DPL Gear started with, of all things, hammocks!  In the early 2000’s I got interested in trying to both lightening my camping load and improve the comfort of my outdoor adventures.  After quite a bit of trial and error I found that hammocks where the answer, however the cost of the gear on the market at the time was staggering. Given my “Maker” personality and the fact that my mother made sure I knew my way around a sewing machine I set off to again make the things I wanted.   I did a lot of research, made a few prototypes, ordered some high quality raw materials, and before I knew it I had the perfect kit including a hammock, suspension, rain fly, bug net, and a set of down quilts.  It all fit in a small dry bag and subsequent adventures proved my handily work would keep me comfortable through summer thunderstorms, biting insect hatches, and long subzero winter night.  Every piece was custom fit for purpose and the project provided a wealth of learning opportunities at a fraction of the retail price.

Before long friend wanted to purchase similar kits and suggestions about starting a company started flying around. The idea of turning my hobby of making things for my own interest and use into a business sounded very much like a great way to take all the joy out of something I loved doing. The trappings of production, marketing, and sales would kill the relaxation, excitement, and contentment I got from simply making the things I wanted. However, given that most people seem to place a much higher value on the quality of the Brand than they do the Quality of product, the idea of a “Company” that makes great, un-purchasable, products seemed the ultimate in-joke between my friends. As such DPL Gear was born, my friends became “Brand Ambassadors” (given free products of course) and over the years I started identifying all my private work as just another product in the nonexistent DPL Gear catalog.