Origins
Discovered in the Himalaya.
Designed in Seattle.
Built in Shanghai.
a new gear manufacturing partnership for a new era
Gear designed by guides and made for anyone who wants to have dependable, thoughtfully designed gear when out on adventures in the mountains. We design the gear that we want to use ourselves.
Every feature that we build into our gear gets there because we know it has made our lives in the mountains easier, and we want to share that with you.
Itinerant Climbers Collective grew out of the eastern Himalayas in the highlands of Yunnan Province, China, a place storied for its rugged, mountainous jungles, snowcapped peaks, and endless walls that are a rock climber’s paradise.
Ryder had worked for years as an AMGA-certified rock guide and a route developer in the mountains of Yunnan–from the storied sandstone walls of Liming to the granitic walls of Baiyansi. His work traversed two continents as he worked outdoor jobs in multiple countries. His gear logged thousands of kilometers on planes, trains, and cars before getting dragged across mountainsides or up cliff faces. His early generations of gear could take the hits and keep going. Only after years of faithful service did he have to retire his old equipment. They could take the rigors he demanded of them, from the rugged ridges of Washington’s Cascade Mountains to the towering walls of the eastern Himalaya.
-
![]()
Baiyansi, the wall that inspired the pack
-
![]()
Ryder in his natural environment. He has used a lot of gear to its absolute max! He knows a thing or two about longevity.
-
![]()
Some of the rugged landscape in Yunnan: perched high up on a hanging bivy on Baiyansi.
-
![]()
The Baiyansi 30 traverses continents! A shot of the pack at work in Washington's Cascade Mountains.
-
![]()
Some of the incredible sandstone in Yunnan also contributed to the birth of ICC.
-
![]()
The Baiyansi 30's second home: the storied sandstone valley of Liming, Yunnan, China's trad climbing capital.
Over the years, he began to notice that the time between buying new gear to its retirement got shorter and shorter. Holes suddenly appeared. Zippers inexplicably tore away. Favorite features suddenly disappeared on the “newer, lighter” versions of gear like backpacks. His friends in the guiding industry noticed these changes, too. Their tools of the trade, the very things they depended on for everything from safety to comfort in the mountains, were suddenly becoming less utilitarian and even hard-to-find.
The trope of “enshittification” had snuck its way out from the world of software and into the gear world.
-
![]()
Before the Baiyansi 30. Take a guess: 1 of these Mountain Hardware packs survived 4 years of brutal use on cliffs across the world. The other broke on its first day out...
-
![]()
Taking inspiration from a time-proven design to make something better: the Baiyansi 30!
-
![]()
One of our favorirte model packs from a big manufacturer. It broke on the first trip to Red Roc k!
Stuck deep in a chimney crack in China in 2024, Ryder looked down at the backpack dangling from his harness, awkwardly wedged in the rock below. He realized it was the last piece of reliable, durable gear he had purchased from years before–something Chinese might refer to as a “laoshou” or “old hand” and that English might call “old reliable.” None of his current gear could match the old pack’s endurance, so he thought, “Why not make something better myself?”
Ryder teamed up with an old college friend, Peta, a trained architect and designer, and they set out to prove that the old adage that powered gear makers of the past could still hold true somewhere in the world. The ideals of rugged, well-designed equipment made by climbers for climbers seemed like something from a bygone era in the US. But his friend, steeped in the recent, ultra-modern design processes that have elevated China to a modern manufacturing powerhouse, thought they could bring these principles back to life on the far side of the Pacific.
-
![]()
Peta and Ryder, hanging out in college, circa 2011
-
![]()
Still friends after all those years: Ryder and Peta work on a prototype of the bag in 2025.
-
![]()
The Brightline Project
-
![]()
The Northgrid Project
Itinerant Climbers Collective is gear designed by guides and made for anyone who wants to have dependable, thoughtfully designed gear when out on adventures in the mountains. We design the gear that we want to use ourselves.
Every feature that we build into our gear gets there because we know it has made our lives in the mountains easier, and we want to share that with you.
Our Team
Ryder Stroud
Founder, DesignerOriginally from the sleepy suburbs of Massachusetts, Ryder somehow found a way from there to the mountains and dedicated 20 years of his life to climbing. He is an AMGA-certified Rock Guide.
He has spent over a decade climbing, documenting, and sharing the happenings in the China and Yunnan climbing communities, producing short films and guidebooks as part of that process. He has established first ascents across western China including in Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai, and Xinjiang provinces. He even appeared in the Chinese documentary series Exploring the Unknown with Wang Yibo, season 2.
He currently splits his times between the Cascade Mountains of Washington State and the Hengduan Mountains of Yunnan Province, China.
Designer, Manufacturing Pipeline ManagerPeta Feng
An architect and textile designer by trade, Peta grew up in the bustling metropolis of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province before moving to Vancouver, BC.
[NEED MORE CV HERE]
Our Process
Plan with Purpose
Together, we outline a path forward that’s realistic, strategic, and tailored to your specific needs.
Collaborate Openly
You’re part of the process. We keep communication open and decisions shared—no black boxes or surprises.
Plan with Purpose
Every project is different. We stay flexible and responsive to make sure the process fits your flow—not the other way around.
Plan with Purpose
When we deliver, it’s not just a finished product—it’s a solution you can trust, backed by real care and effort.
Past Project
The Atlas Project
A bold reimagining of a timeless brand.
Let’s Work TogetherIf you're interested in working with us, complete the form with a few details about your project. We'll review your message and get back to you within 48 hours.