Osprey is a leading provider of performance and durable luggage, including technical backpacks for outdoor activities, travel and everyday adventures.
origins
The company was founded in California in 1974 with the aim of developing and building innovative backpacks. Back then, in the 1970s, Osprey founder Mike Poftenhauer started "just a sewing machine and a head full of ideas". To this day, Osprey’s vision is to become one of the most progressive and sustainable outdoor brands in the world – from benchmarks for raw materials and chemicals to advanced codes of conduct for manufacturing factories. Their drive to create high-performance gear with a smaller environmental footprint reflects what the brand is built on: a love of adventure, a dedication to the outdoors, and an unwavering determination to make the world a better place.
development
In 1986, Osprey began selling its technical packs through outdoor specialty stores. Soon after, the company hired new qualified employees and relocated to a former Gore-Tex factory. During the 1980s and 1990s, the company launched several firsts, including the first backpack tailored to the physical characteristics of women. Osprey was one of the first brands to introduce a breathable mesh panel at the back of backpacks to increase airflow and comfort – an innovative feature that soon caught on across the industry.
At the beginning of the millennium, Pfotenhauer moved the production of Osprey to Vietnam. Pfotenhauer and his family moved to Asia to keep a better eye on production. At the same time, Osprey Europe was founded to handle the deliveries of Osprey products in Europe.
Current
The company continues to explore new technologies for materials and expands its offering into new areas, including award-winning portable water containers and backpacks for children. Osprey took its first step into the digital world in 2014 with the launch of an app that uses a virtual analysis of the user’s body to determine the correct backpack size. The products are distributed in the United States through its own online shop and numerous retail partners. Since 2013, the Californian brand has also had a European online shop and is sold to hundreds of European retailers.
