In 1967, three climbing brothers named Lowe from Colorado, Greg, Jeff, and Mike, started inventing gear because what they needed did not exist. Greg Lowe, in particular, is credited with the first internal-frame backpack, a design that quietly became the standard for every technical pack made since. The Lowe brothers are one of the most influential families in the history of American climbing gear.
The short version: Lowe Alpine, founded 1967 and now British-owned (part of the Equip group alongside Rab), makes technical mountaineering and trekking packs with deep alpine credibility. Buy it for climbing, mountaineering, and serious trekking packs built by a brand that helped invent the category. It is a mountaineer’s pack brand, less mainstream in the US than Osprey but respected where the terrain gets steep.
Where Lowe Alpine came from
Greg Lowe’s internal-frame invention changed load carriage permanently; the family’s restless innovation spun off multiple gear companies (the Lowe name echoes across climbing history). Lowe Alpine, the pack brand, is now owned by the British Equip group that also runs Rab, giving it a strong alpine-apparel sibling and a European base, while keeping its mountaineering DNA.
What they actually make well
Technical alpine and mountaineering packs, expedition haulers, and trekking packs with climbing-oriented features. It occupies the serious end of the pack world alongside Gregory and Deuter, with a heritage that predates most of them.
Built to last?
Build quality is strong and mountaineering-grade; these are packs meant for consequences. Under the Equip group, sustainability and repair practices align with sibling brand Rab’s respected programs. Durability has never been the question with a Lowe pack.
The causes they actually fund
Cause work runs largely through the Equip group’s shared environmental and repair initiatives rather than a standalone Lowe Alpine program. The brand’s contribution is more heritage and engineering than activism, an honest read.
Where this gear comes from, and where it earns its place
Born in the Colorado climbing scene of the 1960s, at home wherever the route turns technical: alpine approaches, mountaineering objectives, and serious treks on the steep lines of the Trail Atlas.
The honest take
Lowe Alpine is less visible in the US market and aimed more at mountaineers than casual hikers, so mainstream buyers often default to Osprey. But for climbers and alpine trekkers who want a pack from the family that invented the internal frame, the pedigree is real and the gear delivers. Buy it for the mountains, not the mall.
From the family that invented the internal-frame pack. More makers in Brands We Love. Last verified July 2026.