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BRAND PERFORMANCE 

Camping & Shelter

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Enlightened Equipment — 80

A small U.S.-based brand focused on lightweight, made-to-order gear.
Everything is built in Minnesota with an emphasis on repairability and long product life.

Materials: RDS-certified down, recycled fabric options
Labor: U.S.-based production, small-batch manufacturing
Longevity: Fully repairable, component-level fixes

Where they lose points: Limited certifications beyond down and minimal public reporting

MSR — 74

A technical gear brand known for building products that can be fixed, not replaced.
Designs stoves, tents, and filters with replaceable parts and long-term use in mind.

Materials: Durable components, recycled aluminum increasing
Labor: Supplier standards in place
Longevity: Spare parts system and in-house repairs

Where they lose points: Limited material certifications and less public transparency

Therm-a-Rest — 73

A core camping brand focused on sleep systems built for long-term use.
Part of Cascade Designs (same as MSR), with a strong emphasis on durability, repairability, and U.S.-based manufacturing for many products.

Materials: Durable foams and fabrics, increasing recycled content
Labor: Supplier standards in place through Cascade Designs
Longevity: Repair services and replacement parts available

Where they lose points: Limited material certifications and less detailed public reporting

Big Agnes — 72

A Colorado-based brand focused on performance gear with improving sustainability efforts.
Has moved to PFC-free treatments and is increasing use of recycled materials across products.

Materials: Recycled materials growing, PFC-free
Labor: Audits in place, partial transparency
Longevity: Repair services available

Where they lose points: Limited circular programs and incomplete supplier visibility

NEMO - 71

Focused on innovation with growing attention to sustainability.
Uses recycled materials in key products and offers trade-in and repair programs to extend product life.

Materials: Recycled fabrics, RDS-certified down
Labor: Supplier standards in place, improving transparency
Longevity: Trade-in program and repair servicest

Where they lose points: Still early in scaling circular systems and limited detailed reporting
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