Montbell

Montbell was founded in Osaka in 1975 by Isamu Tatsuno, a mountaineer who in 1969, at age 21, became the second Japanese climber to summit the Eiger's north face, and who opened Japan's first rock-climbing school the following year. He started the company with two climbing partners, applying lessons from his own mountaineering to product design. Montbell later introduced what it describes as the world's first ultra-lightweight climbing helmet built with Kevlar. Montbell has grown into one of Japan's largest outdoor equipment and apparel manufacturers, still headquartered in Osaka.