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 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.
For many, technical outdoor clothing starts and ends with the same brands. But there's more to functional fashion than a Guerrilla Group tank. They carry a wide range of high-quality mountain clothing and accessories, making it a great place to search for all your outdoor adventure supplies, from a durable jacket and warm sleeping bag to water bottles and utility knives. Mammut is a Swiss outdoor brand that specializes in outdoor clothing, footwear and equipment.
Founded in 1938 as a hat distributor, Columbia Sportswear has grown to become the personification of casual outdoor clothing. In addition to items for camping and outdoor activities, such as sleeping bags, tents and backpacks, Mountain Hardwear also offers a wide range of outdoor clothing for both men and women. That said, I think I have offered a great selection of the best outdoor clothing brands in the world. In short, if your outdoor goals include serious mountain and cross-country goals, Norrøna is worth having on your radar.
Anything outdoors and you're covered, but they have a particular emphasis on clothing for cold and humid climates. While it has become a favorite of outdoor enthusiasts, it's not hard to understand why people might want to find other high-quality, ethical outdoor clothing brands, such as Patagonia. If the aptly named Recreational Equipment Inc isn't the largest provider of outdoor clothing and equipment in the United States, it's very close. Arcteryx is the Gucci of outdoor clothing brands, but unlike Gucci, they make some of the best hardcore outdoor clothing in the world.
They carry an impressively large range of products including everything from jackets and layering to cycling gear, kayaking, snowshoeing and just about any type of outdoor activity or adventure. . .
