WHO WE ARE: HOW TWO BROTHERS BUILT ROUGHRIDGE

We’re Chris and Josh Neville, brothers, hunting partners, and founders of Roughridge Stove Co.

To properly introduce ourselves, we have to go back to where it all started: the rural cornfields of Iowa, on a chunk of white oak hardwoods where we grew up. That’s where our passion for hunting began and ultimately how we got to where we are today.

Unlike most who become hunters through family tradition, our path was different. No one in our family hunted. We had to figure it out ourselves, starting at the age of twelve when we got our first Browning Micro Midas bows. That’s when the obsession took hold.

As you can imagine, we made every mistake possible early on, but eventually started consistently tagging bucks throughout our teenage years.

As we got older, our dreams got bigger. The idea of hunting out West had always captured our imagination. To us, hunting in the mountains was the ultimate adventure. We knew we had to experience it. Our first over-the-counter archery elk hunt in Colorado changed everything. From that moment on, there was no turning back.

After graduating from the University of Iowa, we packed up and moved west to hunt in the mountains as much as possible. Over the next decade, we spent most of our time in the backcountry hunting. From Alaska to Arizona, we hunted wherever we could get a tag, living out of our backpacks in remote areas and chasing the adventure that comes with hunting in places most people have never seen.

To us, there was no better way to hunt than deep in the backcountry.

After years of hauling camp on our backs and testing the limits of our gear, we started noticing how much our cook systems could be improved. We got tired of piecing together setups that never quite worked the way we wanted, so we decided to build our own ground up. That’s when the idea for Roughridge Stove Co. was born.

We’ve spent the last three years building this cook system from the ground up. Every part of it has been designed, tested, and refined with backcountry hunters in mind. We wanted to build a new cook system from scratch that actually solves the real problems hunters face and not do something generic that already exist.

We took every idea we had ever wished our past cook systems had and built them into one. It was not easy because nobody had made a cook system like this before and most manufacturers told us no. But persistence finally paid off. We prototyped, broke things, rebuilt them, and then broke them again. We focused on the features that actually matter: a removable wind guard for better cooking efficiency, an irregular octagon titanium pot for maximum storage, a fuel regulated stove with a fully enclosed igniter built to handle any hunting conditions, a folding titanium spork, and much more, all while keeping the entire system at just 10 ounces. The result is the best cook system ever made for backcountry hunters.

While other brands focus on the casual camping and glamping crowd, our focus is singular: hunters who need high performance, ultra lightweight gear without compromise. Every detail, from the stove to the spork, works together for better efficiency, packability, and durability in the harshest country.

Roughridge is the only stove brand built exclusively for DIY backcountry hunters. For the people who live the lifestyle, not the ones posing for it.

Our products are made to take a beating and keep going, just like the hunters relying on them. Built to handle any hell hole your buddy swears is worth it, Roughridge exists for the hunters who push harder, go farther, and know success is not given, it is earned.

Authenticity
We stand firm in who we are, hunters, husbands, fathers, and brothers, and won’t dilute our voice to appeal to the masses.

Grit
We believe in being comfortable in uncomfortable conditions. Always try your hardest and never give up. 

Innovation
We will always be big dreamers, pushing the boundaries of design to deliver cook systems that meet the real-world demands of the hardcore hunter.

Advocacy
We are the voice of hunters, standing our ground in support of our community and the lifestyle we live every day.

Commitment
Our customers are hunters who don’t quit, and neither do we. Every product, every decision, is made with them in mind.