Garage Grown Gear: Our Favorite Online Cottage Gear Shop
For hikers chasing sunsets in Utah’s red rocks or braving snowstorms in Colorado’s high peaks, Garage Grown Gear has the awesome, high-performance options you need. Often carrying products that are sold out everywhere else!
Garage Grown Gear: The Cottage Gear Shop Every Southwest Hiker Needs to Know
If you’re a hiker in the Southwest, you know this region isn’t your average outdoors. From scorching desert trails to snowy alpine peaks, the terrain demands gear that’s tough, innovative and versatile as hell. Particularly spectacular gear. That’s where Garage Grown Gear comes in—a one-stop shop for all the best cottage outdoor gear, handpicked from small, independent brands. This isn’t your big-box, cookie-cutter gear store; it’s where you’ll find the creative, lightweight, and downright genius gear made by folks who actually get what it’s like out there on the trail; because they've been there!
Garage Grown Gear feels like a treasure hunt for hikers, backpackers and campers. Need an ultralight backpack that won’t crush your spirit on a steep climb? They’ve got options. How about a cozy, compact sleeping quilt for those crisp mountain nights? Again, all the best options. They even carry the small, clever items you didn’t know you needed—like kit from Pika Outdoors or a bit of Green Goo. Everything they sell is made with care by outdoor-obsessed creators, so you can feel good about where your dollars are going. And let’s be real, there’s something pretty cool about telling your trail buddies your gear came from a small business instead of a mega-corp.
For hikers chasing sunsets in Utah’s red rocks or braving snowstorms in Colorado’s high peaks, Garage Grown Gear has the awesome, high-performance options you need. Often carrying products that are sold out everywhere else! Plus, their site hash real reviews instead of pay-to-play five stars. GGG also has some of the best customer service in the business. If you love supporting small businesses and snagging gear that’s as unique as your next adventure, Garage Grown Gear is about to become your new favorite gear shop.
They're a small company themselves, based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded by Amy and Lloyd, Garage Grown Gear has very humble roots. We suggest reading their story if you'd like to learn more about that!
Here are some of our favorite pieces that have become go-to essentials for Four Corner state adventures:
ThermoWorks Zipper-Pull Thermometer
If you're hiking or backpacking in any kind of environment that might get extreme temperature-wise, it's a good idea to carry a thermometer. That way you know when to take a siesta, or start sipping on hot water and making sure you aren't sweating. Our favorite thermometer is the ThermoWorks Zipper-Pull Thermometer. It's reliable, lightweight and really easy to read.
Kula Pee Cloth
Most folks who hike have heard of the Kula Pee Cloth by now, but if you haven't, it's a really great alternative to toilet paper while out adventuring. It's silver-infused antimicrobial design means it'll keep you clean even after quite a few uses. It attaches to wherever you'd like to put it with a loop and snap design and has a waterproof side so your hands stay dry. Garage Grown Gear often has special designs in stock.
El Coyote AlphaLite 900 Quilt
El Coyote is a great company and their AlphaLite 900 Quilt is epic. It's also almost always sold out. But somehow Garage Grown Gear seems to always have them in stock! Hooray! If you're in the market for a down quilt that can be used pretty much all over the Southwest, from desert to alpine, this is a great choice and is available in temps from 10-degrees to 40-degrees with multiple sizes available.
RovyVon Aurora A5 (G4) USB C Keychain Flashlight
This little light from RovyVon is seriously handy and versatile. The Aurora A5 USB C Keychain Flashlight is much more than just another thing to eventually toss in a junk drawer. It packs a 650-lumen light punch, has a night vision feature and its magnetic base allows you to attach to metal surfaces!
Pa'lante Packs Joey Backpack
This ultralight vest style backpack is a great piece of gear for moving fast through the tricky desert and mountain terrain of the Southwest. Pa'lante Packs is a company that makes small batch gear and they often sell out really quick when new batches drop. Garage Grown Gear often has inventory when nowhere else does. We love the Joey Backpack because of its versatility!
Alpenglow Gear Alpenblow Micro Inflator
If you've ever backpacked above 10,000 feet you will likely understand why we love Alpenglow Gear's Alpenblow Micro Inflator! Never get dizzy and out of breath from blowing up your sleep pad again, with this handy dandy little air pump!
Farm To Summit Dehydrated Sriracha
Last but certainly not least, we are leaving you with this super clutch, super tasty pick. Farm To Summit's Dehydrated Sriracha. Yes. That sriracha. It makes any dehydrated meal taste better, has the flavor of the sauce we all love, and weighs pretty much nothing tossed in your food bag! Quite a genius product!
Whether you're looking for small items to round out your kit or something big like a backpack or tent, Garage Grown Gear likely has what you're looking for. They are thoughtful in the gear they carry and the cottage companies they work with. The team here at Southwest Hikes absolutely cannot say enough good things about GGG and we hope you'll check them out!
This article has affiliate links, which help fund our website. When you click on the links to purchase the gear, we get a small commission that keeps our website running.
