Who are we?

Two brothers who share a passion for backcountry fishing and adventure.

  • Patrick Bauman, Founder + CEO

    Fishing for as long as he can remember, Patrick now tries to spend as much time as possible engaging with the natural world. After thru-hiking the 3,000 mile Continental Divide Trail, Patrick grew obsessed with exploring and fishing hard-to-reach waters in rugged landscapes across the West. When he's not working on Colter, you can find him poking around the nearest wilderness area. He feels most at home in a tent on the edge of a fishy looking stretch of river.

  • Daniel Bauman, Chief Fishing Officer

    Daniel cut his teeth fly fishing the wild trout streams of Missouri in high school and hasn't stopped since. He spent months trying to catch every native trout species of the western US and documenting it in the Cutthroat Chronicles. He's constantly plotting his next adventure and is thrilled to help Colter design innovative solutions for backcountry angling and put them to the test.

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In 2021, we thru-hiked the 3,100 mile Continental Divide Trail and quickly realized the transformative value of ultralight backcountry gear. While we could easily find ultralight components for nearly all of our backpacking kits, we weren't happy with the ultralight selection for fishing gear. After wrapping up the CDT, Colter Backcountry was born. Our premium gear is made as minimal as possible with some of the lightest and strongest materials on the planet.

Colter Backcountry was founded to outfit those who love wilderness and solitude. For those who prefer to go through the mountains, not around them. Colter gear is for the true backcountry angler.

Patrick Bauman, CEO

Daniel Bauman, CFO

Core Values

  • Create gear that is as minimal as possible.

    Our gear is designed to be as lightweight as possible and never have unnecessary features.

  • Create products as tough as nature.

    Wild places are rugged. Our gear can handle the brutal conditions found in the wilderness.

  • Conserve wild places.

    Our products help people engage with wild areas. We will use our platform and voice to fight for wilderness conservation.

  • Source materials responsibly.

    We use a supply chain that limits harm to the wild places we love. All of our products are Made in the USA.

Our Name

John Colter was a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. After years in the wilderness, as the expedition grew closer to the comforts of home, Colter was granted an honorable discharge so he could return to the American West. In the years that followed, Colter travelled thousands of miles establishing trade with Native Americans, hunting, trapping, and exploring the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Colter Backcountry was founded in the spirit of Colter’s rugged journey.