Esker: Crafted in Canada, Built for Adventure
Nestled in the heart of Ontario, Esker was founded on a simple yet powerful principle: to create high-quality outdoor products while supporting the local economy. There’s something to be said about knowing where your gear comes from and why it’s designed the way it is, and in an era of mass production, Esker stands firm in its commitment to Canadian craftsmanship. We don’t just make outdoor gear; we make Canadian gear that lasts—built by people who understand the land because they live and work in it.
Made in Ontario: Why Local Manufacturing Matters
Not all gear is created equal. Manufacturing is more than just an assembly line—it’s a craft. At Esker, we prioritise keeping production in Ontario, Canada, whenever possible because it ensures three things:
- Uncompromising Quality: When we control the manufacturing process, we control the outcome. No cutting corners, no subpar materials—just expertly built, field-tested gear that holds up in the real world.
- Support for Canadian Workers: Our manufacturing process supports local tradespeople—skilled hands who have spent years honing their craft. Our craftsmen are outdoorsmen and play an active role in the design of our products.
- Supply Chain Stability: By manufacturing in Canada whenever possible, we reduce our carbon footprint, minimise disruption, and keep production where it belongs—at home.
The Craftspeople Behind Esker Gear
Great gear doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built by people who care—who take pride in their work and refuse to settle for anything less than the best.
Esker’s manufacturing relies heavily on a select group of skilled Canadian craftspeople who bring generations of experience to their work.
- Expert woodworkers shape, sand, and finish Esker axes and bucksaws to ensure durability and precision.
- Seamstresses with decades of experience in outdoor fabric manufacturing oversee every Esker tent, ensuring precise stitching and an exact stitch count that reinforces durability.
- Outdoor experts give input to the design and materials, inspect and test each product before it leaves our hands, ensuring that when it reaches yours, it’s ready for whatever challenge lies ahead.
We don’t mass-produce. We craft. Every Esker product is made with intention, built to last, and designed to be trusted in the most demanding environments.
Axes & Bucksaws: A Canadian Tradition
There was a time when an axe and a bucksaw weren’t just tools—they were survival in the Canadian landscape for trappers, voyageurs and Indigenous communities. These tools built cabins, cleared trails, and kept fires burning through tough winters.
At Esker, we carry that legacy forward—not with mass-produced imitations, but with precision-crafted, quality axes and bucksaws that harken back to our Canadian heritage, where tools were built from the land and made to last.
- The Hudson Bay axe: Compact, powerful, and time-tested. Inspired by the traditional Hudson Bay pattern.
- The traditional bucksaw: Lightweight, collapsible, sturdy with Canadian-sourced solid wood.
Esker’s Canadian bucksaws and axes are built with hand-selected materials and tested in real conditions—because no one should have to second-guess their gear when it can be essential for adventure and survival.
Hot Tents: The Essential Shelter for Winter Camping in Canada
For generations, Canadians have relied on portable shelters to navigate the wilderness, from prospecting to modern expeditions. Wall tents, with their straightforward setup and dependable structure, were a common sight at outposts and used by early surveyors who needed quick, durable shelter as they moved through the backcountry. Unlike fixed camps, these tents provided temporary yet robust refuge in harsh conditions, allowing travellers to rest before continuing their journey.
Esker carries this tradition forward with its hot tents—built for those who pursue adventure, even in the coldest seasons. If you’re heading into the Canadian backcountry, you need a shelter that sets up fast, holds in heat, and won’t collapse under the weight of fresh snow.
Esker’s Ontario-made hot tents are designed for exactly that. With premium-grade 10.10 oz Army Duck 4 canvas, a carefully planned design, and expert stitching, our tents don’t just provide shelter—they create a warm, dry home for your wilderness adventure.
- Designed for efficiency: Quick setups and takedowns.
- Built for mobility: Packs down compactly without sacrificing durability.
- Tested in real conditions: Used by hunters, trappers, and winter adventure campers who know what’s at stake when the temperature plummets.
Built by Canada
We take pride in being a Canadian-owned company that prioritises local craftsmanship. When you choose Esker, you’re choosing reliability, sustainability, and products built for the real outdoors. While many of our products are 100% manufactured in Ontario, some products require specialised components sourced from trusted global partners. Every Esker product is built to the same high Canadian standards—tested, refined, and perfected to ensure top performance in the wild.
Esker isn’t just a brand—it’s a reflection of Canada’s outdoor heritage. Every piece of gear we make is a product of real people who know what it means to rely on their equipment when it matters most.
- Our craftspeople don’t just assemble gear—they perfect it.
- Our designers don’t work from theory—they work from experience.
- Our field testers don’t test in a lab—they test in the Canadian outdoors.
When you choose Esker, you’re choosing more than just gear. You’re choosing to invest in quality, being part of our Canadian outdoor heritage and our way of life.
