by Victor Ichioka
Tent designer Martin Zemitis says, "I love the mountains, and backpacking is the best way to explore the High Sierras." He recalls signing up for a Sierra Club backpacking trip when he was 11. That trip to the backcountry of Kings Canyon National Park planted the seed of a love for wilderness that grew exponentially in the following years. At the age of 14, Martin was taken by neighbors on a rafting trip down the San Juan River in Utah. On that adventure, the feeling of remoteness, the beauty of the surroundings, the sense of exploration, all nourished his growing connection to the outdoors. By the time he was 16, Martin was working summers for a river-running company. He has been rafting, kayaking, backpacking, and flyfishing ever since.
In high school, with a couple of friends, he started an outdoor equipment company, Sierra Mountaineering, building backpacking accessories and small day packs. "We rented an industrial sewing machine and taught ourselves to sew," says Zemitis. The impetus for this enterprise was the desire to have gear that met their needs. On their forays into the backcountry, he and his friends realized they needed pieces of equipment that were not available on the market. Their solution? Make the gear themselves.
By the time he was studying Fabric Technology in college, Martin was full-on into running rivers. He got his first kayak in the late 70s, his first raft in the early 80s. He has been rafting from Alaska to Argentina, mostly on rivers west of the Rockies. He is a real gearhead. He owns 9 rafts, 5 kayaks, 16 fly rods, 14 backpacking stoves, 5 down sleeping bags, at least 1 of every titanium item Snow Peak makes, and no tents. "Mountain Hardwear keeps me stocked with tents; I am constantly trying new designs."
When asked about his most memorable river experiences, Martin cites 1983 when he participated in the first raft descent of the Middle Fork of the Feather River in California. During the float they reached an impasse at a spot called Double Diagonal where there are two large drops back-to-back. There was no possible portage around the obstacles because of the sheer walls. Trying to diagnose the correct path, Martin's party sent a log down the rapid. "The thing got munched," he recalls. But somehow they got their raft through, and they claimed their moment in river history.
Another strong memory was running the Escalante in Utah during the high-water year of 2005. "We only saw one other person the whole trip," he says. "The scenery was stunning. You got the feeling of going back in time."
Martin says that some of the challenges of river running, such as problem-solving, facing the unknown, and improvisation in the face of difficulties, transfer over into designing gear. "I like solving problems, coming up with new ways of doing things. My goal is to create designs that translate into an improved experience for users."
Favorite quote: "The heaviest tent in the world is a lightweight tent that failed." Eric Shipton, 1969
Photos by Susan Smith
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Comments (1)
A nice chance to hear about his background...I really would love to hear more about the work, the process. What's his favorite of all his tent designs? of anyone's? Where does one get inspiration for creating fabric huts? The guy has what most of us would deem a dream job, so I'm hungry for details...
Thanks
Posted by Upnorthica | February 1, 2008 7:08 AM
Posted on February 1, 2008 07:08