Meet the Vendor: Zimmerbuilt

Meet Chris Zimmer, the man behind Zimmerbuilt!

We had the opportunity to ask Chris a little about himself, how he got into tenkara, and what led him to building a business around packs for hiking and fishing. You may have seen a few of his packs featured on the Rocky MTN Tenkara site, and our own Amanda Hoffner is a big fan of his Tenkara Guide Sling, and Strap Pack. To get a bigger picture of how he made a name for himself in the fishing community, we want to take it back to 2011.

At the time, Chris was putting his degree in Geology to work, spending time traveling and working in the field. “Back before tenkara was a thing here in the states, I was a fly fisherman that loved to hike.” Chris says when we asked about how he got into tenkara, and then goes on to mention “I was hanging out on the backpackinglight.com forums and started to hear about this new style of fly fishing with a rod that collapsed down and didn't need a reel.” He says he was a little skeptical at first, commenting that “I had fly rods and reels that I was happy with. But the portability of the tenkara rod was something I could not overlook. After I got my first tenkara rod and gave it a try I was in love. The tenkara rod was just a natural fit for the type of water I loved to fish and its packability just made it a no-brainer to take along on my hikes.“

As far as the waters that Chris is referring to, he says he loves small streams with some gradient that one has to hike to. He goes on to mention “To me, there is nothing more fun than picking apart the runs, riffles, and pocket water associated with those types of small streams.” Being a resident of Ohio, Chris says he doesn’t have many trout streams near him, and has spent a lot of time fishing in the Allegheny National Forest chasing brook trout in Pennsylvania.

Through Chris’ love for hiking and fishing, he also found his inspiration to try sewing on the “Make Your Own Gear” section of the Backpacking LIght forum. Eventually, he took the plunge and bought a cheap home sewing machine and made his own pack. “It turned out much better than I ever thought it would, so I posted some photos on the forum to show off what I had made,” Chris says. “I instantly got requests for me to make other people a pack, and my passion for making packs just grew from there.”

At the time Chris got into sewing and making packs, he noticed that there weren’t any pack options specifically made for tenkara. “I wanted to fill that gap and offer packs and bags that I was using to carry my gear. The interest of other anglers and their input on what they wanted or needed has also really inspired me to continue doing it,” says Chris, adding “I don’t know of too many other companies or people that are able to take ideas for packs and bags and make them come to life. It is a fun and rewarding process to help make someone’s idea a reality!”

We of course wanted to know what inspired Chris to build a business from his experiences, and rather than break down his response, we feel it’s better to share his full reply. “I would say my love of making and creating something from nothing is what has really inspired me to create a business out of this. I have a degree in Geology and was a field geologist for about 8 years before I got into making packs. I loved the work and travel I got to do as a geologist, but it was nowhere as fulfilling as making these packs. The creativity I get to unleash with these packs just makes me happy in a way I have never experienced before. It is a very rewarding feeling being able to fully dive into something and create a career out of it on your own. At this point it just feels like it was meant to be. “

With so much gusto towards his craft, it’s easy to see it reflected in the packs he produces. But, we wanted to know what he prioritizes in his work, and what he focuses on with his brand. Chris goes on to mention his main focus is “making the best quality pack I can make, using the best materials and hardware I can find.” He explains that when he is making something for someone, he puts in the effort and attention to detail that he would as if he were making it for himself. He also adds, “One thing I would say my brand does well is the customization of products. This is something that you are not going to find with a company that is mass producing or importing their packs. Since I am the one making everything it is easy for me to adjust the build and change things up to suit someone else's wants or needs. I know my customers really appreciate this aspect as it allows them to dial in their gear just the way they want. These types of interactions really help inspire new ideas for new features and different packs.”

Out of all the packs offered on his website, Zimmerbuilt.com, we were curious what his most popular fishing packs were. Without a doubt, he replied with, “Overall the Strap Pack is by far the best selling pack that I have made to date. I wish I would have kept track of how many Strap Packs I have made over the years, it's been a lot!”

It was mentioned earlier in the post, but Chris also makes packs for hiking and backpacking too! It’s worth visiting his website to see all the options he has available. Between the hiking and fishing packs, along with the well-thought-out accessories, one could create an efficient pack system for their outdoor recreation!