Since our inception in 1993 by outdoor gear designer and company founder Dennis Brune, ALPS has become an innovation and customer satisfaction leader. Brune had a vision of an outdoor company that would deliver high-quality performance gear priced within a comfortable reach for the everyday outdoorsman and woman. In essence, premium outdoor products whose performance exceeded the expectations of their price points. This combined with a focused attention on customer service has been a winning combination. The "ALPS" in ALPS Mountaineering is an acronym for the company name and not a reference to the mountain range in Europe? Heck, we've got our own stunning mountains right here in North America - many of which you no doubt have hunted and hiked yourself over the years - had we wanted to go that route. What many people don't know is that ... ALPS stands for Active Lifestyle Products and Services.