The American Backcountry Story
Our Story: The Trail We’ve Traveled
American Backcountry has been building destination apparel programs for state and national parks since 1993. What started as a passion for hiking and hand-drawn art has evolved into long-standing partnerships with some of the most iconic outdoor destinations in the country. Our goal has always been to earn the right to be one of your valued retail partners and we do that by creating products that are not only memorable but meaningful.
Our customers appreciate the difference between any old mountain and the mountain they just climbed. That mindset fuels everything we do, from art to production to delivery.
🏞️ 1993 – The Journey Begins
In the winter of 1993, Frank Hintz loaded the first American Backcountry t-shirt designs into his car and drove to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
He cold-called Brian King at the Appalachian Trail Conference, hoping to get a foot in the door. Brian agreed to test the shirts and suggested we attend the Appalachian Trail Days festival in Damascus, Virginia the following spring.
⛺ 1994 – Trail Days in Damascus
We set up our very first booth at Trail Days. We connected with tired but passionate thru-hikers, sold our shirts, and walked away with a deeper understanding of why we burned our corporate suits:
to create something meaningful and rooted in the outdoor experience. Frank left before dawn to climb Mount Washington in less-than-ideal conditions to get a flavor for the experience. That afternoon he met with Museum buyer Peter Crane at the Mount Washington Observatory. Peter had a simple but powerful request: a shirt with a topographic map and a list of the mountain’s most popular trails. We delivered—and that moment marked the beginning of our destination-specific designs.
🗺️ 1995 – Listening to the Trail
Frank climbed Mount Washington in less than
ideal conditions
to meet with Peter Crane at the Mount Washington Observatory. Peter had a simple but powerful request: a shirt with a topographic map and a list of the mountain’s most popular trails. We delivered—and that moment marked the beginning of our destination-specific designs.
🚸 Growing With Our Community
As we listened more and more to the outdoor community, we grew fast.
Customers helped shape our direction, and we quickly became a trusted vendor for National Parks, outdoor retailers, and Boy Scouts of America groups. Today, our shirts are worn on trails from coast to coast.
💧 2001 – Innovation on the Trail
We became the first company of our kind to print custom graphics on moisture-wicking t-shirts—making sure hikers stayed cool and dry without sacrificing style or story.
🧵 2004 – Making It Ours
We took it a step further and began manufacturing our very own line of moisture-wicking tees.
That same year, we adopted Sublimation and Direct to Garment (DTG) printing to create brighter, longer-lasting designs that could stand up to the elements. Our catalog—and our community—kept growing.
🇺🇸 2016 – Domestic Manufacturing
We began domestic manufacturing of tri blend tee shirts in the Carolina’s for our National Park Partners.
That initiative has greatly expanded and our USA Made tee shirts can be found in over 200 National and State Park locations across the United States.
🌿 2024 – Printing for the Planet
In 2024, we leveled up again with the Polaris printer
—one of the latest advanced printers in the U.S. This cutting-edge machine uses water-based inks that are non-toxic, eco-friendly, gentler on fabric and skin, and deliver vibrant, high-quality prints.
We also continue to reduce our footprint by sourcing and printing within a 200-mile radius in North Carolina. It’s all part of our commitment to sustainability and protecting the public lands that inspire our work.
🥾 Still Trail-Tested. Still Listening.
More than 30 years later, we're still guided by the trail, the hikers we meet, and the stories they share. Every shirt tells a story—and we’re honored to keep telling them.
At American Backcountry we have always done things the hard way. Other Tee shirt companies slap a “namedrop” on a picture of any old mountain and expect their customers to be satisfied. We always go the extra mile. We think our customers appreciate the difference between “any old mountain” and the mountain they just climbed.
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