It was a stormy and wet evening out on the trail back in the mid-1980's. Rob Hart was leading his charge of Outward Bound students in the Colorado backcountry. Every night in camp, Rob wondered why he didn't have something better than a fallen log or tree stump to sit on. Then, one night, the proverbial "light" flickered on when he remembered an old wood canoe chair that his grandfather had used o
n camping trips. Rob took that basic concept, updated it through countless prototypes over many months, and "voila", the Original Crazy Creek Chair was born. And this simple product, now famous the world over, revolutionized "wherever you are, whatever you're doing" lightweight, portable sitting comfort forever more. Rob officially started Crazy Creek Products(1987) in a small basement (with stairs that were too steep) located at the foot of the Beartooth mountains in the small Montana town of Red Lodge, where the company is still located to this day. Soon after opening up for business, Rob hired his friend John Elsberry, to be his business manager. John worked with Rob for almost 12 years, handling every task imaginable. Working together, Crazy Creek's business grew by leaps and bounds. This was no surprise. In addition to having an incredibly useful product, both Rob and John were always sticklers for meticulous attention to materials and workmanship, the twin keys to product quality and durability. Because they knew from experience that only the best will do when you're in the mountains and miles from access to a gear repair. In 2000 Rob continued on with Crazy Creek and John started his own company, Business Support Services. In 2009 the unimaginable happened.... Rob was killed in a tragic ski accident. The company, town and friends from all over the country and world were stunned, including John. In a very fitting way, John stepped in to help operate Crazy Creek for Rob’s family. Over the course of the following year John and his wife Kim became convinced that Crazy Creek was strong company that needed to remain in Red Lodge and arranged to purchase the company. John and Kim, along with the rest of the Crazy Crew, are truly carrying on the tradition and commitment to quality and service that Crazy Creek has been famous for all of these years. But Crazy Creek is not looking back. As much as ever, the company is focused on the future, with new products being developed to enhance people's outdoor experiences. Crazy Creek's tag line says it all: Creating Comfortable Products for the Outdoors. We're here to serve the comfort needs of hikers, backpackers, RV'ers, stadium-goers, fishermen, soccer moms/dads, festival goers, picnickers... anyone who ventures out, from the North to the South Poles, and everywhere in between. So remember, the next time you're looking for a little comfort – Don't Just Do Something.... Sit There!
