Osprey Packs, a highly praised brand of outdoor organizational gear, has been around since the 70s. Founded in Santa Cruz, California, a young Mike Pfotenhauer learned how to sew on his mother’s sewing machine. From one custom backpack to the next, Osprey was born as Santa Cruz Recreational Packs.
Eventually, Mike moved the company headquarters to Colorado and partnered with small teams of Navajo women who were master sewists. From this branching, the company grew, switched its name to Osprey, and became headquartered out of Cortez, Colorado.
In 1991, Fortune Magazine named Osprey Packs “America’s Best,” and in 2012, Outside Magazine named them one of “America’s Best Places to Work” five years in a row. Now, the brand’s products are sold worldwide. It has offices in the US and England, and its products come with an All Mighty Guarantee—a no-questions-asked, free-of-charge repair policy.
In 2021, Osprey Packs was sold to Helen of Troy Limited for nearly $415 million.
Mike never forgot the skills he learned on his mother’s sewing machine. He is still the company’s head designer today. Now, we’d like to know where all the sewing and other operations take place.
Verdict: Is Osprey Made in the USA?
No, Osprey products are not made in the USA. Per the company website, production occurs overseas, primarily in Vietnam. We confirmed this during our own secret shopping trip.
In 2002, the manufacturing location shift took place. Production was originally sourced from their local team of Navajo sewists, but Osprey reports that the move to foreign manufacturing was due to an inability to meet production demand.
The very next year, in 2003, the company’s founder and his family moved to Vietnam for four years to oversee the manufacturing directly. It was a bold move—what other founding members have done that?
On its website, Osprey lists the locations of its facilities, from headquarters to manufacturing locales. This information is easy to find and readily presented to the consumer—there is no hiding involved.
Here’s a tag from one of their packs in my local outdoor store, clearly showing it is made in Vietnam.
The company reports that it still employs its Navajo sewists, utilizing their skills to uphold its All Mighty Guarantee. So, if you were to turn your torn-up Osprey pack back to one of its retail shops, it would be shipped to its sewist team in Colorado to be repaired for you.
Osprey clearly treats its workers well. It’s even enacted its own factory code to set a standard of conduct at its facilities.
So, Osprey does the vast majority of their manufacturing overseas. Only a small amount of detailed sewing for repairs is completed stateside.
Popular American Made Osprey Products
- None. But repairs are made stateside.
Popular Osprey Products Not Made in the USA
- Atmos AG 50 LT
- Transporter Wheeled Carry-On 38
- Aura AG 50 LT
American Made Alternatives
- Jacket brands made in the USA
- Activewear brands made in the USA
- Backpack brands made in the USA
- Sleeping bag brands made in the USA
- Tent brands made in the USA
