[Event Report] GENTLE HIKER STAND2025! @ Tochigi Prefecture -MOKA-

Camping wear , shoes , backpacks and gear column

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Written by yans

This day brings together core brands and core gear enthusiasts, and it's already a major movement!

The third Gentle Hiker Stand (GHS) was held on April 27, 2025. With so many intriguing brands gathered in one place in Mooka, it was a must-see!

So, in light of the great success of last year, I decided to arrive right in the middle of lunchtime. Although I would like to introduce everything this time as well, please bear with me as these are my own personal picks

At first it was Nruc!

First, we met Nuruku, who was right at the entrance. He is the initiator of the event and is now the executive committee . He is as popular as ever and needs no introduction as the face of the outdoor community in Moka, Tochigi. This time too, the event's on-sale models and outlet sales were a big hit.

As the event finally calmed down in the latter half, many of the products were sold, demonstrating their popularity

By the way, the booth next to mine was Mountain Daisy Products, run by the famous Yuri Shikaku! I thought it was amazing and took a photo... but that was just my intention (wry smile). I regret that. He's also good friends with Nuruku, and it seems that their past pop-up events have been a big hit

NRUC official website https://www.nruc.net/

I received a photo from Nurkwood before the opening

Wow, that was a huge queue (lol). The stickers that were available on a first-come, first-served basis were probably sold out in an instant

A wide selection of drinks, alcohol, and food!

To the right of the entrance, to the north, is the food area. It was lunchtime, so everything was bustling

I'm not an expert on alcohol, so I don't know for sure, but my companion said that PASSIFIC BREWING is so famous that they came here to enjoy it

Pacific Communications https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/passific-brewing/

I've eaten at dellfeeno, a mobile wood-fired pizza place that I've visited at other outdoor events in the past, and there was a long line

dellfeeno Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dellfeeno2/

ripa!

Ripa makes bags and runs a small outdoor shop in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture

There are a variety of unique handmade backpacks on display. Personally, I have been indebted to Rimba, an outdoor shop in Urawa, Saitama, which I also wrote about recently

From the travelogue

The accessories made from scraps left over from making sacoche bags and packs are also cute

is perfect for storing slightly larger PET bottles, Nalgenes, and other items . It's hard to find a square bottle holder.

ripa/yamanami EC site https://yama-nami.stores.jp/

Well done!

This backpack with a slightly unique shape is from welldone and seems to be based on a BIKE & HIKE concept

The big logo is unique and has a strong personality, so those who like it will probably love it

welldone Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/welldone_nagoya/

RawLow Mountain Works!

It's no exaggeration to say that Roro is incredibly popular, and he always has his eye on special sales at events

This is a pre-order item for the brand's 10th anniversary, the 10th Anniversary special edition RawLow Mountain Works x Montkage MINO 3.0, which is a collaboration with Montkage!

I see, that's amazing! This quilted product has Octa on the back, and Montkage's regular version seems to be popular too, so I'm curious!

RawLow Mountain Works official website https://rawlow.jp/

Things that interest you

As an eyeglasses enthusiast, I simply adore OWL MILS sunglasses

I wanted to go to the store in Takasaki, but... City to Summit

There is also one that can be easily deployed on the classic Pico Grill

MOUNTAIN JOHNNY!

MOUNTAIN JOHNNY manufactures and sells semi-custom backpacks and other items

This event is the only place where you can buy models that are usually hard to find on e-commerce sites. I'm curious about the Flat Bag Wzip on the far left

MOUNTAIN JOHNNY EC site https://www.mountainjohnny.com/

mikikurota!

Mikikurrota is the pioneer of DCF tents/shelters in Japan

The last time I set up a stall, I came almost at the start of the event, and there was a huge queue for the popular Ya Nin-kyoku. This time, it was after noon, so it was calm and I was able to look around at my leisure

Mikikurrota official website https://mikikurota.com/index.html

At this point, we have finally reached the outer half of the course, and there are many things to see

The Empty Bottlers!

Yes, that crazy plastic bottle store

It was possible to take my time watching it at this time in the afternoon, but I imagine that the first hour or so of the show must have been amazing. When Kawara Kitake made his debut at the event, the atmosphere was incredibly heated

From past explorations

The Empty Bottlers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_empty_bottlers/

Ikejiri Hiking Club!

Ikejiri himself is also active in hosting events such as photo markets

We mainly sell used items and unique Hike T-shirts. If you're interested, please come and see us at our upcoming events!

Ikejiri Hiking Club personal blog https://tamashio.com/

Mouse on trail!

Mouse on Trail is a trail running and outdoor shop in Sendai that offers a wide range of products, from original gear to trail running and outdoor equipment

The DATE15 series, made-to-order products on display, were of such high quality that I couldn't help but stare at them. They looked quite good

Mouse on Trail official website : https://www.mouseontrail.com/

TMR&noicoyamaico!

TMR and Noikoyamaiko, who have been very helpful to us at Geargin, exhibited at a joint booth. And then suddenly appeared the supernova of can coolers, Boilis! This UL can cooler weighs just 50g and is so light that it feels like the box it comes in is not even there, and what makes it different from other can coolers is that it can also be used as a cooker! We may be doing a detailed review of this on Geargin in the future, so please look forward to it!

Past Visits

Noiko's new UL matchbox has been very well received, it really hits the spot

The UL table series is synonymous with Noiko, but now they have an aluminum tabletop that is both light and strong. The range of options has expanded even further, making it hard to choose (wry smile)

TMR Industries online site https://tmr.official.ec/

noicoyamaico online site https://noicoyamaico.base.shop/

LEISMOR！

Next door is Raysmore

Again from a past visit

The new bottle upgrade kit is sure to catch your eye!

The versatile glow-in-the-dark Ghost Band series continues to be popular, and we expect there will be many more new products in the pipeline this year, so keep an eye on developments

LEISMOR EC site https://leismor.official.ec/

pentapetala!

pentapetala's joint pop-up at Kawara Kitake, an outdoor equipment store in Tochigi City, the day before, was a big success

New store information 2025

It seems that they are currently fully booked with orders for the Papilio trail running shoes, but perhaps there will be new developments soon!? It seems that they are also selling original tenugui towels and T-shirts

Pentapetala official website : https://pentapetala.com/

yas guess gear!

ygg, also known as yas guess gear

One of ygg's signature products is the One-Hand POKKE. The fact that even a single item can be customized in such detail is the true joy of garage brand products

When you actually decide to order, you'll no doubt find yourself lost in the maze of customization options (lol)

But that's what makes it fun

yas guess gear EC site https://beerlabel.thebase.in/

A late lunch here and a walk around the town of Moka

It was almost lunchtime, but we decided to leave the venue and go for lunch

Nurukuwood recommended the Chinese restaurant Kaihanten! However, perhaps because it was conveniently located just a 3-minute walk from the venue, the lunch preparations were finished early and the restaurant closed early too, which was a shame (bitter smile). I really wanted to eat the dandan noodles!

Sakigake Hanten Official Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/sakigakehanten/

Afterwards, we continued to walk around in a circle, going from shop to shop, but... many of the shops were closed (tears). It was a shame, as we had already visited the shops that were listed on the special event map. However, when I asked Wood about it later, he told me that after the event, the tourist association had given a positive response, saying, "We hope to cooperate in the future," so we're looking forward to next year.

By the way, this street is where the original Nruc's small atelier was located

After continuing to wander around, I managed to squeeze in a spot at COCORO, a pasta restaurant located almost behind the Mooka Machiaruki parking lot

I ordered the pasta lunch with an all-you-can-eat salad bar!

Peperoncino with lots of vegetables!

I was satisfied with the chiffon cake as an after-meal dessert

Trattoria COCORO Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trattoriacocoro

You can also walk to Mooka Station and find NRUC NEST!

After lunch, we went to NRUC NEST, an outdoor shop and atelier located in front of Mooka Station

From past explorations

This was just as popular as the event venue, with the mountain equipment store, cafe, and Nruc side bustling with activity. With so many people going back and forth to the venue, I thought it would be even better if this trend spread throughout the town of Mooka

It's almost time for the closing!

After leaving NRUC NEST, I headed straight back to the venue. If I had more time, I would have liked to wander around the town a bit more, and there was also a steam locomotive event in front of the station, which I would have liked to see, but I didn't have time. The wisteria entwined around the trees was amazing

I went straight back to the venue

rootwat socks!

Rootwat socks, an assassin from Gifu Prefecture

There were also some trendy wool and polyester hybrid socks, but what caught my eye was a hybrid made with washi paper! Of course, they don't tear easily and are washable, so they have a wide variety of products. They are said to be very comfortable to wear. And as a sock maker, they are also involved in the OEM business for a certain outdoor brand, so they are definitely worth keeping an eye on

rootwat socks Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rootwatsocks

Kawarakidake!

Kawara Kitake has been extremely busy recently, with numerous events, a relocation, and a pop-up store. For more on what's happening around here, please see the links above

It's now commonplace at Kawarakidake to see a wide variety of unique items, including Dyneema leather wallets! I'd love to return when the new store has a fuller selection

Kawarakidake official website : https://kawarakidake.com/

Thank you!

The final act was Tanuki-san. Tanuki-san has been busy with consecutive events, but as we announced in this event report, he will be the main eventer on May 11th, 2025

From past event reports

[Spring TANNUKI Fes 2025]
Date and time: Sunday, May 11, 2025, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Location: Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho Hall, 5th floor, 1-7-1 Kaigan, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Admission fee: Free *Optional admission contribution available

For details, https://tannuki.jp/news/601/

Official website : https://tannuki.jp/

It's coming soon, so definitely check it out!

And with that, time is up. I missed a lot of things again, like Mayuka, Pedestrians, Lunetz, and Ametsuchi, so I have to take my hat off to myself for being such a complete loser (bitter smile)

I would like to conclude GHS2025 with the challenge of cultivating a keen eye for the issue

yans

My love for gears has led me to write for Gearzine. I'm a hardcore gear enthusiast who loves modifying and building things, and I also love outdoor events. I'd like to focus on brand exploration and shop reviews