Six Moon Designs, a leader in affordable ultralight gear, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Started by Ron Moak (pictured) in 2002, Six Moon Designs has been revolutionary in the way the outdoor industry thinks about hiking and backpacking gear in terms of weight, durability and affordability.
After his first thru-hike in the late ‘70s, Moak spent the next 40 years hiking around the United States and abroad. He was a DIYer who sought out lighter-weight gear than what was available at the time, and after a bout of cancer, he found it difficult to carry traditional gear for more than a couple of hours without severe back pain.
In 2002, Moak introduced his first product, the Europa Tent, a 33oz. single wall sil-nylon shelter that was much lighter than any other tent at the time. And soon after his Starlite Pack, a pioneering frameless pack with a large carrying capacity helped set the bar for ultralight gear the backpacking community embraced.
“At Six Moon Designs we make gear, but our primary focus is on our customers’ backcountry experience,” Moak said. “We make our gear lighter, so the walking becomes more pleasurable. We make our gear durable, so you don’t need to be concerned about failure far from home. We make our gear affordable, so you can devote more of your hard-earned money on making memories not buying gear.”
Six Moon Designs has more than 60 retailers in the United States and internationally and is careful to balance meeting customers’ needs with managing production and supply chain issues that have hampered the industry over the past few years.
“Six Moon Designs has been able to grow our multiple channels of sales in the past few years thanks to our strong marketing efforts and by providing a high-value proposition to retailers and consumers, said Whitney LaRuffa, VP of Sales and Marketing. “We strive to provide high quality, lightweight products at affordable prices, helping everyone access the outdoors.”
For information, visit www.sixmoondesigns.com.
