Dan Castner received a BA in Journalism at Ohio University in 1971 before embarking on a career in the outdoor industry. After approaching Kelty, Gerry, Sierra Designs, and Class 5 for a job, Castner eventually landed a position at The North Face, where he worked on the production floor making backpacks. He eventually worked his way up to the Director of Manufacturing before departing to become the Director of Operations at Moonstone Mountaineering in 1994. In 1997, Castner teamed up with another former The North Face employee, Mark Erickson, at Erickson Outdoors, working as the Director of Manufacturing. He would go on to working in manufacturing management roles at Timbuk2, Rofu Design, and American Giant before retiring in 2014.

See also OutInUnder interview transcripts