ALPS (Active Lifestyle Products & Services) began modestly in a one-car garage with a vision of bringing quality gear to outdoor enthusiasts at an affordable price. The company has grown to become one of the most successful in the industry,
“Enjoying the outdoors is a blessing in so many ways,” said ALPS owner and founder Dennis Brune during the company’s 30th anniversary in 2023. “Whether we are camping by a beautiful lakeside with our family, taking a path less traveled deep in the backcountry, or even tag-teaming spring gobblers with a good friend, outdoor adventures edify the soul and instill memories that last forever. For our family and our employees, the outdoor lifestyle and our loyal customers have blessed us greatly.”
Dennis and wife LaRayne established ALPS in 1993 with a line of fanny packs. Today the company offers packs, sportsman’s belts, bino harnesses, tents, camping furniture, sleep systems and more.
Once the ALPS camping segment was established, the company expanded to include the ALPS OutdoorZ brand of gear in 2007. The company focused on designing and producing technical packs and support essentials for the hunting community.
Two years later a licensing partnership with Browning launched the firm’s production of camping gear under the Browning Camping brand—equipment aligned with Browning’s “The Best There Is” philosophy. Blinds, stools and accessories produced under the Browning Hunting Blinds brand followed.
In 2012 ALPS introduced another brand called Cedar Ridge. It offers budget-friendly “starter sets” for camping gear and accessories ideal for families building outdoor memories.
Today, ALPS and its family of brands continue to expand with its latest effort incorporating the company’s new R3 initiative. Its mission is to Reduce • Reuse • Recycle, reflecting the firm’s increased push to use more recycled content in materials and packaging to further mitigate environmental impact.
“As we recognize our thirtieth year of business,” Brune said in 2023, “we also celebrate our customers who have brought us here. And in some small way, we live vicariously through them. When we pack a tent or ship a backpack, we often think, ‘Where is this going? What adventures will it see? Who is the person who will sleep in this bag? Will there be a young, first-time hunter sitting in this blind when they take their first deer?’ From the product designer who first puts pen to paper to our warehouse crew who sends the boxes out the door—it may sound trite or cliché, but it is true—we feel a personal connection to our consumers through each and every product we manufacture.”