Ridge Runner Gear

American-made outdoor gear engineered for comfort, capability, and real-world adventure.

APPALACHIAN-BUILT OUTDOOR GEAR

Built in the Appalachians. Designed for the Trail.

Practical outdoor tools for hikers, hammock campers, anglers and backwoods problem solvers who want gear that earns its place in the pack.

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Etsy Store and How-To Videos Coming Soon

Ridge Runner Gear products will be available on Etsy soon. We're also creating how-to and field-use videos based on customer feedback. Join the launch list to be notified when new products and videos are released.

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Explore practical outdoor gear designed for rugged utility, refined simplicity, and real use in the field. Every design starts with a purpose and gets shaped by actual trail experience.

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Support Your Gear

Find replacement parts, field manuals, and support resources built to keep your gear going. Ridge Runner Gear is designed to be used, maintained, and kept in service.

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WHY I CREATED IT

I Didn't Create This To Sell

I didn't design the Rocket Reel to sell. I designed it because I wanted a fishing system I could carry anywhere without bringing a fishing rod.

What started as a personal project ended up becoming something better than I ever imagined. After catching my first fish on a 4.5-ounce Rocket Reel—with almost nothing between me and the fish—I knew other people needed to experience it too.

This isn't just the story of how the Rocket Reel was created. It's the reason Ridge Runner Gear exists.
-Tony
Ridge Runner Gear

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Why I Created the Rocket Reel

REAL PEOPLE. REAL EXPERIENCES.

Easy Enough for Eddie

At almost 80 years old, Eddie shows just how easy the Rocket Reel is to cast and reel in.

It's a simple, real-world reminder that the Rocket Reel was designed to be carried, used, and enjoyed without needing a traditional fishing rod.

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Eddie casting the Rocket Reel at almost 80 years old

FIELD REPORT

Rocket Reel

A compact hybrid hand-line fishing reel designed for durability, simplicity, and real outdoor use. Built with ASA, TPU, and stainless steel, the Rocket Reel is made for rugged performance without unnecessary bulk.

At only 4.5 oz., the Rocket Reel is lightweight, dependable, and easy to repair. Its shared-handle design allows the same handle to power both the Rocket Reel and the Timber Tickler saw, giving you more capability with less gear. Always ready in your pack, at camp, or whenever simple gear is the smartest solution.

See the Rocket Reel in action during a field test in Maine. Watch real-world use, fish catches, travel-friendly packing, and see firsthand impressions from the field.

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Rocket Reel Field Report - Maine

Born in Blue Ridge, Georgia

Ridge Runner Gear grew out of Appalachian roots, mechanical design experience, and years of asking the same question around camp: “Wouldn’t it be nice if…”

After retiring from a career in mechanical design engineering, I began turning trail ideas into real gear — products designed to solve problems, carry efficiently, and hold up to real use outdoors.

Around here, ridge runners are known for knowing the hills, solving problems with what they have, and making things that work. That spirit lives in every Ridge Runner design.

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The Ridge Runner Gear Philosophy

Outdoor gear should do more, carry less, and last longer. Every Ridge Runner product is built around thoughtful engineering, practical field use, and the belief that good gear should be worth carrying.

Do More With Less

Multi-use gear means fewer items to carry, fewer parts to fail, and fewer problems to solve once you are out on the trail.

Designed With Engineering

Every product begins as a detailed CAD model so each part has a purpose before it ever reaches the workbench or the outdoors.

Built For Real Use

Ridge Runner Gear is tested in the field, refined at the bench, and designed by someone who actually wants the gear to work when it matters.

Products, Parts, and Field Support

Products

Explore multi-purpose outdoor gear designed for rugged utility, refined simplicity, and real-world adventure.

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Replacement Parts

Keep your gear going with replacement parts and support components designed to extend product life and reduce waste.

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Field Manuals

Download setup instructions, support materials, and product manuals built to help you get the most out of your gear.

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Made In The Shop

See how Ridge Runner Gear products are printed, assembled, inspected, and prepared for the trail. Follow a Creekside Kit from raw parts to finished gear in this time-lapse build video.

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Small-batch gear. Real engineering. Trail-ready utility.

Built in the Appalachians. Tested on the ridge.