Best American-Made Sports & Outdoor Gear

Duluth Pack sews canvas and leather backpacks, canoe packs, duffels, totes and briefcases in Duluth, Minnesota. The business began with an 1882 pack strap patent, and the company says every item it manufactures is made in Duluth. Waxed canvas is heavier than nylon and stiffens when wet, but it shrugs off brush and sparks and can be rewaxed for years.

Tough Traveler sews backpacks, laptop packs and duffels at its own factory at 1012 State Street in Schenectady, New York, where it has worked since 1970. Its wheeled luggage is sewn there too, but with imported wheels and handles. Watershed has made airtight, submersible drybags and duffels with its ZipDry closure in Asheville, North Carolina since 1995. For small items, LOKSAK of Naples, Florida says all of its aLOKSAK waterproof bags, OPSAK odor-proof bags and SHIELDSAK Faraday bags are made in the USA.

GORUCK makes its GR1 rucksacks in the USA in every color, though it does not name the city, and builds its limited Built by Scars bags at its Jacksonville Beach, Florida headquarters. Its Rucker 4.0 packs carry no origin statement and its Mackall boots are made in Vietnam. Stone Glacier, based in Bozeman, Montana, makes its hunting packs and Krux frames in the USA; its tents, sleeping bags and apparel are made abroad. Green Guru Gear sews frame bags, saddle bags and ankle straps from used bike tubes and billboard vinyl at its warehouse in Boulder, Colorado. Chums makes its cotton and nylon eyewear retainers in Hurricane, Utah, except the Handwound retainer, which is made in Guatemala.

Two older names need care. Topo Designs started in a Fort Collins, Colorado basement in 2008, but most of its current range is made in Asia; only older Mountain Daypack and Daypack listings state US origin. Mountainsmith designs packs in Golden, Colorado, and its current products carry no Made in USA statement.

Igloo makes hard coolers at its headquarters in Katy, Texas. The Playmate Pal, Playmate Elite and Marine Ultra are labeled made in the USA with US and imported parts. Its soft coolers, bags and backpacks carry no origin statement, so check before buying one of those. Bison Coolers of Fort Worth, Texas sells rotomolded hard coolers made in the USA and SoftPak soft coolers sewn in Tennessee; its drinkware is imported. Coleman, based in Wichita, Kansas since 1900, marks some hard coolers and its lantern mantles Made in the USA, while much of its other camping gear is made overseas. ORCA sold rotomolded coolers as US-made, and its 58-quart listing says so, but other sizes do not state an origin and the company's current status is unsettled.

For sleeping, Western Mountaineering makes its down bags, jackets and booties by hand in its San Jose, California factory, using down from Eastern Europe and shell fabric from Japan and South Korea. Its Sonora liner is made in India. Therm-a-Rest runs plants in Reno, Nevada and Cork, Ireland; the Z Lite Sol and ProLite Plus pads are listed as made in the USA, so check the specific pad.

Princeton Tec builds its Apex, Sync, Remix and Vizz headlamps in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and molds the plastic parts at its own shop in nearby Berlin. The Stephens family has run it since 1975.

Nalgene says it makes nearly every bottle in the USA. Its classic Tritan bottles, including the 32-ounce wide and narrow mouth and the 16-ounce narrow mouth, list the USA as country of origin. The On-The-Fly lock-top and FreshFlow straw bottles list China and the USA, and the neoprene sleeves are imported. Liberty Bottleworks made single-wall aluminum bottles start to finish at its plant in Union Gap, Washington; its insulated stainless bottle was imported from China. Rolling Sands labels its 20- and 24-ounce sports bottles and stadium cups made in the USA, though the reusable straws are imported. Sawyer Products, of Safety Harbor, Florida, and HydraPak, of Oakland, California, do not say where their filters, flasks and reservoirs are made.

On footwear, KEEN makes its American Built boots, including the Durand II hiking boot and Mt Vernon work boot, plus KEEN.MADE sneakers, at a factory it owns in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, from globally sourced materials. The Targhee IV and most other KEEN styles are outside that line and carry no US origin. Chaco makes some sandals with USA in the model name at its Rockford, Michigan factory, where it also repairs sandals; most of its range is imported.

Smaller camp makers include Bigfoot Bushcraft, which makes its Fire Plug fire starters in Colorado; TOUGH-GRID, a River Heights, Utah company that says its 550 and 750 paracord is made in the USA from American materials; and Sun Company of Colorado, which assembles most of its gauges there but uses Japanese barometer modules in its altimeters. Orion makes road flares and marine distress signals in Peru, Indiana and Bristol, Pennsylvania. Bounty Hunter metal detectors are made by First Texas Products in El Paso, Texas. For climbing, Rock Exotica machines carabiners, pulleys and gear clips in Clearfield, Utah, and Metolius hand builds nuts and makes harnesses in the US from Bend, Oregon, while its pack and chalk pages give no origin.

Old Town builds its canoes and kayaks by hand in Old Town, Maine, where it built its first wood-and-canvas canoe in 1898. The current boats, such as the Penobscot canoe and the Sportsman, Dirigo and Vapor kayaks, are rotomolded there. Its paddles, life jackets and accessories carry no origin statement.

Greenville, South Carolina is the other kayak town. Wilderness Systems boats, including the Pungo, Aspire, Tarpon and Tempest, come from a single plant there, though the brand's own site does not say so. Perception rotomolds and hand-assembles its Tribe and Hi Life kayaks in Greenville under its owner, Pelican Intl of Quebec. Rotomolded polyethylene is heavy but takes rock hits that would crack fiberglass, which is why most recreational and fishing kayaks use it.

Werner Paddles makes touring, whitewater, stand-up and canoe paddles in Sparta, Tennessee, and has since 1965. A carbon shaft saves weight on every stroke of a long day; fiberglass costs less and flexes a little more. NRS designs rafting and paddling gear in Moscow, Idaho, but only a few items, such as its Tornado anchor and raft-frame pipe, are made in the USA, and its dry suits and wetsuits are marked imported. We found no current evidence that Stearns life jackets are made in the US.

G. Loomis builds graphite rods for bass, salmon, steelhead, trout, walleye and fly fishing in Woodland, Washington, where it started in 1982. Shimano has owned it since 1997. St. Croix has two factories, and the series name tells you which: Legend, Avid and Victory rods are built in Park Falls, Wisconsin, while Triumph, Trout, Eyecon, Panfish and Bass X come from its factory in Fresnillo, Mexico. Sage builds fly rods on Bainbridge Island, Washington, where Don Green founded it in 1980. Orvis builds its Helios, Recon and Mission fly rods at its rod shop in Manchester, Vermont; its entry-level Clearwater rods are made overseas.

Cortland Line has made fly lines, braided lines and backing in Cortland, New York since Ray Smith founded it in 1915. Its rods and reels do not state an origin. Ross Reels designs, machines, anodizes and assembles aluminum fly reels in Montrose, Colorado. Avet machines and assembles lever-drag saltwater reels in Chatsworth, California, making every part in house except the bearings. Whiting Farms raises roosters on two ranches in western Colorado for fly-tying hackle capes and saddles. Simms builds its G3 Guide and G4Z waders in Bozeman, Montana from imported GORE-TEX; its Freestone and Tributary waders and most of its apparel carry no US origin.

For lures and tackle, Eppinger makes Dardevle spoons in Dearborn, Michigan, where Lou Eppinger started the company in 1906. DeLong hand-pours soft-plastic worms and swimbaits in Canal Fulton, Ohio. D.O.A. Lures makes its soft-plastic shrimp in Florida, in Stuart according to the brand. Beaver's Lures paints and assembles glow trolling spoons in Escanaba, Michigan. Bullet Weights makes sinkers in Alda and Loup City, Nebraska. Eagle Claw makes all of its hooks in Denver, Colorado from American-made wire, but sources its rods, reels and other tackle globally. Pine 9 makes Ambie and JettyHawk rod holsters in New Hampshire.

On the boat, Big Jon builds downriggers in Interlochen, Michigan. Minn Kota trolling motors and Cannon downriggers come from Johnson Outdoors' fishing business in Mankato, Minnesota. Flambeau labels its Tuff Tainer boxes and Super Max Satchel made in the USA. Plano marks only some classic tray boxes Made in the USA, so read the label. For ice fishing, Otter Outdoors makes rotomolded sleds in Maple Lake, Minnesota, and Clam's flip-over shelter listing says its tub and poles are US-made while its apparel and rods are imported. Frabill, StrikeMaster and Frogg Toggs make no US-made claim for the products we checked.

Ravin builds its R18, R26X, R29X, R470 and R500 crossbows and their arrows in Superior, Wisconsin; the bundled scopes and cases do not state an origin. Bear Archery makes compound and recurve bows in Gainesville, Florida, decades after Fred Bear started it in Detroit in 1933. Martin Archery says its bows are machined and assembled in the USA. Easton makes its FMJ and Axis arrows in its own US factory. Gold Tip and Muzzy do not say where their arrows and broadheads are made.

The accessory makers are spread across the upper Midwest. Vantage Point Archery CNC-machines one-piece steel broadheads in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Tru-Fire makes release aids in Superior, Wisconsin. Pine Ridge Archery makes string silencers, peep sights and bow stands in Wauconda, Illinois. Rinehart makes self-healing foam 3D targets in Janesville, Wisconsin, and NiceTargets, a division of Sto-Cote Products of Genoa City, Wisconsin, prints its targets in the USA. Treelimb assembles bow quivers in northwest Ohio. Black Gold makes its bow sights in Belgrade, Montana, while its quivers and rests come from Ontario, Canada. LimbSaver says 95 percent of its dampeners and recoil pads are made in Shelton, Washington.

Leupold designs, machines and assembles riflescopes, red dots and mounts in Beaverton, Oregon, where it was founded in 1907. Check individual binoculars and rangefinders, since not every optic page states its origin. Otis Technology makes gun cleaning kits in Lyons Falls, New York, and StopBox USA builds its mechanical handgun lockboxes in Spokane Valley, Washington. Safariland makes holsters at plants in Jacksonville, Florida, Ontario, California, and Tijuana, Mexico. Pro Ears says its shooting earmuffs are handmade in the USA. Primos finishes and packages calls in Brookhaven, Mississippi, and labels its Select mouth calls made in the USA.

For clothing, FORLOH of Whitefish, Montana says its apparel is made in the US by partner factories it does not name. Dan's Briar Proof chaps and snake gaiters are hand-sewn in Ohio's Amish country. LaCrosse finishes a few boots, such as the Alpha Evolution, in Portland, Oregon from partly imported parts; most of its range is imported.

Knives of Alaska makes hunting knives in Denison, Texas, in a former World War II parachute factory. Every ESEE-logo knife is made by Rowen Manufacturing in Idaho Falls, Idaho; ESEE's Expat line is made in the USA and overseas. Gerber makes the StrongArm, Center-Drive and Downrange Tomahawk in the USA, but much of its range is imported. Lyman makes reloading presses and casting gear in Middletown, Connecticut, but its Universal Case Trimmer and rifles are imported. Daisy's Avanti 499B is US-made, while collector sources report the Red Ryder and Powerline 880 come from China. Crosman closed its East Bloomfield, New York factory at the end of 2024. Birchwood Casey, Allen Company, Bob Allen and Muddy tree stands do not state US origin on the products we checked.

Louisville Slugger wood bats, including the MLB Prime, Select Cut and Genuine Series 3, are turned in Louisville, Kentucky, where bats have been made since 1884. Wilson has owned the brand since 2015, and Hillerich & Bradsby runs the production. Its aluminum and composite bats do not state an origin. Nokona has made baseball and fastpitch gloves by hand in Nocona, Texas since 1934, including the Walnut, Alpha and Bloodline lines. Expect a new Nokona to be stiff: oil the pocket lightly and play catch for a few weeks rather than steaming or baking it.

Gill Athletics makes javelins, discus and shot puts at its factory in Champaign, Illinois. Cascade builds its XRS and CS-R lacrosse helmets in Liverpool, New York, but the Maverik sticks and pads sold alongside them carry no origin. TCK has knit team baseball and softball socks in North Carolina since 1961. Boathouse cuts and sews rowing unisuits and team outerwear in its own Philadelphia factory. Roto Grip bowling balls are poured by Storm Products at its plant in Brigham City, Utah. First Team Sports builds basketball goals in Hutchinson, Kansas from domestic and imported parts. Diamond Sports does not say where its baseballs are made.

For backyard games, Axiom discs are molded by MVP Disc Sports in Marlette, Michigan. CornholeGamesUSA builds Baltic birch boards by hand in Illinois, and Murbles balls are made in the USA. Aerobie and its owner Spin Master do not claim US manufacture.

Cyclists can buy steel baskets from Wald in Maysville, Kentucky, hitch racks from 1UP USA in Dickeyville, Wisconsin, headsets from Cane Creek in Fletcher, North Carolina, and cycling shorts and jerseys from Canari's San Diego factory. Guardian cuts, welds and powder-coats its kids bike frames in Seymour, Indiana, and assembles the bikes there from parts whose origin it does not state.

In the gym, Concept2 assembles every RowErg, SkiErg and BikeErg sold in the US in Morrisville, Vermont from domestic and imported parts. Wright Equipment makes barbells, racks and its AMP and OG bumper plates in Alabama, but marks its Color, Econ and Elite V2 plates as not made in the USA. PowerBlock's retail Elite EXP dumbbells are made in China; only its Elite USA line has US-made plates. BOSU balance trainers are made in the USA, while the resistance bands in some bundles come from China. For yoga, Hugger Mugger bolsters are handmade in the USA, Bean Products sews bolsters in Chicago from imported materials, and SUGA makes mats in the USA from recycled wetsuits.