By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11
Gongos (left) and Ackerman (right) on the PCT.
The Founders of Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear (CTUG), Austin Gongos, Michigan Tech '14, and Nathan Ackerman, Michigan Tech '14, are not the companies only tie to Phi Kappa Tau. This thriving new company is revolutionizing backpacking gear—offering custom built ultralight bags that last far longer than their competitors—and draws part of its name from a long-running Gamma Alpha tradition. Originally conceptualized by Dan Lorentz, Michigan Tech '84, drawings of the Gamma Alpha chicken can be found throughout their house, hidden for brothers to find. As the dream of CTUG began to become a reality, Gongos and Ackerman reached out to Lorentz in hopes of using the chicken iconography in the logo for their business, as well as paying homage to it in their name. Once they’d secured his approval, CTUG was born, and the company hasn’t stopped innovating since.
CTUG began when Gongos faced the challenge of finding lightweight gear for his Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) hike. Striving to find a lightweight pack that could survive the arduous 2,650 mile journey, Gongos was underwhelmed and unimpressed with the offerings available for purchase. With Ackerman planning to join for a multiple week section of the hike, the two began collaborating on building their own packs. Drawing inspiration from each other, information gathered online, and through trial and error, they successfully built the first prototypes for CTUG. Their homemade gear received an exuberant amount of praise from fellow hikers on the trail, and with it came the idea for a business venture.
CTUG Workshop.
Upon returning from the PCT, Gongos and Ackerman began working on building and improving their products, with Ackerman quitting his job to focus on CTUG full-time in 2019. To ensure they could make the best product possible and service the community they set out to impact, the duo offered discounts to anyone hiking more than 2,000 miles in a year in exchange for their feedback, which was used to improve designs. Now based in Hancock, Michigan, CTUG has grown to ten employees, crafting modular, durable, lightweight outdoor gear. With hopes to continue growing their business, the CTUG team has set their sights on other industries like gear for bicycles and pet supplies. Their goal is to continue improving upon the current product, while also tackling similar issues throughout different industries. With love for Hancock, they are also hoping to add jobs and opportunities back to the community.
Full CTUG Team.
Gongos and Ackerman conveyed their ability to tackle issues and solve problems as a team, by stating that they have a shorthand for working together, which dates all the way back to the Michigan Tech Winter Carnival. As part of the snow sculpture competition, the pair worked together on the smaller, more intricate aspects of the larger project. With just a week-long crash course on how to sculp ice, they were thrown into the fire, working together for the first time. The partnership proved to be a fruitful venture then and remains fruitful today. The dedication, commitment, and ambition of the CTUG team is emblematic of all that it is to be a Phi Tau man. To learn more about CTUG, you can visit their website here.