RENO — The Reno Sparks Convention Center quickly filled up with hunting gear, furniture and jewelry made of ivory and copper and large antlers Thursday in preparation for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s (RMEF) 26th annual Elk Camp and Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Expo, which runs through Saturday.

About 400 exhibitors rolled out their products for outdoors enthusiasts, confident that even in a down economy their unique stock and support for the RMEF would entice passersby.

Pat Clapham of Mountain Copper Creations, based in Missoula, Mont., was polishing the artwork created by her husband, Jim Clapham, during Wednesday afternoon’s exhibition setup. Jim, who used to specialize in architectural sheet metal, took his skills and applied them to creating products that are both functional and artistic, such as using hand-hammered copper to create sinks, bowls, chimney caps and tiles.

Though they’ve shown exhibits in other shows, Pat said it was their first time at an Elk Camp expo.

“We get out and meet all new faces and all new buyers,” she said. “It’s a win-win situation. We do what we like best and talk to other people about hunting and fishing. We get to play and work.”

The convention is the 11th to be held in Reno.

“It’s good to be back on our home turf,” said RMEF president and CEO David Allen in a press release. “We’ve had our most successful Elk Camps in Reno. Our members and supporters like to come here and the local community always turns out and supports us in a big way. We can always count on Reno to help charge our batteries for another year of wildlife habitat conservation projects across elk country.”

The RMEF seeks to protect elk and other wildlife in their natural habitats. There are more than 550 Elk Foundation chapters working to conserve the large game.

The convention itself offers other products and artistry pertaining to outdoor activities.

For example, table and floor lamps with bases of twisted juniper branches are making their first appearance at the expo. Lisa Parks, owner of the company Montana Western Juniper based in Eureka, Mont., produces custom-designed furniture such as lamps and coffee tables. She was excited to bring her products to Reno since she’s never visited the area before.

“Everyone likes their things to be different,” Parks said. “Every person we’ve talked to says they’ve never seen anything like this. They’re blown away.”

Parks and her father, Lee, spend time collecting the juniper, which can only be found in certain parts of some states. As trees age, trunks and branches can be gnarled because of wind and drought resistance and other elements of extreme climate. The Parkses, who are hunters of elk, take tree pieces to their workshop in Eureka and create them into practical, artistic items of home décor.

“No piece can be duplicated,” she said.

A veteran to the scene this year is Mystery Ranch Backpacks, based in Bozeman, Mont. Mark Seacat, marketing director, said attending conventions like Elk Camp provides the bulk of the company’s business because it doesn’t any have direct retailers.

Backpacks range in price from $275 to $1,200 and most customers are repeat customers, Seacat said. About 65 percent of its products are sold to military and other special groups, such as wildland firefighters, while the rest are purchased by backpackers, climbers and skiers, Seacat said.

Certain backpacks can carry up to 200 pounds. Women can try on certain yokes that were specially made for those with narrower shoulders, Seacat said.

Seacat, who said he’s been an outdoors enthusiast since he was a child, added that business virtually has been immune to the recession.

“We haven’t seen any ill effects of the economy,” he said. “The people who buy our products do it all the time (when they need replacements). … Coming to these shows is really important for us.”

Mystery Ranch’s backpacks have been depicted on the RMEF’s national magazine Bugle and elsewhere.

Daily admission to the convention is $12 per person or $25 per family and free for children age 5 and under. Show hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, 9 a.m. to 6 pm. Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Attendees who register can also participate in banquets, auctions and awards throughout the weekend.

For more information, visit www.rmef.org.