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I talk with Mike Pfotenhauer, founder of the iconic pack company company, Osprey Packs.
Osprey Packs has been and continues to be responsible for making some of the best packs on the market. From handmaking packs out of a small retail shop in Santa Cruz in 1974 to operating one of the largest pack manufacturers in the world, Mike has a lot of backpacking insight to share.
Mike talks about how the company grew, how they test and optimize their gear, his thoughts on ultralight backpacking, observations on the growth of the backpacking space in general, and struggles the company has had to overcome.
Show Notes
- Introduction to Osprey and Mike (0:00)
- How Osprey started (1:03)
- Scaling production and hiring reps (3:07)
- Moving to Vietnam (6:03)
- Business growth and milestones (8:27)
- Materials and design (12:07)
- Innovation and technology (18:22)
- Mike's view on ultralight backpacks (20:27)
- Mike's thoughts on Osprey's growth (23:00)
- Mike's role in the company (24:38)
- Osprey's plans moving forward (25:44)
- Biggest turning points for Osprey (27:19)
- Mike's hobbies (31:21)
- Final words (34:33)
650-Calorie Fuel