Henry and I (Tarptent)

Henry’s Motto:

"De omnibus dubitandum"

Doubt everything.

Episode Description

Long before ultralight backpacking became mainstream, Henry Shires was simply trying to solve a problem.

In 1999, while preparing to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, Henry designed a lightweight shelter for himself. That idea would eventually become Tarptent, one of the original cottage gear companies and a brand that has helped influence backpacking shelter design for more than 20 years.

In this episode of the Trailblazing Texas Podcast, I sit down with Tarptent founder Henry Shires to go all the way back to where it started.

We talk about Henry’s introduction to hiking and backpacking, the shelter he built for his PCT journey, and the moment he realized other backpackers wanted what he had created. Henry shares what those early years of Tarptent looked like, the challenges of growing a small cottage company, and why Tarptent has intentionally remained relatively small even as the outdoor industry around it has changed.

We also get deep into the world of shelter design, where ideas come from, balancing weight and durability, testing prototypes in real-world conditions, learning from designs that didn’t quite work, and figuring out when a shelter is finally ready to leave the drawing board and head into the backcountry.

Having spent more than two decades in the industry, Henry also gives us his perspective on how backpacking has changed. We talk about the rise of ultralight gear, social media’s impact on the outdoor community, the growth of the cottage gear industry, and what he hopes never changes about backpacking.

But perhaps my favorite part of the conversation is looking beyond the gear.

For more than 20 years, Tarptent shelters have been carried on first backpacking trips, weekend adventures, long trails and thru-hikes around the world. Behind every one of those shelters is a story, and a memory made underneath it.