Brian on top of Avery Peak (4088') in the Bigelow Range in Maine, overlooking the Saddleback range to the South. Avery is the last peak over 4000' on the AT before Katahdin!

About OES

Brian MacMillin, founder of OutdoorEquipmentSupplier, is a 23 year old graduate student attending the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York, where he is now pursuing an advanced degree in mechanical engineering after graduating in May of 2010 with a B.S. in MechE. This year he will be focusing his attention to the interaction between the fields of Material Science and Solid Mechanics, or in other words, how materials impact the geometry and design of everything around us.

Brian will be spending much of his time outside of the classroom and in the lab, working under the supervision of Dr. Robert Clark to quantify the relationship between abrasion and waterproofness of lightweight nylon fabrics. His thesis work will look to better understand how durable waterproof coatings are not only to the point of leakage and saturation but beyond. His work will hopefully shed new light on how lightweight fabrics and new, high tech laminates can be used in outdoor and possibly biomedical applications.

Brian in Hallstatt, Austria, with a view of the Alps in the backround.

Being so involved in school in no way means that he will be stopping production of tarps or accessories!

Brian began OES making alcohol stoves for eBay, but soon found himself interested in using silnylon to construct sturdy and better made silnylon tarps than were currently available at the time. It all began with some black 1.9oz poly coated fabric from which the first hexagonal prototype hammock fly was constructed, which was then used for about 3 weeks worth of trips. After discoverering silnylon (after baking at night under a heavy, black tarp), he was amazed at how much lighter and more flexible it was in terms of tarp setups! The MacCat line of tarps naturally evolved and has been improving, along with his other product lines, ever since! Brian started OutdoorEquipmentSupplier.com in October of 2003, and has developed it into what it is today.

Brian atop Flagg Mountain - Ossipee, NH.

We are constantly looking for new fabrics, techniques, and approaches to manufacture the best and lightest gear available.

Brian is an Eagle Scout (class of '05) with a Bronze Palm. Scouts helped to solidify his love of hiking and backpacking (and also going lightweight!).