For Eric Lynn, the American Dream looks like stepping out his front door to take in panoramic views of rural Peyton, strolling down the driveway to his workshop where he crafts American goods alongside his family to make a living, and using his own companyís outdoor gear to help him enjoy the beautiful backcountry during his time off.Lynn is the founder and owner of Mountain Ridge Gear, a small business based in Peyton that specializes in creating rugged outdoor and travel equipment from USA-sourced materials.He hasnít always been a craftsman or entrepreneur. ìIt all started out as a hobby. I was a software and communications tester in the Air Force and was traveling for the military,î he said. ìI had gone through so many poorly made travel bags. I was flying one day thinking about the bag I wanted, and I set out to make it for myself.îMountain Ridge Gear officially launched in 2009, selling handmade travel bags. ìI didnít turn a profit for years,î Lynn said. ìI got out of the military in 2014, so for five years I worked all day, then came home and sewed until 10 oíclock at night in my garage or kitchen and had fabric laid out all over the living room floor.î†The business took off when he pivoted to making donkey-packing equipment for his own animals in 2015. ìI noticed there wasnít much being made for donkeys,î Lynn said. ìI looked at saddle bags and things like that that were horribly made and I thought to myself, ëWell I know how to make bags and Iíve been in the military for 25 years, so I know what it takes for a product to survive in the field.í I went back and designed some gear, with no intention of ever selling it. I was in the backcountry and a ëfellaí saw my gear, wanted to know where I got it. I told him I made it. And he said, ëYou need to sell it!íî†Itís a good thing he listened. ìIím now the No. 1 seller of donkey saddles in the nation,î he said. The products are gaining traction worldwide, too, as theyíre currently shipping orders to countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Ireland and Australia.††In addition to donkey pack saddles, Mountain Ridge Gear also currently makes and sells horn and cantle bags, panniers, pommel bags, saddle bags, pack pads and more.†Lynn said the goal from the beginning was to create high-quality products made in America with American materials. He went great lengths to achieve that. ìI learned how to make all of this on my own. I taught myself leatherworking, industrial sewing, welding,î Lynn said. ìI never went to school for any of it, I just figured it out.î He joked, ìIíve got two masterís degrees, but I sew.î†He does much more than just ìsew.î As a business owner, Lynn goes the extra mile and his companyís practices prove it.†When Lynn discovered a large volume of product was bought from the pack burro racing community, he traveled to an event in Fairplay, Colorado, to connect with his customers on a personal level. He said, ìHalf the people there had my saddles. It became a laboratory because I could watch them run a 26-mile race with these donkeys, and tweak my designs based on what I saw in person. There arenít many pack manufacturers that get to do that.î Today, Lynn is a member of that community and president of the Western Pack Burro Association.He works alongside his wife of 31 years, the eldest of his four children and two other employees. ìWeíre very family oriented. Thatís what ësmall businessí used to mean I think,î Lynn said. ìI employ the local folk and I know everybody who works for me. There are companies out there who know an employeeís name because they write it on their check weekly, but donít really know them. We do things differently here. We have a connection with people.î†Since they moved to Peyton seven years ago, Lynn and his wife have also made connections with people in the local community by starting and leading a scout troop in town. ìThatís our other hobby,î he said.Lynn said he built his business and life from his experience in the military, a factor that remains a core part of the work done at Mountain Ridge Gear. Each employee has some sort of tie to the military. They offer a sizable military discount and fulfill a variety of military orders. ìMy military background has definitely helped me in this business. Things are never as bad as they were in Desert Storm. Iím not getting shot at here; Iím not in 150-degree heat. So, there are a lot worse things that we could be doing than sitting in the shop sewing. I think that puts things into perspective for me. People say that if you do what you love, itís not work. This is something I love doing. I get to work with my wife and daughter. To call this ëworkí is probably not accurate.î Lynnís daughter, Shelby DeThomas, said that one of the most lovable parts of the job is testing out the products on backcountry trips as a family.Presently, their most pressing task is making their frequent shipments to Australia easier. ìThereís a grant I can get from the state to have a distributor in Australia. Weíre working on that right now,î Lynn said. In terms of the future, he said they are outgrowing the shop. He would like to build another shop next to the current one. ìWeíll move all of the sewing machines into a new building thatís better heated, better lit. Then this building will be for manufacturing.Long term, Lynn said, with a smile, ìIíll probably never retire.î
