Sheep Hunting Gear Manufacturers

Sheep hunting pushed the outdoor industry to build lighter, tougher gear. Many of the companies that serve mountain hunters are based in the West, close to the country where the gear gets tested.

Graphic of mountain gear brands sheep hunters use for packs, clothing, optics and boots
Makers of mountain hunting gear.

Packs

  • Stone Glacier, Bozeman, Montana: lightweight frame packs and mountain apparel
  • Mystery Ranch, Bozeman, Montana: load-hauling packs for hunting and backcountry work
  • Kifaru, Colorado: modular packs and shelters

Clothing

  • Kuiu: layering systems built around mountain hunting
  • Sitka Gear, Bozeman, Montana: technical hunting clothing
Checklist graphic of backpack sheep hunting essentials: optics, tripod, rangefinder, layers, rain gear, boots, shelter, stove, water filter and first aid
The core of a backpack sheep kit.

Optics

Boots

  • Kenetrek, Bozeman, Montana: stiff mountain hunting boots
  • Crispi, Italy: alpine hunting boots

Camp and safety

  • Hilleberg, Sweden: expedition tents
  • Jetboil, New Hampshire: compact stoves
  • Garmin, Kansas: GPS units and satellite messengers
Hunter on a high desert ridge looking across a valley toward distant mountains
High ground is where sheep hunts are won.

Choosing mountain gear

Weight matters on a sheep hunt, but durability and fit matter more. A pack that rides well under a heavy load, boots that are already broken in and clothing that layers without bulk do more for a hunter than the lightest item on the shelf.

Optics deserve the biggest share of the budget. Hunters spend most of a sheep hunt behind binoculars and a spotting scope, and clear glass reduces eye strain over long days and helps judge rams at a distance.

Warranty and repair service count too. Mountain gear takes hard use, and companies that stand behind their products keep a hunter in the field season after season. Many of the makers listed here started as small companies founded by hunters and still test their gear in the same mountains their customers hunt.

Listing a company here is not an endorsement. Choose gear that fits the hunt, the budget and the hunter, and test it well before the season. See Sheep Hunting Gear for what to carry.

Built for the mountains

Mountain hunting changed outdoor gear. Frame packs that carry meat, clothing systems built for steep climbs and cold glassing sessions, and boots stiff enough for side hills all grew out of hunters asking for gear that would hold up in sheep country. The same gear now serves elk, mule deer and goat hunters across the West.

Prices, models and availability change often, so check each company’s own site for current details before buying, and read independent reviews from hunters who have used the gear in steep country.