Born out of a passion for the outdoors, and enhanced by innovative manufacturing, Chicken Tramper has become a success story of up-and-coming businesses growing in the outdoor recreation space. In 2022 Chicken Tramper expanded its manufacturing ability for ultra-light hiking and camping gear with the help of an Industry 4.0 Technology grant from MEDC.
So now we can have a huge stock of stuff that’s kind of halfway done and it decreases the bottleneck that we’ve always had with all these repetitive stitches because they take so much time. So it gives us a lot more breathing room and we can rest a lot easier knowing that even if we have to do an emergency run of a certain product, we’re not starting from zero, we’re starting from something that’s already partly done. – Nathan Ackerman, Co-owner, of Chicken Tramper Ultra-light Gear’s
first year was in an apartment in Milwaukee. Nathan was an engineer for Milwaukee Tool and then after about a year we moved back up here to Hancock and worked out of that apartment and we just had one sewing machine. We eventually got two and there was a lot of made-to-order stuff and making gear for our friends who would say, hey, I wish I had something that did this or I wish my backpack was more like that. So we would experiment with different materials. Send it out to our friends and to other people to give us feedback. And we were very feedback-oriented. So we would get a note on the piece of gear, make another one with that note in mind, send it back out, and keep iterating on those processes, even offering discounts to people who are going to hike for a thousand miles over the summer to get feedback on the longevity of our products. – Austin Gongos, Co-owner, Chicken Tramper Ultra-light Gear
Some of the pair’s first designs were made custom for friends. Today Chicken Tramper continues to make custom orders. Feedback from people using their bags, bowls, or daypacks outdoors has always been important to Gongos and Ackerman. Who want to tinker to create better designs for how customers use their products.
And it’s sort of all of us against the big guys, you know, pushing innovation forward. And so we have to be very quick on our feet, develop new products, and improve the products that we already have, but also diversify a bit. So not only do we make our gear, but we’re open to repairing gear for anyone local to Hancock or Houghton who might have a jacket zipper that broke or a backpack whose webbing strap broke. – Austin Gongos, Co-owner, Chicken Tramper Ultra-light Gear
It’s a combination of things. People, places, and projects. So you have to have sort of the people who are willing to innovate, in this case, Michigan Tech grads with an idea to grow, which also needs a place. And so we have community development experts who are helping figure out what the right building for that operation to work in, in Main Street communities, is trail development. How do those things come together in a place like the Keweenaw to celebrate both? It’s a great place to be and to enjoy the outdoors. It can also be a great place to grow, test, refine gear, and then produce it. And I think that’s the combination of resources and tools. We just, yeah, we work with them daily as they’re working on these grants, working on these programs to figure out what’s the right match and how can we be alongside them to support them and grow based on what their needs and what their goals are as small businesses. – Brad Garmon, Director of Michigan Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, Michigan Economic Development Corporation
MEDC outdoor industry office director Brad Gorman says MEDC offers a variety of grant programs to small businesses carving their path in Michigan. The Agency is often seen publicly when awarding grants or loans and working with redevelopment-ready communities. But Gorman adds the day-to-day work with businesses and entrepreneurs is where the real work happens.
They have a lot of experts just in-house in the MEDC that know tons of different stuff, everything from international shipping to working with suppliers to all sorts of advertising things, lots of stuff. And if they don’t have it in-house, they know somebody that can help you. So once you get into that network and start working with the MEDC, they’ll point you in the right direction and get you the help that you need. Because that’s something that we’ve learned the most, I think, throughout this whole process is that if you need help, ask for it. And there’s somebody out there that’s going to be able to help. Either that’s something like the MEDC or KETA that has all these programs set up for us, or they’ll connect you with other business owners who have had similar issues and have a lot of experience with whatever you’re doing. – Nathan Ackerman, Co-owner, Chicken Tramper Ultra-light Gear
After improving the company’s manufacturing process Chicken Tramper added new employees. Growing from a team of three to employing 8 workers in the Hancock shop. Chicken Tramper looks ahead toward an exciting year of outdoor adventure.
Last year CTUG invited new backpackers to a trip on Isle Royale, and hopes to include similar community events n the future. Chicken Tramper also commits to sustainability and will soon offer a gear repair program to keep copper country residents on the trail.
Learn more about Chicken Tramper Ultra-light Gear here.
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