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Garage Grown Gear Review:
Find Out How GGG
Can Help You On Any Trail

By Diane Spicer

Garage Grown Gear is a collective of unique brands for hikers and campers. Hiking For Her's review shares the details. #garagegrowngearreview #garagegrowngearforhikers #hikingforher


This Garage Grown Gear review is being written because I want you to find out about what's fresh and new in our hiking community.

No one asked me to write this review.

I can say exactly what I know to be true, because all reviews on this website are unpaid and unbiased.

I've decided to be a Garage Grown Gear affiliate because I really like the way they roll. Keep reading for details.

  • If you purchase from GGG through this website, HFH receives a small percentage but this costs you nothing extra.
  • Only the best of the best are chosen as HFH affiliates.

Garage Grown Gear review:
the details

So what is Garage Grown Gear?

GGG is a collection of small, startup and cottage outdoor brands featuring lightweight gear, food and clothing.

It sprang into life in 2014, a collaborative effort from the very first day.

GGG offers a great way to think about what they do: the "farm to table" approach to outdoor gear and food.

And they do it by focusing on small businesses.

That is a win-win situation, my virtual hiking friend.

  • You get great new products for your trail adventures that feature a lot of innovation and attention to details. 
  • The companies get exposure and cash to fuel their growth and sustain their worthy efforts.

You can feel great about shopping at Garage Grown Gear! You're supporting innovation and creativity with each purchase.


What Garage Grown Gear
offers hikers

Any hiker welcomes a chance to lighten up the load, so you'll appreciate Garage Grown Gear's emphasis on ultralight hiking.

Even if you don't identify with the UL label, you can appreciate what awaits you at GGG.

We'll take it in this order, or use these links to take a shortcut:

Garage Grown Gear review:
examples of great outdoor products
for backpackers

Carrying less weight as a hiker makes good sense, whether you're a twenty something who wants to go fast and light or an elder hiker with tender knees.

Tents and shelters

Six Moon Designs in Beaverton, OR offers a backpacker so many lightweight shelter options, at various price points.

Solo backpackers will appreciate the features of this lightweight shelter with a low hexagonal shape, the Lunar Solo.

Choose between aluminum (cheaper) and carbon fiber (lighter but a bit more money) poles to pitch this little beauty.

Lunar Solo by Six Moon Designs

Just a few things to love:

  • 26 sq. ft interior
  • 8.5 sq. ft. vestibule
  • 48" peak height at midpoint
  • 6" deep bathtub floor
  • 26 ounces!!


How to sleep well inside your shelter

If you want to shed ounces of weight but not sacrifice your warmth and comfort at night, consider the snuggly lightweight backpacking quilts made by Enlightened Equipment in Winona, MN.

Here's a versatile option:

Revelation Quilt 850fp by Enlightened Equipment

The Revelation Quilt is rated to 40F, but you can purchase it rated down to 0 degrees F.

The quilt features 850 untreated down, with 10D nylon interior and exterior.

It's easy to vent this quilt with the footbox zipper (quick conversion to a blanket).

Or cinch it down around you for more warmth. Use the pad attachment system to get your comfort dialed in just right.

You can also get this quilt in 950fp.

Not sure which choice is right for your plans?

Here are detailed tips for you to make a good decision:


Garage Grown Gear review:
good trail food choices

Hikers are always interested in new trail food choices.

  • In that regard, we are like our canine trail companions.

This Garage Grown Gear review introduces you to a few companies who do things right to keep your taste buds amused and your muscled fueled up.


Best backpacking meals

Does your palate crave a little something different after all these years on the trail?

Or are you a newbie who isn't sure what a good backpacking meal looks like?

Either way, Good To Go meals are there for you!

Here are just two tempting options for single serving backpacking dinners:

See your complete list of options here.

For lots more backpacking food options, read these Hiking For Her articles:



Best hiking snacks

Kate's Real Food is exactly that: high quality combinations of fast energy from carbohydrates, balanced with protein in tasty and convenient bars.

These aren't the usual icky sweet "energy" bars.

No weird chemicals or fillers to slow you down or make you thirsty.

And their flavor profiles are amazing!

This combo pack gives you lots to choose from on your next hike:

2 Bivy Bars: Lemon & Coconut

2 Tiki Bars: Mango & Coconut

2 Grizzly Bars: Peanut Butter & Dark Chocolate

2 Handle Bars: Dark Chocolate | Cherry & Almond

2 Stash Bars: Peanut Butter | Hemp & Flax

2 Tram Bars: Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate

 Kate's Combo Pack by Kate's Real Food

TRAIL TIP:

As a beginner hiker, a combo pack of trail food saves you money and allows your palate to experiment.

Store these bars in the freezer and you'll always have a snack handy when you head out to the trailhead.


Garage Grown Gear review:
products for female hikers

Kula Pee Cloth by Kula Cloth

Female hiker hygiene is always somewhat problematic.

The Kula Pee Cloth by Kula Cloth makes drips easier to deal with.

One side is absorbent, one side is waterproof.

Lots of patterns to choose from!

Attach this fast drying piece of fabric to your backpack to air/sun dry when you're finished.


More hygiene tips for women hikers here.


I've hiked with a lot of people over my 50+ year hiking career, so I feel justified in sharing an observation:

  • female hikers suffer more from dry skin a few days into a backpacking trip compared to male hikers. 

As a hiking woman, here's your solution:

Skin Repair Salve from Green Goo.

Rub it into your ripped up cuticles, scratched forearms, insect ravaged neck to lubricate and protect your skin.

The organic ingredients feel and smell wonderful.

 Skin Repair Salve (.7oz) by Green Goo


Hiking For Her favorites in this
Garage Grown review

Here are a few things I use and enjoy on the trail, that you might, too!

Let's start with clothing for your layering system.

Alpine Fit for base layers

This company is female owned and run, and boy, do they have it dialed in!

Read my review here.

Then look at your layering options, including Merino neck gaiters.


Trail comfort

If you are bugged a lot on the trail, you need a head net. This one has come with me to Alaska several times!

Mosquito Head Net by Sea to Summit


Favorite trail snacks

I'm pretty excited about finding these new snacks.

These little bars are filled with nuts and fruits and nothing with gluten, and they taste delicious.

They don't turn rock hard in the cold, either. Give them a try!

Taos Bakes


Garage Grown Gear review:
conclusions you can use

I want to put one thing right out there for you.

Small companies can't hold a deep inventory. 

  • Being on the back order list might frustrate you, so be proactive with your purchases.
  • When you see it, and it fits your hiking requirements, order it!

Just a little nibble here,
lots more to come

This is only a small sample of the marvelous and innovative companies gathered together in Garage Grown Gear.

You won't see this hiking and backpacking stuff in the big box stores.

I'll be rotating through all of the GGG companies on this page.

  • Check back to discover what's highlighted and brand new in this Garage Grown Gear review!
  • And check my latest deals for hikers page, I feature Garage Grown Gear discounts and sales on it.


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