About Us

Mission Statement

Our mission at Linton Outdoors is to provide you with exceptional quality products and uncompromising personalized service.  Our job is to make sure customers are 100% satisfied with their Linton Outdoors experience.  Its that simple…

How Linton Outdoors was formed…

I’ve learned over twenty plus years of hunting and many painful hiking miles that having quality gear is essential to getting the most out of my hunt and outdoor experience.  The precious time spent in the mountains should not be wasted on blistered feet, failed packs, marginal clothing, and equipment that requires a Sherpa to haul up the hill. I tolerated ALL of these things for many years.  I thought that was the price we paid to be successful, no pain no gain, right?  Well, piece by piece I started searching for and buying higher quality gear.

It’s a simple concept, quality gear typically costs more, but I started getting a lot more life and reliability out of my high end equipment.  The net benefit is more life per hard earned dollar spent, basically more for my money.  I quickly realized that the highest quality gear & equipment was not readily available at most local hunting stores, and I was doing a lot of shopping at non-hunting stores to get the serious equipment I needed.  I decided that hunters needed a place to shop and buy this quality gear from a company that supports hunting and is knowledgeable about hunters needs. 

The idea for Linton Outdoors was created based on this concept coupled with these guiding principles: honesty, integrity, respect, quality, service, & excellence.  As the company grows and evolves, these fundamental principles will always be the foundation.

Some history if you want more…A dream that started over 25 years ago…

Born right here in the great state of Idaho, I was raised in a family with a long hunting heritage.  I learned at a very young age a huge respect for hunting and the outdoors.  I was following my Dad around in the woods long before I was old enough to pack a rifle.  I remember trying my best to track my footsteps exactly in his, trying to learn the hunting tradition.  I still laugh when I think of my brother and I always fighting for that second place spot on the trail behind dad. Our favorite trick was to turn loose a piece of brush, just as the other walked into the “whacking zone”.  We would also stop and rub fresh “elk sign” all over ourselves because we were convinced it would help the hunt.  I’m not real sure it helped, but it certainly jeopardized our chances of riding home in the front of the truck on more than one occasion.  I know dad wasn’t too impressed with my display of woodsman skills at the time, but somehow he tolerated it.

Growing up, the only thing I enjoyed as much as being in the woods was hanging out at the local sporting goods store.  Ed’s Sporting Goods was a very small sporting goods store in my little home town.  I loved going into that store to just look around at all the “stuff”.  Thankfully Ed didn’t seem to mind either, even though I rarely had the money to buy anything.  Ed was a hero to me in the way that Superman or Mickey Mantle was for other young boys.  I always dreamed of being like him and owning my own store with my own gear. 

A dark red Woolrich hunting coat, my Schrade Old Timer, a saw, attached to a leather shell belt summed up the necessary hunting gear list back in those days.   Although I did not realize it then, I was a gear junkie in the making. I started adding waterproof matches, tinder for a fire, small first aid kit, a compass, and of course a bottle of elk scent that thankfully never broke open in my little cheap, camouflage fanny pack.  That was considered overkill for gear back in those days…boy how things have changed. Today my home is packed full of hunting gear that I have bought and tried over the years.  Some I still have today and some didn’t make it more than one trip.  

Although I still enjoy going home to hunt with my Dad just like the old days, my preferred method of hunting has evolved into a more “remote” style.  Instead of looking at a map to find old roads and trails to hike and hunt from, today I look for the places on the map where the roads and trails end. That’s where my hunts start nowadays. 

I really enjoy getting out in the backcountry away from any roads or trails where the country is less traveled and I can push myself to the limits.  The tougher the terrain, the more I like it. The quiet solitude these settings provide is what drives me to find equipment that allows these types of excursions.

I cherish our hunting heritage, I have come to appreciate quality gear, and I have always wanted to run my own sporting goods store…This is how Linton Outdoors was started.  We sell the products we use, and use what we feel is the best gear available in the industry today.  I want to concentrate my time and energy on the hunt, not worrying about my gear letting me down. If you feel the same, I think you’ll like what we have to offer. 

I sincerely Thank You for the opportunity to earn your business.

Chad Linton