Golden, CO (June 2022) – Mountainsmith, a Golden, Colorado based company that has spent more than 40 years as a leading gear manufacturer specializing in durable goods for hiking, camping, and a variety of outdoor activities has expanded their storied line of lumbar packs, while also upgrading their critically acclaimed backpacks. The new lumbar packs coming to market for spring of ‘23 will be the Swoop, Epic, Sprint, and Timber. 

Mountainsmith has always been committed to providing outdoor enthusiasts with durable gear that can withstand the rigors of any backcountry pursuit. Celebrated for a pioneering spirit that led to a series of breakthrough designs for backcountry adventurers in the 1980s and 1990s, Mountainsmith continues to innovate with groundbreaking designs, while also refining what is tried and true. The need for moving light and fast, while being able to carry a sufficient amount of gear in order to pursue big and wild adventures has never been more paramount than now, which has allowed the famed Colorado outdoor company to re-stake their claim and design what recreationalists and athletes need by doing so with new lumbar packs. 

With Senior Designer Rio Telge at the forefront of the company’s design plans since ‘21, who has over twenty years worth of designing for outdoor and travel brands, has played a big role in these next level lumbar packs that are changing the way we recreate outdoors by feeling light but stocked with the right gear. These new packs include features such as hunting and fishing front panel organization on the Timber, two side bottle pockets for mountain bike water bottles on the Epic, and a high-performance construction to carry everything you need and nothing that you don’t on the Swoop, while all new lumbar packs have bright yellow lining to promote visibility. 

“Our main goal was to build upon the heritage of our brand while improving and adding new styles for the modern customer. Through testing, surveys of our friends and customers, and market research we have created some great new enhancements for existing styles as well as added some excellent new products to our 2023 collection to make it the best yet,” said Senior Designer Rio Telge. “From the tried and true classics of the Day and Tour, to the multifunctional and technical additions such as the Epic and Timber, to the Ergonomic Swoop and crossbody carry of the Knockabout, there is something for everyone and every adventure.” 

Mountainsmith has a truly renowned past when it comes to lumbar packs. This is thanks to the company’s original 1996 patent that was filed and won with the US Patent Office for a self-supporting lumbar pack. Initially designed to cater to backcountry skiers, the lumbar pack was needed in order to move faster and hold avalanche gear. As backcountry skiing practices changed, lumbar packs became better suited for in-bounds terrain when used for skiing, although the patent, patented for the creation of the Delta Strap, became essential for hikers. The Delta Strap helps pull the load closer to a hiker’s body and into the thoracic region of the back for a more dynamic load carrying system. 

“The new 2023 collection is simply superb. We have dug into our heritage and expertise to add some fantastic updates and new styles to our lumbar pack collection,” Mountainsmith General Manager Jonathan McFarland said. “I think you will find the quality and durability you expect to see from Mountainsmith layered in with some real functional and thoughtful designs. I am excited with the work the team has done and am more excited to show them to the world.” 

To learn more about Mountainsmith, please visit www.mountainsmith.com. 

About Mountainsmith 

Founded in Golden, Colorado in 1979, Mountainsmith was born and bred in the Rockies and celebrates the gear, stories, adventures, and experiences that have defined the rugged, Colorado-grown, no B.S. lifestyle we continue to share. Though production has since been transformed, Mountainsmith is still designing, testing, and living out the brand only miles from where it all began. Nestled in the Front Range of the Rockies, we are right in the thick of the changing outdoor world. Our heritage—our passion for smart, durable gear and wild adventures—continues to drive the Mountainsmith culture