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Kletterwerks – A True Heritage Brand from Montana

Tom Handley
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If you Google the definition of the word authentic, some of what you’d find is:  made or done in the traditional or original way; worthy of trust, reliance, or belief.  You might also see a picture of a Kletterwerks bag.

Based in Bozeman, Montana, Kletterwerks (In German, Kletter means climbing and werk means plant, so ‘climbing factory’) is known for their great bags. They are the company that outfits the SOCOM or Special Ops Command and are carried by the majority of the Tier 1 Military Units in the United States.  Fire Fighters were the next to join as big fans. Now they outfit almost every HotShot fire fighting crew in the country.

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The hunting market developed from Kletterwerk’s own personal lifestyles up in Montana, and of course, they kept their roots in the outdoor and skiing scene.  Dana Gleason, a big skier and backpacker in the 80s and 90s, understands not only Big Sky Country, but what bags are a must have for guys around the country.

They are also known for their collaborations with the likes of:  Mark McNairy, Pilgrim Surf and Supply & Advise. The ultimate in combing fashion and function.

The increase, over the last decade, of American heritage brands, has been particularly impactful for Kletterwerks.   But their three key styles remain: the Flip, the Day, and the Rock. All made of 1000 denier Cordura fabric, which is a dense rip-stop nylon fabric that has a great strength to weight ratio.

We could wow you with more techinal info, but the fact that the Navy Seals approached the company to replace their bags they had been using for 20 years, well that’s all we need to know. (And yes, Kletterwerks glady placed the bags with even better ones.)

Tom Handley
Tom Handley
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Tom Handley is a contributor for TheManual. As a professor of public relations and social media strategy at Parsons The New…
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