Our Story

About Gander Mountain

Over 60 years of equipping the people who go where roads end — hunters, anglers, campers, and hikers who demand gear that performs when everything is on the line.

Built by Outdoorsmen. Trusted by Generations.

When someone searches “is Gander Mountain still in business,” they’re not just looking for a yes or no. They’re asking whether the quality that earned their parents’ trust — the boots that lasted fifteen years, the tent that sheltered four kids through countless rainstorms — still exists. It does.

Gander Mountain was built on a simple promise: serious outdoor enthusiasts deserve equipment that meets their standards. Not gear designed to look good on a shelf. Gear designed to hold up at dawn on a cold deer stand, in the middle of a river at low tide, on mile 14 of a backcountry trail when the weather turns.

Gander Mountain founder story early outdoor sporting goods heritage since 1960 Minnesota roots

Founded on the Belief That Quality Is Non-Negotiable

Gander Mountain began in 1960 as a small mail-order company selling hunting and fishing gear. From the start, the philosophy was clear: stock only what actually works in the field. No gimmicks, no cutting corners on materials, no gear that fails when it matters most.

That belief drove decades of growth, turning Gander Mountain into one of America’s most recognized names in outdoor sporting goods. Hunters in the Midwest, anglers in the South, hikers in the Rockies — the Gander Mountain name became shorthand for gear you could count on across every corner of the country.

The Legacy That Keeps Going

In 2017, the original Gander Mountain retail chain restructured, and many locations reopened as Gander Outdoors. But the Gander Mountain brand — and the commitment to quality it represents — didn’t go away. It evolved.

Today, Gander Mountain gear reaches customers through Amazon and online retail, making the same quality accessible without needing a physical store nearby. The products still carry the same design philosophy: build it right the first time so customers never have to buy it twice.

Three generations of outdoor families have relied on Gander Mountain. We intend to earn the trust of three more.

Gander Mountain outdoor gear modern hunting fishing camping equipment quality legacy continuing
Our Journey

Gander Mountain Through the Decades

1960

Founded as a Mail-Order Outfitter

Gander Mountain launches in Wilmot, Wisconsin with a catalog focused on hunting and fishing gear. Quality over volume is the founding principle from day one.

1980s

Retail Expansion Begins

Gander Mountain transitions from mail-order to brick-and-mortar stores across the Midwest, bringing the full product lineup to communities of hunters, anglers, and campers nationwide.

2000s

National Growth & Product Expansion

Gander Mountain expands to over 160 stores across the United States, broadening its product range to include camping, hiking, apparel, and game processing equipment alongside its core hunting and fishing lines.

2017

Brand Evolution

Following a retail restructuring, the Gander Mountain brand enters a new chapter. Many store locations transition to Gander Outdoors, while the Gander Mountain name and product line continue through online channels.

Today

Gander Mountain Online — Still Earning Trust

Gander Mountain gear is available across the country through Amazon and online retail. The same quality that served three generations of outdoor families continues — now more accessible than ever.

What We Stand For

The Gander Mountain Standard

Uncompromising Durability

We design for 10–20 years of real-world use. Every material, every stitch, every component is chosen to outlast cheaper alternatives many times over. Buy once, rely on it for a decade.

Honest Field Performance

Gander Mountain products are tested in conditions that matter: cold, wet, remote, and demanding. Our reputation is built on gear that performs when everything is on the line — not in controlled lab settings.

Genuine Long-Term Value

Quality costs more upfront. But a pair of Gander Mountain boots at $200 lasting 15 years costs $13 per year. Cheap alternatives at $80 lasting 2 years cost $40 per year — with constant replacement hassle on top.

Complete Outdoor Coverage

From hunting optics and game processing tools to camping tents and fly fishing waders — Gander Mountain covers every outdoor pursuit with the same commitment to quality that defines the brand.

Respect for the Outdoors

The people who buy Gander Mountain gear are stewards of the wild places they love. We build equipment that enables responsible, skilled outdoor pursuits — and we honor that relationship in how we do business.

Heritage You Can Count On

Sixty years in business is proof. Brands don’t earn three generations of loyal customers through marketing — they earn it by consistently delivering on every promise, every season, without exception.

Gear Up with Gander Mountain

Shop the complete Gander Mountain outdoor collection on Amazon — hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, and apparel all in one place.

Shop Gander Mountain on Amazon