Ultralight backpacking may have gone mainstream, but these brands are still operating under the radar.
On a clear night, a silypoly tarp is all you need (Photo: Courtesy Borah Gear)
Published August 18, 2026 10:56AM
During my time as Backpacker’s ultralight columnist, I’ve seen the ultralight industry go through big changes. The biggest one of all? The most popular ultralight brands have gotten very successful. But even as ultralight gear hits the big time, some of the best gear—and best deals—still come from longtime brands that the average backpacker has never heard of. These brands still operate as one-person shops or small teams based in the United States, offer a small catalog of specialized gear, and rarely promote their products to outdoor writers like myself. Here are three of my favorites that I’ve uncovered over the years.
Etowah Outfitters
I’ve always thought that some of the best cottage brands have the worst websites. With all due respect to owner Paul Fitzner, Etowah Outfitters fits that bill. Fitzner has been in business since the early 90s crafting simple, budget-friendly gear like silnylon tarps and packcovers. Today, the product line still trends old school, but Fitzner has done his fair share of evolving with the times. His line of minimalist packs includes both Robic nylon and Ultraweave options, and the Rendezvous 45 pack, constructed of Ultra 100X, is among the best deals you can find for this ultra-durable fabric at just $280. Etowah is also one of the few brands offering tarps made of UltraTNT, a burlier, heavier alternative to Dyneema that makes for a great four-season shelter fabric. Meanwhile, Fitzner’s tried-and-true silnylon tarps, pack covers, and rain skirts are a straight-up steal. If they’re not the best deal in ultralight gear, they’re certainly close.
Etowah Outfitters’ Best Deals:
Borah Gear
There are only a few cottage brands out there that make me question my understanding of simple economics, and Borah Gear is one of them. I’m big on DIY gear, and I’ve done the math—I genuinely don’t think I could make my own silpoly tarp any cheaper than Borah’s $68 solo tarp. For that reason alone, Borah Gear should be on every tarp camper’s radar. But to sweeten the deal even further, Borah’s made-in-Montana tarps and bivies aren’t just inexpensive, they’re among the lightest you can find. Even the few Dyneema options they have on offer are fantastic deals: the Dyneema Bug Bivy costs $173 and weighs as little as 3.8 ounces. In search of the absolute lightest one-person shelter? A Borah tarp and bivy combo is probably where your search should start and end—and you won’t have to spend $700 either.
Borah Gear’s Best Deals:
Jacks R Better
Every great outdoor brand has an iconic piece of gear. In my estimation, Pennsylvania-based hammock aficionados Jacks R Better have two. One is the Sierra Sniveller, a wearable 20-degree sleeping quilt with a fantastic name. The other is the original hammock underquilt, which founders Jack Tier and Jack Myers first designed in 2003 and dubbed “the Nest.” Though the pair sold the company in 2018, Jacks R Better continues to sew their quilts, tarps, and in the United States and remains committed to serving the niche of ultralight hammock campers. Even though I rarely sleep suspended between trees myself, I have a particular soft spot for the James River Bridge hammock, which remains the only hammock that’s ever granted me a good night’s sleep. The idea behind it is truly singular: a lightweight nylon camping hammock with spreader bars on each end to get rid of the “banana curve” that plagues most hammocks. Today, Jacks R Better’s best sellers are a line of economical quilts, and the choices are many: underquilts, top quilts, standard sleeping quilts, or the Sierra Sniveller itself.
