apparel that is functional, beautiful, and most importantly, attainable, enabling outdoor lovers throughout the USA and beyond to hit the trail and fill their souls with a sense of wanderlust.