HPG Woods Runners

Ken Galbraith comes from Scots-Appalachian mountain stock. He learned about the hills from his father and grandfather as a boy.  As is often the case with young men of that background, he decided to join the service.

Ken ended up in the 10th Special Forces Group where he learned military mountaineering and skiing including completion of the Swiss Military Mountaineering School and time spent as one of the original instructors in the USASOC Mountain Master Trainer Course in Colorado. This heavy involvement with skiing and mountaineering equipment over nearly 3 decades gives Ken a historical perspective on the evolution of outdoor equipment that is both valuable and rare. In addition to mountaineering, Ken trained as an SF medic, assaulter, and military free fall parachutist.

After his time in 10th Group, Ken had a couple of other SOF assignments and also a stint as a DOD contractor. Over the course of his 25 year career in the US Army, he served in Desert Shield/Storm, the Balkans, East and West Africa, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He retired as a Sergeant Major in 2010. 

Currently, Ken is a member of a Personnel Recovery Unit for the DOJ, where he teaches Law Enforcement personnel preparedness, survival, land navigation, and situational awareness skills to help them survive isolating events in austere environments worldwide.  He and the other members of the Personnel Recovery Unit respond to assist and advise DOJ leadership in the event of an emergency.  He also teaches military mountaineering skills to select LEO personnel to enhance their effectiveness in mountain environments on overseas missions.

Ken continues to be active in mountain sports, particularly with alpine climbing and backcountry skiing.  After a full career using a wide variety of both military and civilian outdoor gear and clothing, Ken has learned what products will handle the rigors of rugged backcountry use and what ones fall short.  He believes that having the proper equipment in the outdoors can often make the difference between a successful backcountry outing and a life threatening survival epic.

You can follow Ken’s backcountry wisdom on our forum, where he posts under the name Alpendrms.

Stuart grew up as an expat in Saudi Arabia, his earliest memories are of travelling through the Rub' Al Khali desert in a 74 Chevy Blazer and being lowered into wells to see if they were dry. In his early teens he became determined to defy the school career adviser’s assertion that being an Adventurer was not a viable career path, to this end he left home at 16 and set off to live a life on his terms; which has seen him hike the Skeleton Coast solo, wander the jungles of Borneo amongst the last nomadic Penan, track big game through the Kalahari with the Ju/'hoansi Bushmen and be ritually tattooed by Iban headhunters.

Along the way he has accumulated an eclectic array of qualifications and experience, at one time or another he has managed an African game reserve, been the curator of the San Cultural History Museum in Botswana, organised remote healthcare logistics for NGO’s in South East Asia, trained anti-tiger poaching patrols in Malaysia and acted as a Researcher/fixer for the BBC. He has had the good fortune to encounter mentors who have been very generous with their time and wisdom, including an illuminating 5 year apprenticeship with Mors Kochanksi in Canada, which saw him formally recognised as a Wilderness Living Skills & Survival Instructor. Stuart holds guide certifications in Equatorial, Subtropical and Boreal Biomes and is a qualified W-EMT, Motor Vehicle Mechanic, Diving Instructor, Expedition Leader and Swift Water Rescue Technician.

When not exploring remote corners of the globe he works as an Expedition Skills Instructor for several training providers, delivering subjects as diverse as Remote & Austere Motor Vehicle Mechanics, Drown Proofing and Wilderness Survival.

Casey was born and raised in Grand Junction Colorado. From an early age he traveled the backcountry of the American west with his parents, becoming an avid hunter and outdoorsman along the way. He joined a U.S. Forest Service trail crew on the Grand Mesa Uncompahgre and Gunnison NF shortly after high school. Casey enjoyed the work so much that he did two more seasons on trail crew while pursuing a degree in Environmental Science and Technology from Colorado Mesa University. After college he worked for several different wildland fire crews including the San Juan Hotshots, on the San Juan National Forest. He is currently an assistant engine captain in Pagosa Springs Colorado, which gives him time to hunt and help out HPG during the winter months.

Andrew Isherwood is a native of England who served seven years in the British Army as part of the Royal Engineers. He left the Army in 2012 after a tour of Afghanistan specialising in EOD.

After Andrew's service he earned his Mountain leader certification and the following Search and Rescue specialisations -- Basic Trauma and Casualty Care (B.T.A.C.C), Search Technician, Bank Side Search, Flood Responder, Advanced Flood Response, and Mountain Rescue foundation course.

Andrew is currently an active member of Cheshire SAR team and a 1:1 youth mentor teaching climbing and outdoor skills. In addition to his professional outdoor responsibilities, he is a keen mountaineer and avid rock climber. Andrew considers the correct equipment vital in his line of work where he is often alone for extended periods of time in harsh weather conditions. His equipment reviews and photography can be found at www.valleydeepmountainhigh.tumblr.com.

Nick is a Wisconsin native. Listening to his father's stories of backpacking across the Grand Canyon sparked his passion for the outdoors. He began his career with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as a Law Enforcement Ranger and currently works as a police officer in the Milwaukee area. Nick serves as a Patrol Officer and Firearms Instructor. He has training in a wide variety of law enforcement topics to include SWAT, active shooter response and marine law enforcement. In addition to his day job as a patrol officer, he teaches both shooting and wilderness skills for In Extremis Consulting. Nick is a WWII OSS and SOE history buff and active HAM radio operator. His keen eye for product function, solid grounding in backcountry skills, and monumental level of patience led us to recruit him for his part time role with us as a Product Specialist.

Joel is a Utah native, born in Salt Lake City and raised in Cache Valley. With both his father and grandfather as role models, Joel, his younger brother and father would embark on weekend adventures through the Wasatch Mountains, often on four wheeler, traveling over 100 miles in a single weekend. Trips often involved Joel, his younger brother, and father all riding a classic 2wd Honda 4 Wheeler. Taking turns, the brothers would switch from steering to riding the rear rack of the wheeler while their father remained in the middle, teaching and guiding them through backcountry dirt roads. Highlights of every trip were the deer and elk sighting. Always stopping to watch how they interact with their surroundings. In later years, these mountainous adventures evolved into longer hunting trips, still with his brother and father.

Joel's grandfather added to his love for hunting, fishing, and nature. It was with his grandfather that Joel traversed out of state to places like California and Washington where they'd fish and even bear watch, further amplifying his respect for nature. Joel soon took up Boy Scouts, seeking more opportunities for adventure. It's no surprise that High Adventure Camp quickly became his focus. Later, Joel attended the 2005 National Boy Scout Jamboree and has since served as a Scout Master in his local troop. For Joel, it couldn't be more obvious that the backcountry, away from the city, is what truly feels like home.

Now that Joel has a family of his own, his favorite outdoor activities are now shared with his two boys. Often teaching lessons and making memories in the rugged mountains of Idaho. Passing down tribal knowledge to his sons, originally learned from his father and grandfather, only contributes more to Joel's love and life long relationship with the outdoors. The love for nature continues to root itself generation after generation fueled by real life experiences outdoors and most importantly through family.