Story behind gear companies
Vokinloksar33 January 01, 1999 #ideaI like gears, and I am cuorious about the reasons behind those innovative companies. So I'll mark the reasons why they start their company here.
our story
The SITKA Gear story started on a September morning several thousand feet up from the tent, soaking wet from sleet and sweat, cold, and completely fed up with gear that was clearly not up to the task.
Under the shelter of a gnarled Whitebark Pine on that remote ridge, surrounded by a chorus of bugling bull elk, the question was achingly clear: why was hunting gear so inadequate?
We knew it wasn’t because hunters don’t require technical gear. We were living proof, and we knew there were many more like us across all climates and pursuits. From the hottest to the coldest conditions and through constant and extreme changes in activity levels, hunting demands much from our bodies, minds and the gear we take with us into the wild.
The obvious parallels were climbing, mountaineering and skiing. If we had been wearing mountaineering gear, the experience would’ve been completely different. But we also knew it wasn’t that simple. In addition to facing extreme weather and terrain, hunting includes a major X factor: it requires testing our human mettle against wild animals in their domain.
We started with the biggest problem: hunting big game in extreme mountain environments, which required advanced fabrics and designs that could stand up to dynamic external conditions while also keeping the hunter dry from within. It was soon obvious that the need for technical hunting gear solutions crossed all pursuits. Waterfowl gear never did justice to what duck and goose hunters required. Whitetail gear never gave deer hunters the tools they needed to minimize scent and stay quiet and warm enough in the stand to effectively hunt throughout the season. Traditional camouflage was always based on how humans saw the world instead of scientifically understanding animal vision and learning how we can exploit it.
And because the life of a hunter is not defined by any given season, we now offer gear to serve the hunter year round. Whether or not we have a tag in our pocket, there is no off-season for the SITKA Tribe. We dream about it all year. We prepare for it fanatically, and we need gear that will support our passion and allow us to push our limits, to immerse ourselves in wild places and to interact with the natural world on a deeper and more meaningful level.
Innovation became an obsession, and we continue to approach our mission methodically, one problem and one solution at a time, constantly refining, constantly questioning ourselves in an effort to enhance every aspect of the pursuit.
While we believe our gear fundamentally improves hunter safety and success, our ultimate mission at SITKA is to solve these problems so hunters can focus less on their gear and more on the extraordinary experience hunting provides.
history
Hunting is no longer a matter of life and death for most of us. We do not rely on wildlife for food, shelter, clothing or tools. The systems of modern society provide what we once had to earn on our own, which raises an interesting question: If you don’t need to hunt, why bother?
Why wake up hours before dawn to navigate a swamp in the dark? Why spend your weekends grinding out hard miles in the mountains or perching yourself in frigid stillness to find meat when you can simply buy it at the store?
Whether out of necessity or preference, the decision to hunt is empowerment through self-sufficiency. It is a conscious choice to value quality over convenience. This doesn’t only change how or what we eat; the hunting experience informs our relationship with the natural world and gives us a connection to self rarely afforded in our increasingly busy and industrialized world. The very act of hunting makes us more aware.
SITKA Gear was born from the belief that the experience of hunting is as important — if not more important — than the harvest. Going places few people go and enduring weather that keeps most hunters home is the fabric of our Tribe. We live for the uncommon experiences and awe-inspiring moments found through the pursuit. Hunting offers a focus rarely afforded to us in the constant distraction we face in our day-to-day lives. It provides a meaningful connection to the wild around us, and it awakens the wild still within us. This connection grounds us, gives us much-needed perspective, and shapes our lives far beyond a day spent in the field.
Patagonia’s Mission Statement
Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
Our Reason for Being
Patagonia grew out of a small company that made tools for climbers. Alpinism remains at the heart of a worldwide business that still makes clothes for climbing – as well as for skiing, snowboarding, surfing, fly fishing, paddling and trail running. These are all silent sports. None require a motor; none deliver the cheers of a crowd. In each sport, reward comes in the form of hard-won grace and moments of connection between us and nature.
Our values reflect those of a business started by a band of climbers and surfers, and the minimalist style they promoted. The approach we take towards product design demonstrates a bias for simplicity and utility.
For us at Patagonia, a love of wild and beautiful places demands participation in the fight to save them, and to help reverse the steep decline in the overall environmental health of our planet. We donate our time, services and at least 1% of our sales to hundreds of grassroots environmental groups all over the world who work to help reverse the tide.
We know that our business activity – from lighting stores to dyeing shirts – creates pollution as a by-product. So we work steadily to reduce those harms. We use recycled polyester in many of our clothes and only organic, rather than pesticide-intensive, cotton.
Staying true to our core values during thirty-plus years in business has helped us create a company we're proud to run and work for. And our focus on making the best products possible has brought us success in the marketplace.
our story
At Outdoor Research®, we built a company from a feeling: the urge to get out. It's what drives us. We love coming to work every day and inventing ever better solutions to what nature throws our way. But we're more than just the gear we build. We're part of a community of friends whose lives are connected by our common need to be outside. Our tribe is devoted to exploring our outdoor passions and challenging ourselves in the mountains, water and deserts of the planet we love so much.
In 1981, a brilliant scientist and adventurer named Ron Gregg watched his frostbitten partner get airlifted off a glacier on Denali. He'd spent months planning a new route in the purest style, skiing 100 miles from the road to the base of the climb. Barely halfway to the summit, their trip ended with the failure of a simple pair of gaiters. Stubborn to the end, Ron refused a seat on the helicopter and descended alone for two weeks, pondering what had happened. Somewhere along the way he realized he could both fix the gear problem and devote his life to pursuing his passion for adventure. By the end, he knew one thing for sure: He wasn't going back to his old job.
Ron Gregg built Outdoor Research on the idea that life is an adventure, and the best gear makes it more fun. Though he died tragically in an avalanche more than a decade ago, his legacy remains at our core. In our world, it's not about chasing heroes; It's about being on the journey. It's not how often we get out as much as how often we want to be out that makes us who we are. Our goal is to do all we can to expand the tribe of people who share our belief that progress is spiritual and life is unimaginable without the quest.
And we want you in it, because we're pretty sure that the bigger our tribe gets, the better off the world will be.
Outdoor Research. Designed By Adventure.
history
THE BEGINNING
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.
GROWTH
Through the first decade, OR's growth was fueled to a great degree by developments in handwear, headwear, and gaiters. In 1984, OR Modular Mitts™ again revolutionized standards in the outdoor industry.
With Velcro-attached Moonlite Pile liners, Gore-Tex shells, and "idiot cords" to keep them from blowing away, the mitts allowed for greater versatility and protection than any other mitts at the time by providing options for varying conditions.On multi-day trips a climber could dry the liner at night and start each day with a dry mitt. The Seattle Sombrero™ was introduced in the mid-80’s. Over the years it has become the best selling Gore-Tex hat of all time and one of our cornerstone products, setting the standard for rain hats. Brooks Ranger Overboots™ were introduced in 1988 to insulate the feet of the coldest of cold-weather adventurers. They have since traveled many times to the summits of the world’s highest peaks and to both poles and remain in our product line today.
The 90's led to innovation in new areas. After a wet and uncomfortable couple of nights in a bivy sack during a backcountry trip, Ron designed a line of bivies that revolutionized lightweight shelter. Utilizing a patented 2-pole system, these new bivies allowed for multiple configurations including a star-gazing position. Backcountry insomniacs rejoiced!
"The Seattle Sombrero™ was introduced in the mid-80's. Over the years it has become the best selling Gore-Tex hat of all time and one of our cornerstone products, setting the standard for rain hats."
Other ground breaking products included waterproof stuff sacks, a line of women’s technical apparel under the Wild Roses brand name, waterproof soft shell gloves, the first soft shell apparel designed in North America, and a line of WindStopper fleece hats. OR also moved the factory and offices to a new location in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle and opened a retail store where customers could find the entire product line. During the early 90’s, the US government took notice of our expertise, and we have since been a supplier of high-quality handwear and headwear to the US military.
The turn of the century witnessed expansion of our traditional categories as well as new ones; a men’s apparel line, a group of travel accessories, and a line of lightweight and innovative shelters. OR had now grown into a leader in the outdoor industry and a trusted brand for outdoor enthusiasts worldwide. With the addition of apparel, the company had taken a step beyond its well-known position as the top “accessory” brand to a place where our customers could be covered head-to-foot in Outdoor Research gear. It was an exciting time both inside and outside the walls of OR.
TRAGEDY
On March 17, 2003 the unthinkable rocked OR. While skiing the backcountry of British Columbia, Canada, Ron and a friend were caught and killed in an avalanche. Family, friends, the team at OR, loyal customers, the outdoor industry, and the world of adventure lost a one-of-a-kind treasure that day and OR the company lost its steadfast leader; Dr. OR. The way forward was unsure – Ron was the central driving force of Outdoor Research. He had started the company in his basement and had remained deeply involved in all aspects of his company right up to the moment of his death. As always, Ron was testing new gear ideas on the day of the avalanche.
"On March 17, 2003 the unthinkable rocked OR..."
After several months of assessment, Ron's heirs made the difficult decision to sell Outdoor Research and it is here that the next phase of OR's history begins. In one of the groups of interested buyers touring the facility, another dedicated outdoor athlete and businessman was looking for a challenge. Dan Nordstrom, a Seattle native, skier, bike racer, and alpinist had recently retired from his family’s business and in June of 2003 became the new owner of OR. Instead of being absorbed by a mega-brand, OR's tradition of passionate, outdoor enthusiast ownership carried forward.
RENAISSANCE
Under Dan's leadership, the team at OR has truly created and experienced a renaissance rooted in its past successes. The key, as it was under Ron, is a dedication to and a passion for creating truly functional solutions for human powered adventure.
Since the summer of 2003,every aspect of OR has been scrutinized and improved - from product development to customer service to marketing, shipping, and beyond. All product categories have undergone a complete overhaul with the classic products seeing careful updates and improvements, and the next generation of classics breaking into the mix.These include products such as Alti Mitts™, Alibi Gloves™, DryComp Summit Sack™, NightHaven™, LightHaven™, M’s Chaos Jacket™, M’s Zealot Jacket™, W’s Enigma Jacket™, and W’s Solitude Pants™ to name but a few. Men’s and women’s apparel lines are united under the OR brand and have become a major emphasis for the company.
In 2003, the company began reaching out to its customers in the form of the Lab Rat program. This popular program provides a line of communication between the user and OR’s product development team. Since its launch, thousands of people have had their say about the performance of the OR gear they own and have had a profound impact on the products in the line today.
"All product categories have undergone a complete overhaul with the classic products seeing careful updates and improvements, and the next generation of classics breaking into the mix."
Based on this feedback, individual products have been improved as well as entire families of gear created. The Lab Rat program represents one of the most basic truths about Outdoor Research: we believe that a true and clear purpose for each of our products can be immeasurably enhanced by listening to our customers and acting on their input.
The renaissance continues and function remains at the core of the brand. OR products remain Designed By Adventure®.
CORES
CORE PURPOSE
At Outdoor Research, we think that life gets better the minute we step out the door on a new adventure, no matter how big or small. We learn about ourselves, each other and the environment every time we get out. We come home a little wiser and stronger. We see the world more clearly, and that compels us to treat it better. More than anything, we’re convinced that if we inspire more people to get outside, the world will be a better place.
CORE MISSION
To Provide Innovation and Inspiration for the Relentless Adventurer.
CORE BELIEFS
A Culture of Respect — We listen, value and empower each other and our fellow adventures while striving to protect the planet we live on.
Innovation That Works — Make it better, not just new or different.
Improve Every Day — Sweat the details and strive to be better in everything we do.
Beauty in Function — Create differentiation through clean, simple solutions.
The Power of the Journey — Through challenges we grow, and have fun along the way.
Our Mission
We create performance apparel and equipment to empower outdoor athletes to live boldly.
Performance means products purposefully designed, form following function, using the highest quality materials and technologies. Performance means providing users with better physical and emotional experiences through fit, weather protection, temperature regulation and moisture management.
We believe everyone who enjoys the outdoors is an outdoor athlete. From 8,000 meter climbers to weekend day-hikers, we all aspire to better physical experiences in the outdoors.
Living boldly means daring to be different, leaning into life and pursuing new challenges and opportunities to experience the world more richly, to know your self more completely, and to savor the satisfaction of living life to the fullest.
Mountain Hardwear was founded in 1993 by a small band of outdoor industry iconoclasts. They saw the industry changing, compromising quality and dumbing down products to serve less technical users. Mountain Hardwear was founded to buck this trend in order to stay true to the needs of outdoor athletes.
The Mission is where we design, develop, and work in San Francisco. Our workshop was created out of the desire to build gear as tough as it is beautiful. It’s this pursuit that has kept us at it for more than 20 years.
In 2009, down an alleyway in what was once referred to as “The Messenger Ghetto,” surrounded by taquerias and dive bars, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work refurbishing an old warehouse to call home. After a few months of being covered in steel splinters, sheet rock dust, and moldy insulation, we cut the ribbon on our shiny new workspace, storefront, and headquarters. (We’re still in the same spot today and invite you to stop by any time and share some stories and a beverage of one sort or another).
Along the way we’ve worked with our best friends, made new friends, and created a community of folks who share a similar outlook on life. Our full history goes way back to 1994 when my co-founder Mark Falvai and our good friend Doug Hudson started the company Chrome Industries which helped spark an entire movement in technical lifestyle cycling bags and apparel.
For us it’s always been about product. The first bag we launched at Mission Workshop was an expanding pack called the Vandal. It’s had many updates and revisions over the years but still remains one of our most burly and popular packs. Bags overall have always held a special place for us. Mark designs each new bag himself, hand cutting the patterns and sewing every prototype to perfection before passing along to our small U.S. factory for production runs.
Apparel is our other big passion. My other partner, Jeff Roberts, runs our apparel design team. Before joining us at Mission Workshop, Jeff was co-founder and CEO of Massif Mountain Gear Company, a manufacturer of advanced combat apparel for the world’s most elite teams, including the CIA, Navy SEALs, fighter pilots, snipers, SWAT, FBI, NASA, and other classified units that “don’t officially exist.”
Today, the Mission Workshop team is made up of Mark, Jeff, myself, and about 20 other folks who love what we do, and are passionate about making great gear for people who love what they do too. If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for improving our products, feel free to email me directly at Bart.K@missionworkshop.com
Bart Kyzar Co-Founder
ENGINEERED FOR ENDURANCE
Our Mission Statement
Montane engineers innovative, lightweight, breathable clothing and equipment for endurance sports and activities in extreme environments
About Montane
Montane has become synonymous with lightweight and breathable clothing and equipment. The first to truly push the limits of single layer mountain clothing with the Extreme Smock and then, later realising the true value of windproof clothing, creating the first super packable, windproof and breathable windshirt; The Featherlite Smock. The Featherlite was probably the most functional and innovative piece of windproof garment design since Fridtjof Nansen, whilst planning the first crossing of Greenland over 100 years ago, realised that the windproof-ness of garments was the secret to moving quickly and comfortably in the mountains.
The importance of functionality in garments and packs does not stop at product design alone. Fabric technology is critical to producing the best products, Montane works with the world's leading fabric suppliers to engineer new cutting-edge materials that push the boundaries of what is possible with clothing, equipment and accessories in order to create the lightest, toughest and most functional products available on the market.
For over 21 years Montane has worked closely with serious mountain professionals working in hostile conditions across the globe as a proving ground for garment design. From the British Antarctic Survey to British Mountain Rescue Teams. Professionals who demand the toughest credentials from their clothing and equipment choose Montane.
Endurance expeditions and athletes are critical in the development of our garment designs ensuring Montane? clothing is fit for purpose. They are our reason to be, and critical within our design processes. From unsupported ventures to the North Pole, smash and grab route attempts on the North Face of the Eiger to high profile scientific work in the high Arctic, all of these athletes help Montane develop clothing that will withstand the harshest of conditions both physiologically and environmentally.
Where are the contemporary limits of endurance? They are in ultras. Imagine this: you've run 256 miles across the frozen Canadian Yukon. You've experienced consistent -30C and felt the low of -40C, you're cold and alone and you still have 174 miles to go to the finish line....stay focused. In July you've ran 60 miles of toughest trails in the British Lake District, some of the cruellest terrain underfoot in Europe. You've just left the warmth of a friendly checkpoint and as you step out into the cold pouring rain, peer into the darkness and contemplate the terrain ahead, you realise you have 40 miles left until the finish line. From the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra to the Montane Lakeland 100, this is one of the main areas where we believe endurance is being tested to the absolute limit and where Montane products thrive.
#FURTHERFASTER
our history
It all began in 1991 on a bike. Charged with a passion for motorcycles, our founder, Joan Rojas, sought to find a solution to keep his neck and head protected on his cross-country rides. Plucking from his knowledge of tubular knitting, he churned out the first BUFF® ® headwear product, focusing on supreme craftsmanship, and tested it as he traveled the length of the Pyrenees. BUFF® ® , short for bufanda, which means “scarf” in Spanish, was born.
Partnering with superior manufacturers of raw materials, over the past 25 years, BUFF® ® has premiered and innovated the tubular headwear category. Our company-owned factory, which is located downstairs of our headquarters in Spain, allows us to ensure that, start to finish, excellence is built into every product.
Today, just as then, BUFF® ® headwear is a product built on this ethos of quality; it’s in the marrow of our company.
Technology has progressed and the industry of textiles has moved into a new age, and we have evolved with it. While we incorporate state-of-the-art fabric technologies, like COOLMAX® and Polygeine®, into our products, we stick to our heritage of quality and reliability. It’s these time-tested qualities that athletes and outdoor enthusiasts from an array of sports depend on, and why BUFF® ® is the original multifunctional headwear.
We invite you to become part of the BUFF® ® revolution. See for yourself why BUFF® ® headwear is the perfect accessory for any outdoor activity.
Here at Black Diamond it's all about climbing and skiing. We share the same experiences that you do on rock, ice and snow and these experiences push us to make the best gear possible for our worldwide family of climbers and skiers.
What began with a backyard anvil and a hammer has now grown into a global company with offices on three continents. Black Diamond is a company that's not just for rock climbers and skiers, but one that stands for the spirit of the sports we live, their values and goals, past, present and future. Since 1957, our innovative gear designs have set the standard in numerous areas. This is partly the result of dedication, desire and diligence on the part of an incredible team of people. It's also a product of the fact that each of us are climbers and skiers ourselves.
We're a company of users. It's who we are. We're the greatest dreamers about what could be, and the harshest of critics about what exists. Because of this, the creation of Black Diamond is a process that will never end. The company today is more committed than ever, thanks to the many people here in the U.S., at Black Diamond Europe and at Black Diamond Asia whose limitless energy and hands-on involvement have created a promising future for all climbers and skiers worldwide.
At Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), we love to get outside and play, and we know first-hand the importance of quality outdoor gear. We stand behind all our products with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and we design our own line of award-winning REI brand gear and clothing. Whether you're new to outdoor adventure or a seasoned pro, we gladly share our enthusiasm for our products—and the trails, slopes and waterways where we play.
Each year, REI donates millions of dollars to support conservation efforts nationwide and sends dedicated teams of volunteers—members, customers and REI employees—to build trails, clean up beaches, restore local habitats and more... Through responsible business practices across the company, we strive to reduce our environmental footprint.
What began as a group of 23 mountain climbing buddies is now the nation's largest consumer cooperative. But no matter how large we grow, our roots remain firmly planted in the outdoors. Our passion for outdoor adventure is clear, whether you visit any of our stores across the country, phone us, or interact with us online.
By staying true to our roots, we've earned a place on FORTUNE magazine's list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" every year since the rankings began in 1998. We work hard to earn our reputation for quality and integrity every day.
At REI, we inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship.
CLASSIC. MOUNTAIN. MODERN.
Topo Designs strives for contradiction. We are rooted in mountain culture and outdoor living, but love exploring cities and world travel. We look to proven classics for inspiration, yet take advantage of innovative technologies to ensure a timeless look with modern functionality. We are uncomplicated and utilitarian, but with a sense of design and style through simplicity. Our goal is to not have to choose a single path—we want to live on both sides of the fence, where life is always greener.
MISSION AND VALUES
We inspire and enable everyone to lead active outdoor lifestyles. We do that by selling outdoor gear, clothing and services. We match our members with gear that suits their needs. But we offer more than products, we offer passion. We love to share our expertise, experience, and enthusiasm.
We started small: a few young climbers in the mountains who dreamed of gear that wouldn’t let them down at prices they could afford. We’ve grown from a few members to millions, and our interests have grown too. Now we climb, ski, hike, run, paddle and cycle. As we grew from a small business to a big one, we remained a different kind of business. We’re a member-owned co-operative, not focused on making big surpluses, just enough to sustain what we do.
WHAT GUIDES US AS WE GO
QUALITY We offer high-quality, high-performance products at very competitive prices.
INTEGRITY We listen carefully to one another. We deal in good faith. We are honest, fair, and ethical.
CO-OPERATION We understand the power of community and co-operative principles. We draw on the strength of people working together.
CREATIVITY We embrace original ideas and fresh ways of looking at the world. We draw on these to build and evolve our heritage.
LEADERSHIP We lead by example. We seek to motivate other individuals and organizations to act for people and the planet.
SUSTAINABILITY We work to make and market our products sustainably. We strive to build and operate our facilities with minimum ecological impact.
STEWARDSHIP We act to preserve and restore wild places. We do so actively, consistently, and generously.
HUMANITY We work actively to ensure those who make our products are treated with respect.
ADVENTURE We believe in living life to the fullest, with a spirit of adventure, a thirst for challenge, and a desire to learn.
WHERE WE WANT TO GO
We aspire to be the most viable, vibrant outdoor retail business in Canada. We want to bring about a future where Canadians of all ages, and especially our youth, play outdoors in self-propelled ways more often and in ever-increasing numbers; have access to a comprehensive, carefully nurtured network of parks, wilderness, and outdoor recreation areas; and have a connection to nature that is stronger than ever. We want MEC and our members to set examples that inspire other organizations and individuals towards environmental, social, and economic sustainability. In short, we want to leave the world better than we found it.
A BIGGER PICTURE
Being part of a global co-operative movement links us with co-ops in 103 countries, everything from financial institutions to grassroots neighbourhood shops. It fundamentally affects the way we do business, as we look at more than the business case of what will pay off right now, and instead seek solutions that are socially and environmentally responsible, keep us financially viable, and serve the needs of members. The co-operative principles are guidelines by which co-operatives put their values into practice.
MEC is Canada’s largest co-op by membership, a sound, successful enterprise, and something we feel proud to be a part of.
RULES OF CO-OPERATION
We use these rules to conduct our affairs, and when you join MEC, you agree to operate by them too. Please contact us if you have any questions.
MEC rules of co-operation
In April 1971, University of California Santa Cruz students Eric Reynolds and Dave Huntley were in Alaska's Juneau Icefield on a school Glaciology project. It was there on a glacier that the idea of a Marmot Club began. The name 'Marmot' refers to a group of highly social, large ground squirrels that live in mountainous areas.
To become a Marmot, you had to climb a glaciated peak with another Marmot. One of the rules of the club was that everyone was President. Most of the other rules dealt with a collegiate fascination for bodily functions.
Throughout that summer and over the next two years, Eric and Dave also began making prototypes of down products in their dorm room. Their first products were a down vest, a sweater and a parka and, later, three down sleeping bags. The warmest bag, the PIKA (now known as the CWM) was rated at -45 degrees F.
In the winter of 1973, Eric did an ascent of the Grand Teton in Wyoming with Tom Boyce of Grand Junction, Colorado. The following spring, Eric and Dave joined Tom in Grand Junction where they rented a 100 year old stone building near downtown and opened a rental and retail shop under the name of Marmot Mountain Works. They taught cross-country skiing in the winter to get by. Thus, in the spring of 1974, Marmot the company was born.
That fall, Tom was climbing in Peru where he met famed adventure filmmaker Mike Hoover. A few weeks after his return, Tom received a call from Mike. He was calling on behalf of 20th Century Fox who were filming a movie called The Eiger Sanction with Clint Eastwood, and needed 108 very puffy jackets. "No problem", said Tom, "we were working on that when you called." Well, they weren't, but they then did. Within a week, the Marmots had designed the Golden Mantle (very puffy jacket). Marmot was now in the movies. It also had its biggest order to date.
In 1976, another meeting would change the future of Marmot when Eric met Joe Tanner of W.L. Gore & Associates. Eric was one of the first in the U.S. to see a new concept in outdoor performance fabrication called Gore-Tex. He was intrigued, and within a couple weeks had sewn prototype sleeping bags using the new Gore-Tex fabric for field testing. He and Dave proceeded to spend seven nights in a commercial frozen meat locker comparing bags with and without the Gore-Tex fabric as well as testing the bags under fire sprinklers. They liked what they saw and immediately changed everything in the line to Gore-Tex fabrications. Today, Marmot is the oldest customer of W.L. Gore in the world outdoor market.
Marmot has grown quite a bit since our humble beginnings in 1974, but one thing has never changed; our commitment to designing the highest quality performance product.
emm
ABOUT HELLY HANSEN
Founded in Norway in 1877, Helly Hansen continues to develop professional-grade gear that helps people stay and feel alive. Through insights drawn from living and working in the world’s harshest environments, the company has developed a long list of first-to-market innovations, including the first supple waterproof fabrics almost 140 years ago. Other breakthroughs include the first fleece fabrics in the 1960s, the first technical base layers in the 1970s, made with Lifa® Stay Dry Technology, and today’s award winning and patented H2Flow® temperature regulating system. Helly Hansen is a leader in technical sailing and performance ski apparel, as well as premium workwear. Its ski uniforms are worn and trusted by more than 50,000 professionals and can be found on Olympians, National Teams, and at more than 200 ski resorts and mountain guiding operations around the world.