The overseas market is full of hidden-gem outdoor companies. Sweden and Japan, for example, cater to their denizens’ adventure needs with bags and outerwear from brands you’ve never even heard of; many of them are small, focusing on product quality and design-forward concepts rather than mass market appeal. As such, it’s rare that these companies venture overseas. It’s even rarer for a maker to exclusively sell overseas, keeping the grasping, gear-coveting hands of its fellow citizens at bay in favor of foreign approval.
But that’s exactly what Datum Outdoor did. The company was founded and is based in the small California town of Chico, but that’s not where it began selling its line of rugged bags. Since its inception, Datum’s line of American-made, water-resistant and durable Cordura fanny packs, slings and backpacks has only been available in Japan. But not anymore. Due to success in the Land of the Rising Sun, Datum is finally bringing the goods back home, and based on the looks of its inaugural line, the brand should probably prepare for a feeding frenzy.
Simple enough for weekends upstate, rugged enough for Himalayan Summits. Read the Story
