From childhood mountain trips to lakeside camping, the BearPacker story begins with Co-Founders Benji “Stink Bug” aka "Benji Bear" and Tina “BearMoon” Grimm (recently featured on Netflix’s Outlast Season 2), both inspired by nature from an early age.

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Benji’s journey began around 1983, at just 3 years old, when he put on his first backpack during his family’s third annual trip to Yosemite National Forest. Surrounded by the granite valleys of the Sierra and the escape from city life, he instantly fell in love with the outdoors. From that moment on, he wanted nothing more than to be among the towering green giants, wildlife, and sky-reaching peaks. His father, Richard aka "Pops" - an electrical engineer and son of a career Naval veteran—instilled in him a fearless spirit for adventure while emphasizing respect for the wilderness. His mother, Stacy aka "Animal Magnet" - born in Texas and raised on a ranch in Alaska, shared a deep love for wildlife that she passed down to her children as a core value.

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Around the same time, circa 1984, Tina was developing her own deep connection to nature in the rolling mountains of Hocking Hills, Ohio. Alongside her father, Ray “The Mountain Man” Grimm—a United States Air Force veteran—she learned the ways of a true survivalist. He took her everywhere, teaching her how to thrive in the backwoods. Tina embraced every moment, building a lifelong respect for wildlife and an unshakable desire to live in harmony with nature. That passion drove her to pursue outdoor adventure throughout her life.

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Benji and Tina took their first hike together as a couple in 2015—and never looked back. Through countless adventures together, they began to notice a troubling reality: increasing destruction of wild lands and declining wildlife populations. From that realization, BearPacker was born.

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At BearPacker, our mission is to give back to nature and help preserve the outdoor spaces we love. Our nation’s wild places are under constant threat, and wildlife within our National Parks face preventable dangers every day. BearPacker exists to Preserve and Protect these environments through conservation efforts, support of like-minded organizations, and consumer education.

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We are committed to spreading awareness through Safe Adventure Practices (S.A.P.)—helping people explore responsibly while protecting the wild.

With every BearPacker product sold, a portion of proceeds goes directly toward wilderness and wildlife conservation.

 

Our motto is simple: Take a Hike. Save a Life.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we can protect the wild places that make our world extraordinary.

Don’t just be a backpacker—be a BearPacker.