Welcome to Mountain Ridge Gear, a classic case of hobby-turned-small business born inside a fabric store.

The seeds of Mountain Ridge Gear were sown in 1994 when my wife and I wandered into a fabric store. While we were picking out material for our daughter’s dress, a bolt of camouflage cloth caught my eye. With my wife’s guidance and a small economy sewing machine, I taught myself to make hunting clothes strong enough for the back country. Over time I used my new found skills to repair clothing and sew military patches on my uniforms.

Years later, in 2008, I designed and built a travel bag for myself after repeatedly wearing out store-bought gear during my time in the Air Force. Fellow Airmen quickly took notice and began asking for their own. After I broke my wife’s sewing machine, I invested in a heavy-duty machine and realized I could fund it by selling the bags I was making. That’s how Mountain Ridge Gear was born.

In 2012, while searching for tack for my two burros, I ran into a different problem, most of what was available was cheaply made, overpriced, and not designed specifically for donkeys. I relied on my animals for backcountry hunting, pack trips, and long days in rugged terrain, and I needed gear that could stand up to that kind of use while keeping them comfortable. So, I began designing and building my own. It occurred to me, the donkey gear that I was building and the way I designed it was essentially a niche market.   

What started as a solution for my own animals quickly became a mission: to create rugged, purpose-built gear that truly fits and performs for donkeys, mules, and horses. By 2014, Mountain Ridge Gear had fully shifted its focus to equestrian equipment, designed from the ground up, tested in the field, and built to last. While we still offer a few of our original travel bags, our primary focus remains on crafting high-quality, American-made gear for working animals and the people who rely on them.

Veteran Owned

After serving more than two decades in the United States Air Force, I developed a deep appreciation for rugged, functional gear that’s built to last. I enlisted in 1986 and spent over 13 years in the enlisted ranks, serving as a Munitions Systems Specialist (AMMO), in Security Forces, and later as an Airman Leadership School Instructor. During that time, I deployed in support of Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Operation Southern Watch.

In 2002, I was selected for Officer Training School and commissioned in 2003 as a Communications Officer focused on cyber warfare. Over the next decade, I served in a variety of leadership and technical roles, including Flight OIC, Operational Test Director, and Air Force Space Command Headquarters Cyber Program Element Monitor. I retired in 2014 as a Major after 24 years and 7 months of service.

That experience shaped how I approach every product we build. Too many off-the-shelf packs and bags promise durability but fall apart after a few uses. At Mountain Ridge Gear, we hold ourselves to a higher standard—American-made, deliberately simple, and engineered to perform in the real world. Our bags and tack are built to last, and our pack saddles are designed to carry a load securely and comfortably without unnecessary bells and whistles. We over-engineer where it counts so you can depend on your gear mile after mile.

Or as we like to say, “GEAR THAT’S OVER‑BUILT, NOT OVER‑DESIGNED.

Family Run

Mountain Ridge Gear truly is a family operation. My wife Michelle keeps the business running day to day — she sets our priorities, cuts orders, performs the final quality check on every item, ships your gear, and is the friendly voice behind our emails and phone calls. Our daughter Shelby is our lead seamstress; she has a hand in everything we sew and trains new team members to our exacting standards. Our sons Levi, Cody and Clayton have all spent time in the shop, helping with production and bringing their own skills to the table. We’re a family of makers, and I’m grateful to work alongside them to bring you gear we’re proud of.

Equine Experience

My approach to gear design is rooted in decades of hands-on experience working with horses, mules, and donkeys in real backcountry conditions. Over the years, I’ve designed and refined my own pads, cinches, and pack saddles out of necessity—solving problems I encountered on the trail when off-the-shelf gear fell short. That experience has shaped every product we build today, with a focus on fit, comfort, airflow, and long-term durability. Every design is tested in the field and built to perform where it matters most—on the animal, mile after mile.

What's in a Name?

I was once inspired by the following quote by the late Fred Bear.  

I am an avid outdoorsman and while on a backcountry archery elk hunt in Northern New Mexico I decided that when I started my company I would do so with the spirit of high adventure as my theme, as well as build gear that would withstand the rigors of a backcountry experience.  Elk live in some of the wildest, most beautiful places in North America.  Naming my company Mountain Ridge Gear reminds me of my desire to be on a high, remote mountain ridge listening to the distant bugle of a bull elk.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
   where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.

(Psalm 121:1,2)