Technology Research Lab

Lab Research Flash Cards

Click any card to flip it and see what we test.

🎒 Gear Innovation
Modular packs, ultralight shelter materials — tested where weather turns ugly.
🧭 Navigation Tech
Satellite comms, analog compass readouts, hybrid GPS — off-grid and under pressure.
☀️ Sustainable Systems
Solar mats, gravity filters, DIY energy kits — autonomy on long-haul trails.
⛈️ Extreme Field Tests
Rain, cold, isolation — we push limits in the backcountry so you don't gamble when it counts.

Technology Research Lab – Exploration at the Edge

Welcome to the Technology Research Lab at Angle Hozary—a place where curiosity is our compass and innovation is the trail we follow. If you’ve wandered out here wondering where nature meets cutting-edge thinking, you’re in the right place. Whether you’re a survival enthusiast, a backcountry adventurer, or simply a seeker of what’s next in rugged tech and trail-side breakthroughs, this is your launchpad into what’s quietly shaping the wilderness journey of tomorrow.

Founded by Valdran Vornhaven, and rooted in the rolling spirit of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Angle Hozary serves explorers with sharp tools for navigating backroads, far-flung trails, and the ever-changing frontier of outdoor survival. Out here, we don’t just catalog gear—we test it against reality. We don’t just theorize technology—we take it into the trees, the streams, the storms. This lab exists for those who want to understand what’s out there and what’s possible with the right knowledge, skill set, and design strategy beneath your fingertips.

What We’ve Already Built

Field-Tested Proofs

From biomass-fueled basecamp stoves to hybrid e-ink compasses, our technology research lab shapes innovations that answer vital calls from the wild.

Built For Tinkers

If you value duct tape and thoughtfulness equally, this space is for you. We welcome off-grid thinkers to help us build lasting trust in the gear we rely on.

Collaborative Outreach

We partner with upstarts and veterans to turn big ideas into reality. Reach out to our growth partner network or email [email protected] to start your expedition.

What We Study

The Technology Research Lab is our engine of experimentation. You won’t find white walls and blinking servers here—we keep mud under our boots and a tested blade in our pocket. Our work centers around the following:

  • Gear Innovation: From modular backpacks to ultralight shelter materials, we probe what truly holds up when the weather turns and the trail stretches on.
  • Navigation Tech: How do you find your way offline, off-grid, and under pressure? We’re exploring satellite communication, analog compass readouts, and hybrid GPS systems customized for deep wilderness use.
  • Sustainable Systems: Portable solar mats, gravity filters, DIY energy kits—everything we’re testing supports the autonomy of long-haul survival with a nod to environmental sensitivity.
  • Extreme Field Tests: New doesn’t mean better if it can’t take a hit. We bring our lab to the backcountry to trial tools in rain, cold, isolation, and unpredictability—pushing limits so you don’t have to gamble when it matters most.

Our Guiding Principles

This isn’t just about proving features—it’s about practical resilience. We build our research around a few fundamentals:

    • Work with the wilderness, not against it. Every function should complement the environment, not fight it—no need for noise when the quiet will show you where to go.
    • Fail forward. One busted buckle might be the thing that propels us toward a better design. We don’t fear mistakes—we chase what they teach us.
    • Nothing is truly rugged until it survives neglect. Gear should be smart enough to handle poor planning. Our tests aim to anticipate that margin of real-world failure and build buffer into success.

Behind the Vision

Valdran Vornhaven

Angle Hozary was born in the windy gulches of Utah. Valdran’s approach as a bold visionary is part scientist, part scout—fueling gear work that feels at home in the world’s harsher corners.

Visit the Lab

Our headquarters in Pittsburgh is where environment-seasoned insights are born. From technology research to frost tests, our doors are open to those passionate about the possible.

232 Lucky Duck Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Email Us | Mon-Fri, 9-5

To the Edge and Back

Success is measured by serving those at the edge of the map. We build lasting trust through smarter tools and tech that doesn’t panic when the cell tower fades. Let's walk into what's next.

Meet the Field Team

This lab isn’t just Valdran behind a dusty desk. It’s a rotating band of engineers, thru-hikers, rescue medics, material scientists, and weekend wanderers who all test tech where it actually lives—in the mess and reward of nature. We use their feedback loops to refine models, challenge assumptions, and steer innovation with a nose for the practical, not just the pretty.

Each contributor in the lab has field scars to match their credentials—they’ve carried gear through blizzards in the Alleghenies, dug into canyoneering rope fibers in Utah, or mapped a blind route with only analog tools out in the Taconic Range. They don’t test tech—they live it.