To design and manufacture the most reliable, high-performance outdoor gear using engineering and science to find better solutions for the challenges of the mountains.
We began in 1969 as Mountain Safety Research, founded by Seattle engineer and lifelong mountaineer Larry Penberthy. Our mission started as a one-man crusade dedicated to improving the safety of climbing equipment after Larry's independent field tests revealed that gear was often failing at loads far below advertised specifications. What began as a newsletter to The Mountaineers nonprofit evolved into a pioneering outdoor company whose innovations revolutionized the way people experience the outdoors worldwide.
Over the decades, we expanded our product line from climbing safety equipment to include camp stoves, tents, water filters, and snowshoes. In 1996, we introduced the revolutionary Denali snowshoe, which helped usher in a new era of snowshoe innovation with injection-molded plastic decks, modular flotation, and 360-degree traction systems. Today, we are a subsidiary of Cascade Designs and remain committed to designing the most reliable, high-performance gear possible, with manufacturing facilities in the USA and Ireland.
Our gear has been trusted on expeditions around the world. From the iconic Model 9 stove that transformed backcountry cooking in 1973 to the PocketRocket released in 2001, we continue to develop products that set industry standards. We are a founding member of the Outdoor Industry Association Sustainability Working Group, reflecting our commitment to environmental responsibility alongside performance excellence.
At the core of MSR Evo Trail is UniBody injection-molded plastic deck with integrated steel traction rails and Paraglide binding system.