Seventy brand guides to outdoor gear — skis and snowboards, kayaks and canoes, hammocks, headlamps, boots and everyday carry.
Outdoor brands sell independence and the open air, but many belong to larger groups. These guides set out who owns each name and where it is made.
Independents
Burton is still independent and family-owned in Vermont; Capita builds its boards in its own hydro-powered factory in the Austrian Alps; DPS builds its premium skis in its own American factory; Delta Kayaks thermoforms every boat in British Columbia; and Princeton Tec still hand-builds headlamps in New Jersey.
Groups and collapses
Atomic belongs to Amer Sports; Black Diamond is the flagship of Clarus; Hobie is owned by Bass Pro Shops; and Rocky Brands bought both Muck Boot and XtraTuf from Honeywell. Hunter’s company collapsed into administration in 2023, its brand bought by Authentic Brands Group, and Joules went into administration in 2022 before Next took a majority stake.
Paddling and everyday carry
Old Town has made canoes in Maine since 1898 and is owned by Johnson Outdoors; Pyranha has built whitewater kayaks in Britain since 1971; NRS is employee-owned; and Oru Kayak is part of Solo Brands. In everyday carry, Leatherman invented the modern multitool and makes it in Portland, Oregon, and Victorinox has made the Swiss Army Knife in Ibach since 1884.
How to use these guides
Each guide covers who owns the name today, where the products are made — by the maker’s own account and, where it differs, by other sources — and the brand’s visual identity. A company’s description of itself is attributed to the company, and where a business has closed we say so plainly. The table at the end gathers the essentials.
Skis and snowboards
Ski and snowboard makers.
- Burton — The independent, family-owned Vermont company that built the snowboard industry from a barn and still leads it.
- K2 — The American ski-and-snowboard dual-threat, born on a Washington island in 1962 and now owned by private-equity firm Kohlberg.
- Rossignol — The oldest surviving ski brand, founded in a 1907 French workshop and now backed by Nordic private equity, with skis made in Spain.
- Atomic — The Austrian ski giant that has built skis near its founder’s Alpine workshop for 70 years, now owned by Amer Sports.
- Capita — The independent, Seattle-founded snowboard brand that builds its boards in its own hydro-powered, zero-CO₂ factory in the Austrian Alps.
- DPS — The independent Salt Lake City ski maker that pioneered carbon-fibre skis and builds its premium line in its own American factory.
- Arbor — The independent Venice, California snowboard and skate brand built on sustainability, the first to skin a board with a real wood-veneer topsheet.
Kayaks and paddleboards
Kayak and paddleboard brands.
- Perception — The South Carolina brand that pioneered mass-market rotomolded kayaks in the 1970s, still US-made, now under Pelican Intl USA.
- Dagger — The Tennessee-born whitewater kayak brand behind the iconic RPM, still US-made in South Carolina, now under Pelican Intl USA.
- Hobie — The California brand of surf and sail legend Hobie Alter, maker of the MirageDrive pedal kayak, now owned by Bass Pro Shops.
- Native Watercraft — The North Carolina fishing-kayak brand whose Propel propeller drive pedals in reverse, US-made and owned by BIG Adventures.
- Delta Kayaks — The independent, paddler-owned Canadian brand that builds every kayak by thermoforming in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.
- Riot Kayaks — The Montreal brand founded by a world-champion freestyle kayaker, now owned by Kayak Distribution and made in Shanghai.
- BOTE — The founder-led Florida brand that turned premium, design-driven paddleboards and inflatables into an Emerald Coast lifestyle label.
Camping hammocks
Hammock and tree-tent makers.
- ENO — Eagles Nest Outfitters, the Asheville brothers’ parachute-nylon hammock brand that made camping hammocks mainstream, still founder-owned.
- Kammok — The founder-led Austin outdoor brand born on Kickstarter in 2011 that pairs each hammock with malaria-prevention support.
- Hennessy Hammock — The Canadian family brand that patented the asymmetric camping hammock and kicked off the modern hammock-camping revolution.
- Grand Trunk — The travel hammock brand two backpackers brought home from Thailand in 2001, now owned by a Utah entrepreneur group.
- Dutchware — The Lancaster cottage maker whose founder’s trail-name hardware turned a DIY hammock hobby into a global, US-made brand.
- Tentsile — The UK-founded tree-tent brand that reinvented the treehouse as a three-point tensioned tent you carry in a backpack.
- Ticket to the Moon — The French-founded, Bali-based original parachute-nylon hammock maker that still sews in its own Indonesian factory.
Headlamps and flashlights
Headlamp and flashlight brands.
- Black Diamond — The headlamp and climbing brand born from a bankrupt Chouinard forge in 1989, now the flagship of publicly-traded Clarus Corp.
- Fenix — The Shenzhen engineer-collective, founded 2001, that grew into a global flashlight and headlamp name sold in 100+ countries.
- Ledlenser — The German brand whose founding twins helped invent the modern LED torch, once Leatherman-owned, now PE-held and China-made.
- Princeton Tec — The family-owned American headlamp maker born from a 1975 dive timer, still hand-building in New Jersey.
- Coast — The Portland brand founded in 1919 as Coast Cutlery over a salmon knife, now a third-generation family flashlight house.
- Armytek — The Canadian-registered tactical flashlight brand, built in its own China factory, known for a 10-year warranty.
- Acebeam — The Shenzhen enthusiast brand, founded 2014, that chases maximum output with lights like the ~80,000-lumen X75.
Rubber and outdoor boots
Wellington, pac and rubber boot brands.
- Hunter — The 1856 Edinburgh rubber-boot maker (its green Original Wellington a British icon) whose company collapsed into administration in 2023, its brand acquired by the licensing group Authentic Brands Group.
- Sorel — The Caribou pac-boot born at Ontario’s Kaufman Footwear (SOREL line, 1962), a brand Columbia Sportswear bought in 2000 after Kaufman’s bankruptcy.
- Bogs — The Portland maker of insulated “Seamless Construction” rubber boots that Bill Combs built, and that the Wisconsin footwear group Weyco (Florsheim, Nunn Bush) bought in 2011.
- Muck Boot — The Original Muck Boot Company (founded 1999, the premium rubber-and-neoprene boot category), owned since 2021 by Rocky Brands, which bought it from Honeywell alongside XtraTuf.
- XtraTuf — The tan neoprene fishing boot first made in Illinois in the 1950s, now (with Muck Boot) part of Rocky Brands, and made in China since a controversial 2011 move.
- LaCrosse — The La Crosse Rubber Mills heritage brand (the Alphaburly Pro hunting boots) that the Japanese retailer ABC-Mart took private in 2012, the same owner as Danner.
- Joules — The colourful Market Harborough label (the pink wellies) that Tom Joule founded in 1989, which collapsed into administration in 2022 and was bought by the retailer Next as a majority joint venture, the founder keeping a 26% stake.
Canoes, kayaks and paddles
Old Town, Wilderness Systems, Wenonah, Werner, Red Paddle Co, Klepper and Starboard.
- Old Town Canoe — The heritage Maine canoe and kayak maker since 1898, now owned by Johnson Outdoors.
- Wilderness Systems — The American maker of rotomoulded fishing and touring kayaks, made in South Carolina.
- Wenonah Canoe — The family-owned Minnesota maker of ultralight composite canoes, made in Winona.
- Werner Paddles — The family-owned American maker of composite kayak and SUP paddles, handcrafted in the USA since 1965.
- Red Paddle Co — The independent British inflatable stand-up-paddleboard specialist and certified B Corp.
- Klepper — The German maker of folding frame-and-skin kayaks, a Faltboot heritage dating to 1907.
- Starboard — The founder-led SUP and windsurf maker, made in Thailand, with a documented sustainability programme.
Whitewater and folding kayaks
Jackson Kayak, Eddyline, Pyranha, Bending Branches, Pelican International, Oru and Naish.
- Jackson Kayak — The Tennessee maker of rotomoulded whitewater and fishing kayaks, now a Jackson Adventures roll-up brand.
- Eddyline — The American maker of thermoformed touring kayaks, now made in Tennessee under Jackson Adventures.
- Pyranha — The independent British maker of rotomoulded whitewater kayaks, built in Britain since 1971.
- Bending Branches — The independent American maker of wood and composite paddles, made in Osceola, Wisconsin.
- Pelican International — The Canadian maker of budget rotomoulded kayaks, now owner of the Confluence paddle brands.
- Oru Kayak — The origami folding kayak designed in California, now part of the public company Solo Brands.
- Naish — The Hawaii-born SUP, windsurf and wing-foil brand, now owned by the Dutch distributor Kubus Sports.
Inflatables and packrafts
Gumotex, Grabner, Advanced Elements, Alpacka Raft, Kokopelli, NRS and Sea Eagle.
- Gumotex — The Czech maker of rubber-coated inflatable kayaks and canoes, made in its own Czech factories.
- Grabner — The Austrian maker of premium vulcanized-rubber inflatable kayaks and canoes, assembled in Austria.
- Advanced Elements — The American inflatable-kayak brand of the folding hybrid frame, owned by Pelican International.
- Alpacka Raft — The family-owned American maker of ultralight packrafts, made in Mancos, Colorado.
- Kokopelli — The founder-led Colorado brand of packrafts and inflatable kayaks, started in a garage in 2012.
- NRS — The employee-owned American maker of rafts, inflatable kayaks and paddling gear, from Moscow, Idaho.
- Sea Eagle — The American consumer brand of inflatable kayaks, paddleboards and boats in PVC and drop-stitch.
Everyday carry
Leatherman, Benchmade, Spyderco, Victorinox, Opinel, SureFire and Olight.
- Leatherman — The American company that invented the modern multitool, made in Portland, Oregon.
- Benchmade — The premium American knife maker with blades machined, finished and sharpened in Oregon City.
- Spyderco — The design-forward American knife brand made across five countries, from Golden, Colorado.
- Victorinox — The Swiss maker of the Swiss Army Knife, made in Ibach, Switzerland, since 1884.
- Opinel — The traditional French folding knife, made in France since 1890 and collected as a design icon.
- SureFire — The American tactical-flashlight maker, designed and manufactured in the USA.
- Olight — The design-forward Chinese flashlight maker that pioneered proprietary magnetic charging.
Flashlights
SureFire, Elzetta, Malkoff, Streamlight, Fenix, Olight and Nitecore.
- Elzetta — The founder-owned Kentucky light maker whose rugged, modular flashlights are designed and manufactured in the USA.
- Malkoff — The family-run Alabama light maker whose over-built flashlights and drop-in modules are made in the USA.
- Streamlight — The independent, US-owned duty-light maker in Eagleville, Pennsylvania, whose lights are designed and assembled in the USA from US and imported components.
- Fenix — The privately held Chinese light maker that builds its outdoor and tactical flashlights at its own factory in Shenzhen, an early leader of the LED-flashlight era.
- Nitecore — The Chinese light and charger maker, a brand of the SYSMAX group, that pioneered intelligent battery chargers and microcomputer-controlled flashlights.
At a glance: who owns the name and where it is made
Taken from each guide’s fact panel, as of October 2026. Ownership and production change; follow the link for sources and detail.
| Brand | Origin | Owner | Where made |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acebeam | China (2014) | Private | China |
| Advanced Elements | See guide | See guide | Not stated |
| Alpacka Raft | See guide | See guide | Colorado, USA |
| Arbor | USA (Venice CA 1995) | Independent | Dubai |
| Armytek | Canada reg. (~2010) | Private | China |
| Atomic | Austria (Altenmarkt 1955) | Amer Sports | Austria / Bulgaria |
| Benchmade | See guide | See guide | Oregon, USA |
| Bending Branches | See guide | See guide | Wisconsin, USA |
| Black Diamond | USA (1989) | Clarus Corp | China |
| Bogs | USA (~2002) | Weyco Group (WEYS) | Imported |
| BOTE | USA (Destin FL 2009) | Private | Undisclosed |
| Burton | USA (Vermont 1977) | Carpenter family | Multi-country |
| Capita | USA / Austria (Seattle 2000) | Independent | Austria |
| Coast | USA (1919) | Brands family | China |
| Dagger | USA (Tennessee 1988) | Pelican Intl USA | USA |
| Delta Kayaks | Canada (Maple Ridge BC) | Private | Canada |
| DPS | USA (Salt Lake City) | Independent | USA / o’seas |
| Dutchware | USA (~2010) | Founder-led | USA |
| Eddyline | See guide | See guide | Tennessee, USA |
| Elzetta | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| ENO | USA (1999) | Pinholster bros | Asia |
| Fenix | China (2001) | Fenixlight Ltd | China |
| Fenix | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Grabner | See guide | See guide | Austria |
| Grand Trunk | USA (2001) | Utah group | China/Vietnam |
| Gumotex | See guide | See guide | Czech Republic |
| Hennessy Hammock | Canada (1999) | Hennessy family | CA / US / CN |
| Hobie | USA (Oceanside CA) | Bass Pro | USA → MO |
| Hunter | Scotland (1856) | Authentic Brands (rep.) | China (rep.) |
| Jackson Kayak | See guide | See guide | Tennessee, USA |
| Joules | UK (1989) | Next plc (majority) | Imported |
| K2 | USA (Vashon Is. 1962) | Kohlberg & Co. | China |
| Kammok | USA (2011) | Founder-led | Undisclosed |
| Klepper | See guide | See guide | Germany |
| Kokopelli | See guide | See guide | Not disclosed |
| LaCrosse | USA (1897) | ABC-Mart (Japan) | Asia |
| Leatherman | See guide | See guide | USA (& global parts) |
| Ledlenser | Germany (~2000) | AFINUM / PE | China |
| Malkoff | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| Muck Boot | USA (1999) | Rocky Brands (RCKY) | Overseas |
| Naish | See guide | See guide | Overseas |
| Native Watercraft | USA (Fletcher NC) | BIG Adventures | USA |
| Nitecore | See guide | See guide | See guide |
| NRS | See guide | See guide | Not specified |
| Old Town Canoe | See guide | See guide | Maine, USA |
| Olight | See guide | See guide | China |
| Opinel | See guide | See guide | France |
| Oru Kayak | See guide | See guide | Not stated |
| Pelican International | See guide | See guide | Canada |
| Perception | USA (SC 1975) | Pelican Intl USA | USA |
| Princeton Tec | USA (1975) | Stephens family | USA (NJ) |
| Pyranha | See guide | See guide | Britain |
| Red Paddle Co | See guide | See guide | Own factory |
| Riot Kayaks | Canada (Montreal 1997) | Kayak Distribution | China |
| Rossignol | France (Voiron 1907) | Altor + IDG | Spain |
| Sea Eagle | See guide | See guide | Reported overseas |
| Sorel | Canada (1962) | Columbia (COLM) | Offshore |
| Spyderco | See guide | See guide | 5 countries (by model) |
| Starboard | See guide | See guide | Thailand |
| Streamlight | Eagleville, PA | See guide | See guide |
| SureFire | See guide | See guide | USA |
| Tentsile | UK (2012) | Founder-led | China |
| Ticket to the Moon | Indonesia (1996) | Founder-led | Bali |
| Victorinox | See guide | See guide | Switzerland |
| Wenonah Canoe | See guide | See guide | Minnesota, USA |
| Werner Paddles | See guide | See guide | USA |
| Wilderness Systems | See guide | See guide | South Carolina, USA |
| XtraTuf | USA (1950s) | Rocky Brands (RCKY) | China (2011) |
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Hunter boots?
Authentic Brands Group acquired the brand after Hunter’s company collapsed into administration in 2023, according to our guide.
Is Burton still independent?
Yes; our guide describes Burton as independent and family-owned.
Part of our Sports & Outdoors brand guidelines. See also all collections.