The story…

From Singing Rock to Mr Jan Gear

The story behind my name? In my previous life as co-owner of a company called Singing Rock, our suppliers couldn't pronounce my Flemish family name. That's why they called me Mister Jan. Feel free to do the same!

Mr Jan meets his new best friend
Mr Jan meets his new best friend
The outdoor industry has been my second home for nearly 25 years. When I wasn't testing backpacks, sandals or climbing gear for my business, I was out birdwatching or practising nature photography. Keeping up with the trends on the market for photography equipment has always come natural to me, as has remaining critical, and testing new gear. You don't know the flaws of a product until you've used it out in the field.

The finest equipment for the (extreme) outdoors

At some point, most of us have bought a backpack from a well-known brand, charmed by its nifty features. You quickly learn that most of these features are irrelevant. They make the pack expensive, but not necessarily more functional.

My friends, who also share this experience, asked me one evening: “If you can do so much better, why don’t you create a backpack of your own?” So I decided to do just that! It was a challenge that marked the beginning of a new chapter in my professional life.

The bottom line? Quality equipment should be basic and durable. And it shouldn’t fail you under any circumstances. With this in mind, I collected ideas and feedback from numerous people in the field. I created and let them test new samples until we developed the finest product possible.

Captain Jan
Captain Jan

So here we are. Since our start in 2012, we have continued to move upmarket, expanding our product range to all kinds of travelling gear and photography essentials. You can discover our products in our webshop. We hope you will benefit from our expertise!

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Any remarks, feedback or propositions? We'd love to hear from you!

mrjan