Hi, I’m Will and I design and manufacture
backpacks for climbers here in the Scottish Highlands.
I am a climber based in Inverness who enjoys all forms and flavours of the ‘sport’, although Scottish Winter and Alpinism have left their mark more than most. In particular, I love the variety we have on our doorstep here in Scotland - from bouldering, to scary mixed climbing in the mountains.
ShelterStone began life in the corner of my bedroom in Fort William. Initially it was all about making durable, simple backpacks for local mountaineering instructors, many of whom are friends and climbing partners of mine.
As time has gone on the products I make have evolved but the core ideas remain the same - simple gear that works in really horrible conditions. Winter climbing is complicated enough, so I put a tremendous amount of thought into a product that is simple in use. This doesn’t always mean simple in design.
I try to fuse the durability and build quality of gear from the 1970’s and 80’s with the minimalist design we have today. Back then climbing gear was still designed and manufactured by small climber-owned companies, who made tough gear in cool colours with some whacky designs.
Nowadays I feel that the modern outdoor industry has lost this sense of creativity, and hence innovation. A lot of the products are just churned out year on year, not doing anything new or exciting. So a part of my objective with ShelterStone is to bring something new to the table.
You can read more about the products I design in the Catalogue section of the website. And you can read about various adventures myself and my friends have had in the mountains in the Blog section.
Cheers,
Will
I am a climber based in Inverness who enjoys all forms and flavours of the ‘sport’, although Scottish Winter and Alpinism have left their mark more than most. In particular, I love the variety we have on our doorstep here in Scotland - from bouldering, to scary mixed climbing in the mountains.
ShelterStone began life in the corner of my bedroom in Fort William. Initially it was all about making durable, simple backpacks for local mountaineering instructors, many of whom are friends and climbing partners of mine.
As time has gone on the products I make have evolved but the core ideas remain the same - simple gear that works in really horrible conditions. Winter climbing is complicated enough, so I put a tremendous amount of thought into a product that is simple in use. This doesn’t always mean simple in design.
I try to fuse the durability and build quality of gear from the 1970’s and 80’s with the minimalist design we have today. Back then climbing gear was still designed and manufactured by small climber-owned companies, who made tough gear in cool colours with some whacky designs.
Nowadays I feel that the modern outdoor industry has lost this sense of creativity, and hence innovation. A lot of the products are just churned out year on year, not doing anything new or exciting. So a part of my objective with ShelterStone is to bring something new to the table.
You can read more about the products I design in the Catalogue section of the website. And you can read about various adventures myself and my friends have had in the mountains in the Blog section.
Cheers,
Will
The images on this webpage are from Will Rupp, Iain Ballantyne, and Naoise ÒMuircheartaigh respectively