“There are a lot of brands that talk about exploring and adventuring … And how to get out there,” he says. “But there’s not a lot talking about how to get home safely or how to fix a difficult situation when something [unexpected] happens.”

Uncharted takes a different approach. “This company is as much a mission as it is business,” Christian points out. “Our goal is to make the world a safer place.”

Selling gear that can save a life comes with a lot of responsibility.

“We rigorously test our gear before it goes out to the public. I’m constantly in the wild, doing hard things and making sure the gear stands up to it. If I’m going to put my name on something, you can be sure that it’s not going to fail you,” he says.

In one such instance, Christian was deep in the Yukon. He brought several prototype products, including a new water bottle, with him. During the trip, the water bottle gasket failed and leaked, prohibiting him from using it as a way to keep his sleeping bag warm at night. He spent the next several nights in temperatures of 15 degrees below zero without a key element in his plan for staying warm. Upon return, the gasket was redesigned, retested and put into production.

The Seventy2 Pro backpack prototype went through similar testing. It was used daily for four years, and when it finally came apart while hauling an 80-pound elk quarter out of the mountains, the Uncharted team studied the weak point, modified it, and made it even tougher.