Outdoor Business means the current businesses of the members of the Outdoor Group, including but not limited to the global advertising businesses on billboards, street furniture displays and transit displays described in the IPO Registration Statement, as well as those canceled, ceded or discontinued business. Patagonia is a highly regarded outdoor brand with a rich history of mountain exploration. Founded in 1973 by accomplished mountaineer Yvon Chouinard, the company has positioned itself as a staple in the outdoor industry with a wide selection of outerwear ranging from hard shells to base layers, accessories and more. They excel in insulation in particular, with a wide range of both technical and informal products, including the legendary Down Sweater (casual) and outstanding synthetic garments such as the Micro Puff and the DAS Parka (technical).
Patagonia focuses much of its time and money on environmental and sustainability initiatives, including incorporating recycled materials and sourcing responsibly into its products, offering repair services (in select locations and by mail) and selling used equipment through its clothing program worn out. Next, Arc'teryx is the irrefutable leader in technical mountain clothing, but the Patagonia team constantly crosses between daily and touring wear. You can expect to pay a little more for Patagonia's prestige and logo, but transparency and stewardship efforts help justify the cost. Some of our long-time favorites within the Marmot line are the PreCip (now PreCip Eco) and Minimalist waterproof jackets and the Montreal Down Coat, all of which significantly undermine the competition and offer great overall performance for light outdoor uses.
Like Patagonia, Marmot has also made quite substantial sustainability advances in recent years, including the use of recycled materials and PFC-free DWR coatings in many of its products (including some of its best-selling products such as the aforementioned PreCip Eco). Backcountry experts looking for solid protection and a full set of technical features should look elsewhere, but for hiking, summer hiking, city use, and other casual activities, the value is hard to beat. We couldn't go too far on this list without talking about The North Face, a mountain brand with a rich history of high-altitude exploration. Their bright orange and yellow tents are common in high-altitude base camps around the world, and they have amassed a team of high-quality athletes, including professional climbers Alex Honnold and Margo Hayes and dedicated mountain climbers Jimmy Chin and Conrad Anker.
In terms of outerwear, the TNF Summit Series, ranging from the expedition-ready L6 Cloud Down parka to the most accessible down hoodie, are undoubtedly premium pieces designed for harsh conditions and demanding activities. Impressively, The North Face also stands out on the casual end of the spectrum, as evidenced by its legendary and ubiquitous Denali fleece and city-friendly ThermoBall synthetic material. The downside is that they haven't found a solid middle ground, their strong suits are serious mountaineering or everyday pieces. In addition, we often find that their jackets have a square cut, and TNF's main clothing lines tend to be a lower step in quality and overall attention to detail compared to Arc'teryx and Patagonia.
But the brand's lifetime warranty against defects is one of the most generous policies on the market, and prices are often good for what you get. REI Co-op is highly respected among outdoor enthusiasts across the country, and for good reason. With 168 stores in the U.S. UU.
In addition, REI participates in a number of environmental and community initiatives, conservation efforts and sustainability practices within its own line of outdoor clothing and equipment. Originally Alfwear, Kuhl's story began in Utah's Wasatch Mountains, where the brand's founders (including legendary mountaineer Conrad Anker) aimed to create functional clothing and accessories for skiing and mountaineering. Now, almost 40 years later, the brand has become an important player in the world of outdoor clothing and especially in the areas of lifestyle and hiking. From undershirts to down and winter jackets, Kuhl offers a good selection of competitively priced options that stand up to regular use and abuse.
In general, Kuhl products are known for their distinctive and often utilitarian style. The Arktik Down parka, for example, has a burly cape, a faux fur hood, and panels along the shoulders and elbows that stand out, especially in darker color combinations. But Kuhl excels in the durability department, we are particularly pleased with their hiking pants collections, including the popular Renegade, and the quality is excellent. Fjällräven started in 1960 as a backpack company, and the brand's Kanken backpacks and bags remain a mainstay of its line to this day.
However, the Swedish brand has grown significantly since its inception and is now equally praised for its collection of top-notch hiking clothing. From winter jackets to down parkas, hiking pants and trekking tights, Fjällräven products are stylish, durable and highly capable in mountain environments. We can't talk about Fjällräven without mentioning its characteristic and resistant G-1000 fabric, which they use in most of their line and is composed of 65 percent polyester and 35 percent cotton. Cotton often has a bad reputation in the outdoor clothing world for its inability to absorb moisture (which can lead to hypothermia when you sweat), but we have found that the Fjällräven blend is fully functional and you can apply its Greenland wax for better water resistance.
As with Kuhl, some may find the look a little polarizing, but personally we like the unique fabrics and robust constructions. Like Outdoor Research, Eddie Bauer is a staple in the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1920 as a tennis store in the back of a local hunting and fishing supplier, the company quickly evolved into a committed brand for outdoor activities (founder Eddie Bauer patented the first padded jacket in 193. Since then, the company has equipped many defining expeditions around the world, including the first summits of K2 and Mt. Everest Throughout the Fifties and Sixties.
Today, their line ranges from hiking boots and accessories to insulated jackets, rainwear, winter parkas and more. In addition to its ongoing efforts related to sustainability and social stewardship, Cotopaxi is known for its distinctive retro style, with vibrant color combinations and striped patterns that differentiate them from the competition. Their Fuego down jacket and Teca windbreaker are two particularly popular offerings, with a fun look and quality materials that work well for casual outdoor wear and look good in the city. However, keep in mind that Cotopaxi is not a technical brand, and those looking for specialized equipment for long and demanding mountain missions should take a look at companies like Arc'teryx, Mammut or Rab.
And some will find that the aforementioned style is too flashy, but that's purely a matter of preference, and we personally like how much Cotopaxi's designs stand out. There's a reason people started building houses and living indoors so many years ago. The strip mall didn't come up on its own, nor did the thermal blankets and wall insulation. Turns out we actually enjoy being comfortable.
So unless your goal is simply to endure the elements, you'll want to be well-equipped if your goal is to enjoy your time outdoors, and maybe even do it again sometime. Patagonia, you know, the new super warm and thin Micro Puff hoodie you might not be able to. Cotopaxi is an outdoor brand that creates products and experiences that fund sustainable poverty alleviation, empower people to do good, and inspire adventures. While REI enjoys one of the best reputations a company can have in the outdoor community (and truly anywhere), it does much more than simply add the best equipment for outdoor activities.
REI (like many other distributors on this list) produces its own equipment and is often one of the best you can find for its price. In addition, their membership has great advantages and their lifetime guarantee is nothing to complain about either. If you haven't shopped there before, Backcountry is similar to REI, with many of the best and most established brands you can find in outer space, as well as new and promising ones. Topo Designs is a Colorado-based manufacturer of backpacks, bags and apparel that manufactures equipment that can make the transition from city to mountain and back again.
The North Face has left behind its original fleece. His most recent creation, the Ventrix, is an award-winning jacket designed with dynamic ventilation to balance warmth and breathability. Small micro-ventilation grilles open and close as needed to regulate body temperature as you move, so the jacket works harder while you're at it. While many of us think of Under Armour as the sponsoring distributor of our gym workouts or more traditional sports-focused sports activities, they are also an extremely solid piece of equipment for outdoor activities.
If you're looking for something that fits your needs, you might want to check out their new ColdGear Reactor line for both men and women. Mountain Hardwear updates classics to make them smarter and perform better in clothing, jackets, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, equipment, equipment and accessories for men and women. If you're looking for a place to start, their hyperflexible and warm StretchDown (pictured above) might be a good option. Hydro Flask is one of those brands that gets its own cult following soon after debuting.
They make double-walled, vacuum-insulated stainless steel water bottles backed by a lifetime warranty and work great. BioLite is a startup that develops innovative energy products to take off the grid, whether for the outdoor recreation industry or for emerging markets. LuminAid creates a lightweight, waterproof, solar-powered light that works in all weather conditions. Although you can find a wide variety of features in Sorel boots, don't doubt that many of their shoes are ready to go outdoors.
Especially if you want points of style while keeping your feet dry and warm, their winter snow boots are hard to beat. Endurance & RunningBikeGeneral Outdoor & CampingLifetime Fitness is all about a healthy lifestyle. Advocate for healthy and happy lives for its members in 150 destinations in major North American markets. As the only Healthy Way of Life brand in the country, Life Time offers an unparalleled sports resort experience that goes far beyond fitness and spans the full spectrum of daily life.
For serious outdoor adventurers committed to traveling fast and light, it's still one of the best choices year after year (and MH recently released an even lighter UL version). Here are three local businesses that not only make it easier for us than ever to enjoy the outdoors, but also help protect the planet in the process. He has led the outdoor industry in designing innovative, useful and durable equipment, manufacturing most of the products in his own warehouses in the U. With its united voice, the outdoor industry helped secure historic investment in climate and sustainability.
BlackStrap Industries is an American outdoor sportswear company & that manufactures products to protect you from the elements while you venture longer. Founded in 1968 by world-renowned climbers Royal and Liz Robbins, Royal Robbins is a leading designer, manufacturer and retailer of outdoor and travel clothing. A commitment to providing innovative, durable and reliable mattresses, sleeping bags, blankets and camping furniture that reinvent the way people live outdoors. Seattle-based Therm-a-Rest has been the market leader in premium outdoor comfort since inventing the world's first self-inflating mattress in 1972.
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