Gear Geek
For those who appreciate the details.
Gear Geek
What exactly does soft shell mean, anyway?
- What's the difference between soft and hard shells, and which one do you need for what?
Real Reviews of the Interstellar Jacket
- What mountain athletes are saying about our Insterstellar Jacket—which just won Outside Magazine's 'Gear of the Year' award.
How To Care For Your Rain Jacket
- Your waterproof jacket can last much longer if you give it some love.
Release The Heat: How To Keep Cool And Keep Active
- The secret behind drirelease®, high-tech fabric that feels soft and natural.
Choosing The Right Outdoor Jacket
- When it comes right down to it, there is no formal industry-wide definition for the terms “soft shell” and “hard shell.”
How To Care For A Down Jacket
- Show your puffy a little love so it will keep you warmer longer.
Down vs. Synthetic Insulation: What’s the difference?
- How to choose between down and synthetic insulation based on activity and weather conditions.
Designed By Adventure: The Floodlight Jacket
- Waterproof protection + down warmth and compressibility = An OR athlete favorite.
Designed by Adventure: Harsh Weather Handwear
- Gloves and mitts that will keep you in the game when it's truly nasty out.
Active Insulation Technology—Designed For U.S. Special Forces, So You Know It Works
- Have you tried Polartec Alpha? It's the key to shoulder season layering—meaning, it can be your only "layer."
Designed by Adventure: The White Room Collection
- Epic terrain calls for epic protection.
Designed By Adventure: The Winter Ferrosi Hoody
- One of our most beloved jackets is now adapted for colder weather.
Designed By Adventure: The Bolin Collection
- A streamlined alpine climbing kit for the most rugged terrain and roughest weather.
Designed By Adventure: The Plaza Collection
- Down Performance + Fleece Comfort = The Perfect Combo
Designed By Adventure: Revy Rain Cotton Collection
- Finally, you can wear your cotton layers in the rain.
The Ascendant Collection: Your Best Bud For The Ups And The Downs
- The Active Insulation line for, well, everything fun you do. Even "type II fun."
Designed By Adventure: Sequence & Essence Collection
- Because all base layers are not created equal.
Gear Tips: How To Get Bugs To Bug Off
- Developed for the military, Insect Shield is legit. Here's how you can put it to use.
Designed By Adventure: The Helium Hybrid Hooded Jacket
- Helium waterproof panels + Ferrosi breathable panels = ultimate high-exertion protection
Designed By Adventure: The ActiveIce Collection
- Ditch the sunscreen—ActiveIce sleeves, gloves and tubes protect AND cool.
Designed By Adventure: The Astroman Shirt
- When the heat turns up at the crag, climbers reach for the Astroman shirt.
4 Things You Didn’t Know You Can Do With A Bug Net
- Mosquito season's around the corner—here's how to make that bug net you packed pull double duty!
Layer For Shoulder Season Like A Pro
- Mountain guide Margaret Wheeler breaks down her go-to layers for springtime.
Introducing OR’s Ultimate Cooling Shirt
- Get ready for this summer's blazing days with the new Gauge collection—aka air conditioning for your torso.
How To Choose A Rain Jacket
- Lightweight? Breathable? Vented? Gore-Tex? We break down the options to help you pick the right shell.
How To Layer Like A Pro In Winter
- Mountain guide Mark Allen breaks down the science behind the layers he chooses.
Designed By Adventure: The Cathode Hooded Jacket And Vest
- For changing conditions, the Cathode Hooded Jacket and Vest nail it with synthetic insulation and flexibility.
Designed By Adventure: Stormtracker Heated Gloves
- When you need added heat but can't sacrifice dexterity, reach for these sleek heated gloves.
What A Ski Guide Wears
- Nobody needs their gear to perform the way backcountry ski gides do. Here's an inside look.
OR’s Best And Lightest Summer Backpacking Layers
- Product picks for the perfect backpacking kit
Designed By Adventure: The Iceline Jacket
- Say goodbye to multiple bulky layers, say hello to the Iceline.
Designed By Adventure: The Diode Hooded Jacket
- PrimaLoft® Gold plus down makes the Diode a weather-resistant and compressible insulator, for truly nasty conditions.
OR’s Best Fall Backpacking Layers
- Shoulder season backpacking gear picks from an employee
Employee Favorites: Rain Shells
- Nine rain shell recommendations from OR employees
Designed By Adventure: The GORE-TEX Men’s Foray Jacket and Women’s Aspire Jacket
- Waterproof, breathable and durable GORE-TEX jackets versatile enough for hiking, backpacking and any wet-weather adventure.
Designed By Adventure: The Deviator Hoody
- A Backpacker Magazine Editors' Choice, the lightweight Deviator is Active Insulation at its best.
Designed By Adventure: The Rando Cap and Frostline Hat
- Warm, weather-resistant and highly functional winter hats built for cold and inclement conditons
Designed By Adventure: The White Room Jacket and Pants
- Professional Level Waterproof, Breathable GORE-TEX® Big Mountain Ski Jacket and Pants
Designed By Adventure: The Trickshot Jacket and Pants
- Big Mountain Ski Jacket and Pants built with waterproof, breathable Pertex® Shield+ Soft Shell fabric
Designed By Adventure: The Women’s Revelation Jacket and Pants
- Waterproof, breathable, durable and the newest additions to our collection of apparel designed by women, for women.
Employee Favorites: Mountain Life shirts, pants, jackets hats and gloves
- OR employees head to our neighborhood watering hole to talk favorite activities, après drinks and Mountain Life styles.
Designed By Adventure: ALTIHeat Heated Gloves
- ALTIHeat™ heated glove technology uses a rechargeable battery-powered heating system to keep hands warm while skiing & climbing.
Designed By Adventure: The Splitter Crack Climbing Gloves
- A quick-and-easy, cost-effective, high-performance, low-environmental-impact alternative to old-fashioned tape gloves.
Designed By Adventure: The Trailbreaker Pants and Jacket
- Purpose built. Hybrid Mapped. “The best backcountry ski touring pants and jacket combo on the market.”
Designed By Adventure: The Sonata Hoody
- A women-specific, ultra-lightweight, warm, streamlined hooded down jacket.
Designed By Adventure: The Feedback Flannel
- A modern, technical twist on flannel, the timeless staple of the outdoor crowd
Designed By Adventure: The Superlayer Jacket
- Active Insulation: A game-changing combination of ingenious design and cutting-edge insulation technology for breathable warmth
Sun Hats from Outdoor Research for UPF Protection
- Outdoor Research sun hats combine high-tech fabrics, clever designs and unique features to provide UPF protection.
Designed By Adventure: The Astroman Rock Climbing Shirt
- Sun protection, style, comfort—the Astroman is the rare shirt that provides all three.
What’s the difference between GORE-TEX®, GORE-TEX® Active and GORE-TEX® Pro?
- When to use which type of GORE-TEX®
OR Athlete Graham Zimmerman Talks His Perfect Alpine Climbing Kit
- Outdoor Research athlete Graham Zimmerman talks his Perfect Alpine Climbing Apparel and Gear
Gaiters: What are they, and what are different types for?
- Gaiters protect from snow and trail debris, and help keep you focused on hiking, trail running or climbing comfortably.
The best gloves for skiing, hiking or ice and alpine climbing
- Outdoor Research offers more than 100 different styles of gloves, for skiing, snowboarding, hiking, ice climbing and more.
What is the difference between GORE-TEX® and GORE® WINDSTOPPER®?
- Why we use WINDSTOPPER® technology in jackets, pants and accessories for skiing, hiking, climbing and more.
Drirelease Merino, Cotton & E.C.O.: Ideal performance clothing for hiking, climbing, camping & more
- Drirelease fabrics dry four times faster than standard cotton and merino wool, and stay warmer when wet than 100% merino wool.
Sun Protection Clothing for Hiking, Backpacking, Climbing, Camping and More
- Outdoor Research offers three different UPF protection levels within its Sun Protection apparel fabrics – 15, 30 and 50+
Bug Repellent Clothing and Accessories for Hiking, Camping and Travel
- At Outdoor Research, we use two highly effective types of bug protection within select pieces of clothing.
Sidecountry skiing demands influence apparel design
- "Sidecountry" is a blend of what you need at the resort and what you need for the backcountry.
Soft shell vs. hard shell ski jackets: What do you need?
- The shell of your backcountry ski jacket has two very important purposes — to keep you dry and to breathe.
OR Gloves: aligning warmth, dexterity and weather protection
- Think of your gloves as hand tools. And when it comes to choosing gloves, you need to have the right tool for right the job.
TouchTec leather in ski and alpine gloves
- TouchTec™ employs a nanotechnology process that gives gloves the feel of skin when in contact with a touch screen.
Understanding venting in sidecountry ski jackets
- Even the best waterproof/breathable fabrics in ski jackets need some venting when you’re alpine climbing or backcountry skiing.
Insulating against the elements - natural down vs. synthetics
- Outdoor Research offers a wide combination of insulation layers made using different materials that cover any need.
How to layer for success for hiking, climbing, skiing and everything else
- Dress with the right combination of layers and you can react quickly to any situation.
Gaiters: Heights, materials vary by intended activity
- A solid pair of gaiters built for the appropriate conditions make a big difference out in the wild.
Details: The Avalanche Beacon Pocket
- Most backcountry skiers strap their avalanche beacons to their chests - IFMGA guide Martin Volken wears it in his pants pocket.
Bivy Sacks: Part tent, part sleeping bag — pure convenience
- The key to buying a bivy is deciding what balance you want to strike between comfort, protection and weight.
Beanies, Visors, Hats: How to choose the best headwear
- What do you look for when you purchase headwear? To start, you need the right tool for the job.
