Outdoor Research Gear

I am a self-confessed outdoor gear addict. I believe in having few but high-quality pieces of gear. But because their are several seasons and sports to cover, that still means that I have many containers of it.

Crocs gaiters One of my favourite brands has to be Seattle-based Outdoor Research. They have always made a range of great accessories. But nowadays they don’t only make accessories, but also jackets, shelters and sleeping mats. My favourites:

Crocodile gaiters. Simply the best gaiters I have had. My last pair lived twenty years. Virtually indesructible, heavy duty, and very waterproof.
Exos Gaiters. These are a luxury winter gaiter. Made of soft shell Schoeller fabric, they are great for snowshoeing or skiing. Your feet/legs will stay toasty warm in these.
Omni glove liners. Most importantly for me, I can operate my camera with them, and they are more water-resistant than other liners, They have a grip patern on the palms, which is made of a cool glow-in-the-dark material.
Their lightweight Goretex PacLite Celestial jacket is indeed ultralight, and features innovative sidezips that make it easier to wear with a pack on.
The Seattle Sombrero is supposed to be one of the best rain hats out there. I am waiting for a solid spring rainstorm to test mine out.
Check out their exped downmats. Instead of open foam, they have a down filling, whcih has a much higher insulation value than a standard Thermarest. Very cool idea.

Exped downmat One of Outdoor Research’s best selling points: their unconditional lifelong guarantee. When my crocodile gaiters wore out after just twenty years, they replaced them with new ones, no questions asked. To me that’s worth spending a few extra dollars on!