About Us

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Outdoor Research was born in the mountains, tested in the wild, and built for those who demand more from their gear. Founded in 1981 by a Seattle-based mountaineer who refused to accept frozen hands as inevitable, we engineer solutions to the problems adventurers actually face—because the right gear shouldn’t be the difference between a great day and a survival story. From our patented ​​Vertiglove​​ (born on an ice-climbing epic) to storm-proof ​​Pertex Shield® jackets​​, every piece is designed by athletes, tested in extremes, and refined until it disappears into your experience—letting you focus on the climb, the trail, or the untouched powder ahead. We’re obsessed with the details others overlook: thumb loops that stay put, vents that dump heat fast, and fabrics that laugh at scree slopes. Because when you’re pushing limits, your gear should feel like part of you, not a compromise.