When the Mountains Shift: What the BlackOvis and CamoFire Closures Mean for Every Hunter
When the Mountains Shift: What the BlackOvis and CamoFire Closures Mean for Every Hunter
There are mornings in the mountains when the silence carries weight — that pause before the first bugle echoes through the timber, or the split second after the trigger breaks clean. It’s in those moments you realize that everything you carry matters. Every strap, every stitch, every system — because when the mountain shifts, only the reliable endures.
Lately, the mountain has shifted in the hunting world.
BlackOvis, once a cornerstone of modern hunting retail, has gone silent. CamoFire — the daily-deal engine many relied on for affordable, last-minute gear — has faded from view. For years, those two names were synonymous with hunting commerce: places to find good gear, connect with community, and stretch budgets a little further.
Now, they’re gone.
We at Caribou Gear® don’t see this as gossip. We see it as a signal. A reminder. A test.
The Ground Beneath the Industry
Every hunter knows what it means when the ground gives way underfoot — a slide, a shift, a moment when what felt solid isn’t anymore. The same thing happens in our industry.
Online retail was supposed to make hunting gear accessible, reliable, and convenient. But in recent months, we’ve seen cracks appear. Supply chains tightened. Shipping costs surged. Corporate acquisitions and inventory bottlenecks pushed even good companies to the edge.
BlackOvis and CamoFire were part of many hunters’ stories. But their disappearance highlights a truth that’s older than any retail model: the wilderness doesn’t care about convenience. It only rewards preparation.
At Caribou Gear®, we’ve built our systems around that truth.
What the Closures Tell Us
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Retail Isn’t the Backbone — Reliability Is.
Sales platforms come and go, but true field performance never goes out of business. A well-made game bag, a reliable tarp, a waterproof duffel — those are assets that survive economic storms. -
The Market Is Changing.
Hunters are shifting from buying impulsively to buying intentionally. They’re investing in systems — not single products. They’re learning that cheap isn’t efficient when you’re ten miles from a trailhead and counting on your gear to do its job. -
Self-Reliance Still Matters.
Our fathers and grandfathers didn’t have online flash sales. They had craftsmanship, durability, and preparation. That’s the mindset we need to reclaim — one where you trust your own equipment because you chose it wisely, not because it was discounted.
The Caribou Gear® Perspective
When we started Caribou Gear®, our mission wasn’t to chase the industry — it was to change it. We built our name on products that could survive the kind of hunts that test the soul: cold nights, steep climbs, and the quiet satisfaction of doing it right.
We believe in systems, not gimmicks. We believe in gear that earns its keep. And we believe that the hunter’s code still matters — respect the animal, honor the harvest, and prepare like your reputation depends on it.
So when the winds of change sweep through the hunting industry, we double down on the fundamentals:
- Durability — gear that doesn’t quit when the weather turns.
- Reusability — equipment you can count on, season after season.
- Field Efficiency — systems that make the difference between chaos and calm.
That’s what separates us from the disposable culture that has too often crept into outdoor retail.
A New Era for Serious Hunters
Maybe this is the wake-up call the industry needed.
The closure of major retailers reminds us that the real strength of hunting culture lies not in big logos or corporate platforms — it lies in the hunters who prepare, the ones who still pack their gear days in advance, check every zipper and seam, and step into the wilderness ready for whatever comes.
This is a new era of intentional hunting. It’s not about getting more — it’s about getting it right.
At Caribou Gear®, we see this as a turning point. Hunters are returning to quality. They’re choosing gear that works as hard as they do. They’re valuing American innovation, honest materials, and systems designed by people who hunt — not by committees that market to hunters.
And that’s where we’ll keep standing — in the space between experience and trust.
For Those Who Still Hunt the Hard Way
If you’ve ever hauled quarters down a slick, snow-covered slope with two hundred pounds on your back, you already understand this conversation. The gear you trusted mattered more than anything else in that moment.
That’s why we build what we build — because we’ve been there too.
- The Carnivore Game Bags — reusable, breathable, built for long hauls.
- The Hunter’s Tarp – Colorado (5′×4′) — your sterile field surface in any weather.
- Koyukon® Waterproof Duffels & Dry Bags — the clean hand-off from mountain to home.
When other companies close their doors, our resolve only strengthens. Because we’re not here for the sale — we’re here for the season, and the next one after that.
A Final Thought from the Field
The hunting industry will change again — it always does. New names will rise, old ones will fade. But the mountain remains the same. The wind still cuts the same. The test is still there, waiting.
So to every hunter out there watching the news and wondering what comes next, here’s our advice:
“Don’t chase the noise. Chase the truth. Build your system. Trust your gear. And when the world changes, you’ll still be ready to hunt.”
At Caribou Gear®, we’ll keep doing what we’ve always done — manufacturing with integrity, designing with purpose, and serving hunters who live for that feeling when the dawn breaks cold and honest over a ridgeline.
Because when the mountain shifts… the prepared don’t flinch.
