Our Story
Who We Are
From small beginnings come great things. What started as a seed planted in an adventurer’s mind turned into a company that creates, innovates, and delivers lightweight, durable, and cutting-edge gear for outdoor enthusiasts around the world.
"Our relentless pursuit of making things better, of answering questions, and of finding solutions continues to drive us. It’s our bedrock, our reason to be. We’re excited to have you along for the ride."
Our Story
Inspiration comes from the most unexpected places. In 1995, while living in Japan, Brian Vargo read a story about an Appalachian Trail hike. Curiosity piqued, he committed himself to learning everything there was to know about the trip. He didn’t own a backpack or tools but what he lacked in gear, he made up for in enthusiasm and by April, he was ready to go.
The 5 months that it took Brian to navigate the trail changed him. It gave him the chance to ask questions such as “what’s the meaning of it all?” but also to “why am I carrying so much stuff?” As it turns out, the scores of gear he had eventually acquired for the trip were far more heavy than they were useful, convincing him that there had to be a better way.
It just so happened there was. Not long after his return, Brian started a website, a place to share his experiences and to offer and receive advice about hiking and backpacking, something that wasn’t readily available at the time. He never intended for it to be his career, it was simply what he was passionate about. His blog was an outlet, a way to connect with like-minded adventurers, to ask and answer some of the big questions.
Fast forward to 2002 when Brian, noticing that his hiking website was enjoying a certain degree of popularity, decided to try his hand at e-commerce. Having spent months carrying 40 lbs of gear on his back, he had a few ideas about how to do things better and how he might lighten things up.
Pushing Boundaries From Day One
Taking stock of the outdoor gear market, Brian noticed a considerable void. As a result, he decided to focus on ultra-light, incredibly durable products for backpackers, hikers, and all manner of outdoors people.
His aha moment came to him, unsurprisingly, on a hike. High grade titanium, known for its unparalleled strength and durability, seemed like the perfect foundation for a new generation of outdoor gear. In that moment, Vargo was born.
In its nascent stage, Vargo started small. First came a spork, a stove, and a tent stake, all met with significant excitement and enthusiasm. Distributors and consumers alike were thrilled. Finally, gear that was packable, reliable, and durable.
In addition to its durability and lightness, titanium boasted a host of qualities that made it attractive to all kinds of adventurers. Strong, resistant to corrosion, flexible, and biocompatible, all features that matter when you’re out in the wild.
The Start Of Something Big
Within a year of his initial product launch, demand and enthusiasm continued to grow and Brian realized that the need for his products was real. Vargo quickly expanded into a full line including pots, mugs, backpacking stoves, campware, water bottles, and lifestyle products.
By pairing titanium’s special metallurgical properties with state-of-the-art designs, Vargo products became some of the lightest gear available, guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Simple Is Good. Good Is Simple.
So what makes Vargo stand out from the crowd? It’s straightforward, really. Every single one of our products is thought-out and unique. Each individual offering has a story and was created to meet a need. By keeping our designs simple and practical, we let their stand-out qualities do the talking.
We’re Always All In
There’s more to outdoor gear than meets the eye. Having the right equipment allows for longer, safer, and more enjoyable excursions. In other words, the type of trip to make memories that last a lifetime. That’s why we focus on creating lightweight, dependable, and innovative products, the types of things that we want to use for ourselves. Products that become favorites and provide a solid return on investment.
We never do things halfway, something that becomes readily apparent the moment you pick up a Vargo product. Even the most basic tools demonstrate our commitment to thinking outside of the box. Often the first, always the leader, we are dedicated to being stronger, better, and lighter than anyone else.
Need proof?Vargo was the first to:
Leading Through Innovation
Quit while we’re ahead? Never. In a cautious world, we believe in pushing boundaries. We are constantly exploring and learning from our adventures. We ask the hard questions and dig deep for the answers. By creating and innovating, we’re helping people do more with less, something that we firmly believe in.
Constantly Moving Forward
There’s more to us than really great products. We forge relationships with the people we serve, listening to their feedback and finding ways to solve their problems before they arise.
We know what it’s like to carry a heavy load—we’ve done it ourselves. That’s how we know that it can be so much better. Whether you do things the old-fashioned way or take a more futuristic approach, Vargo products were designed with you in mind.
Yes, we work with titanium. But we’re more than pots and mugs. We’re stoves, apparel, pocket cleats, and tools. We’re quality designs made with quality materials, resulting in quality products that people love to use.
2018 | We Are Continuing to Break Ground
From our backpacks to our sporks, everything that we create is firmly rooted in innovation. We’re here to break ground, to put forward purpose-driven products. As long as a need exists, we’ll endeavor to meet it.
While it’s hard to be certain where we’ll be 10, 15, 20 years from now, one thing is certain: we refuse to accept anything but the best and are committed to ensuring that you never have to either.
