Durston Gear is entering a new phase of growth, one that brings more of its design process in-house and deepens its connection to the mountain town that helped shape its identity. At the centre of that shift is prototyping, a concept that can sound technical but, in practice, is about turning ideas into real, testable gear as quickly and effectively as possible.
I sat down with Sam Durston, Operations & Customer Success, and Chris Stone, Senior Designer, to better understand what this means and how it will affect the future of Durston Gear as a company.
For Chris Stone, who recently joined the company to lead this effort, prototyping is both hands-on and iterative.
“So prototyping mostly looks like working super closely with Dan. He has his high-level ideas, and then I take those ideas and make them into reality.”
Stone describes a workflow that blends digital and physical tools. Using 3D design software, he can quickly model ideas before translating them into real-world products.
“So I spend a lot of my time digitally prototyping. One of my specialties is 3D software called CLO 3D, where I can prototype and assess silhouette and form. Then I can quickly take those patterns to our laser cutter and over to our sewing machines to start putting things together.”
This shift marks a change from how Durston previously developed its gear. In the past, much of the prototyping process was handled overseas by manufacturing partners. Durston described the previous process:
“Dan has a really clear idea of what he wants his products to be, and before, he would lean more heavily on the factories to prototype for us.” While effective, that process came with delays and limitations.
“That just takes more time because it depends on the factory. For our poles, for example, it’s in Austria. You’ll say, ‘I want this,’ then they’ll prototype it and ship it to you. A day or a week later, you look at it and realize something doesn’t work.”
Bringing prototyping to Golden changes that dynamic significantly.
“So with Chris here, we’re going to be in-house.” By reducing that lag time, the team can test ideas faster, refine designs more efficiently, and solve problems before they ever reach the factory stage.
“What I can do is test out a lot of our ideas here quickly and then put them together in a package that we send to the factory, and the factory will make a really nice sample,” Stone explained.
Beyond speed, the move also reflects a broader investment in design expertise.
“Dan has an extensive hiking resume, having completed some of North America’s most iconic trails and maintaining the nearby Great Divide Trail (GDT). This has given him a keen attention to detail in terms of what features make sense and would be impactful to improve the hikers’ experience; however, prior to founding Durston, he had no formal training in fabric/gear design, so turning those ideas into a reality was a challenge.”
Stone brings a strong technical background, along with experience from larger outdoor brands.
“I’ve worked with a few bigger brands, so I bring experience of how businesses operate at that level. Also, different techniques, such as manufacturing processes or materials, that small design teams might not have access to.”
For Stone, the move to a smaller company in a small town was intentional.
“My experience was that it was too rigid for me. It was really cool to see behind the scenes and learn from some of the best in the industry, but ultimately I wanted to help a small, emerging brand build up its design department and processes.”
Golden itself plays a key role in that process. The surrounding landscape offers immediate, real-world testing conditions that are difficult to replicate elsewhere.
“We’re able to make gear here now, and we’ll get prototypes in from factories, or I’ll build them, and then we can literally walk out our back door and test them in the field, which is super useful.”
This proximity eliminates the gap between design and use.
“As a designer, you get to see how it works in real life, whereas a lot of companies outsource testing. There’s a bit of a ‘telephone effect’ between the people using the product and the people designing it.”
As the company grows, Durston Gear is also planning for a larger physical space to support its expanding operations. They will be moving to a larger warehouse in town in the coming year.
The new facility is expected to allow for more efficient workflows and potential team expansion.
“With the new space, there’s potential for more growth as a company and a bigger team.”
For now, however, the focus remains on steady, intentional growth rather than rapid scaling.
“We anticipate growing in town, that’s why we bought the building on the street, because we want to be here. With the new building, we’re planning to grow in stable and reasonable ways,” Sam explained.
That measured approach reflects the same philosophy behind bringing prototyping to Golden. By keeping design, testing, and production closely connected, Durston Gear aims to maintain the hands-on, user-driven approach that built its reputation—while continuing to evolve as a company.
