Outdoor Research

In 1980, Ron Gregg, a physicist and dedicated mountaineer, found himself on Alaska's Denali in a perilous situation. His climbing partner had suffered extreme frostbite due in part to poorly designed gaiters. Snow had been pushed between gaiter and boot, worsening an already nasty situation. After his friend was airlifted to safety and the expedition over, Ron reacted by searching for a solution to keep this situation from happening in the future. The result was a functional, insulated gaiter, the X-Gaiter™, which held snug and was versatile enough to fit a variety of boots. From this original inspiration and its resultant innovation, Outdoor Research was born the following year. "The result was a functional, insulated gaiter, the X-Gaiter™..." Ron's goals in those next formative years remained focused on creating practical, functional tools and solutions to the problems faced by outdoor enthusiasts in the backcountry. Early examples include the Water Bottle Parka®, which still remains the standard for keeping water from freezing in cold places and OR medical kits, which were the first soft-sided medical kits designed for outdoor adventure