It was great to see Outdoor Research support this PNW-based show. While they showed their extensive military line, the BugOut Gaiters, made from 420D nylon, feature Realtree camouflage and InsectShield to prevent bites from mosquitos and ticks.
www.outdoorresearch.com/us/en/mens/mens-gaiters/bugout-gaiters-realtree
Outdoor Research has introduced a new Combat Shirt. Intended for hot weather wear, it is a no-drip/no-melt design, made with WL Gore’s Katana fabric for the sleeves and shoulder yoke, along with a knit Polartec fabric torso and collar. It also features flat seams for additional comfort.
Rather than using hook and loop on the cuff, they’ve integrated elastic in the seam. When pulled up, it will stay put.
The inset shoulder pocket closes with a zipper and features seams which channel items to the bottom of the pocket.
Finally, they’ve instituted printed logos rather than embroidery which can chafe.
In honor of Veterans Day, OR has added their innovative, hardshell Infiltrator Jacket and Pant to their PRO program.
These are the first garments available featuring GORE-TEX Fabric with Stretch Technology fabric. The Infiltrator Jacket and Pant are Hybrid-Mapped designs featuring a combination of lightweight GORE-TEX and the GORE-TEX Fabric with Stretch Technology which stretches. This results in a closer fitting garment.
Design Features:
Fully Adjustable
Advanced Combat Helmet Compatible Halo-Hood
YKK™ AquaGuard™ Vislon Zippers
Zip Hand Pockets
TorsoFlo® Venting
Internal Front Stormflap
Functional Details:
Pocket Placement Above Harness or Pack Belt
Hook/Loop Cuff Closures
Elastic Drawcord Hem
Offered in Coyote and Grey.
I’ve been using Outdoor Research products for over two decades. They offer they gold standard in handwear. What’s more, it’s Berry compliant. The company has always made clothing, but when told me they wanted to expand into tactical clothing I was super excited. Their initial stab at it included new colorways for their most popular commerical items and proved promising, but I was blown away but what I saw earlier this year, at SHOT Show, 2017.
The Integrated Apparel System offers some fantastic components. In particular, I’m impressed by their adoption of GORE-TEX Fabric with Stretch Technology for the Infiltrator Jacket and Pant. It shows a lot when a company invests in a new technology to introduce new capabilities, and without a requirement from the field.
Times are tough for the tactical clothing industry. Demand is down. The supply chain is feeling the pressure. This is when companies fold. I’m happy to see OR’s continued commitment to making the most of their industry partnerships to offer innovative tactical clothing systems and accessories.
SEATTLE, Wash. (August 7, 2017) – Outdoor Research, Inc. (OR), a leader in the outdoor and tactical apparel industry, announced today the company’s expanded commitment to U.S. manufacturing and additional investment in R&D efforts focused on the tactical market. As part of this growth, Outdoor Research will be adding new personnel with a primary focus on military and tactical business development.
This commitment comes simultaneously as the brand releases its most sophisticated apparel program to date in the tactical market, the Outdoor Research Integrated Apparel System™ (IAS). The IAS is a 13-piece tactical apparel collection designed so that it each piece layers well on top of the other, allowing complete freedom of movement. It can be used as a complete layering program or mixed and matched as needed to accommodate a huge range of temperatures and environments.
Highly respected in the outdoor industry for developing functional solutions for extreme environments, Outdoor Research has a history of successfully leveraging the best commercial market technologies to serve the needs of the armed services and first responders. Over the past year the company has conducted a comprehensive review of the U.S. supply chain and is in active development with textile mills and materials providers to expand and elevate the capabilities of products that are 100-percent American-made.
The Outdoor Research company mission is rooted in mountain environments and OR products are purpose-built for the rigorous physical demands these landscapes require. Since 1981, Outdoor Research has engineered products to help outdoor adventurers respond to the challenges presented by the wild outdoors. OR’s decades of first-hand experience developing and manufacturing products that provide capability in uncompromising situations has provided the backdrop from which the tactical team was born. OR tactical products, including the new IAS line, have been improved through cross-pollination from user groups, including the elite communities of military, law enforcement, and government agencies.
The Outdoor Research Tactical Team is dedicated to developing product through the lens of the Elite end user, focusing on solving problems and engineering mission-specific capability across all categories: handwear systems, apparel, and accessories.
Over the last two years, OR has made significant capital investments designed to improve and modernize its Seattle factory. These investments allow Outdoor Research to take advantage of the company’s global knowledge of design, materials, and innovative manufacturing techniques while producing the next generation of tactical and outdoor products at its facility in Seattle. OR has continued to accelerate its product-development cycle, allowing the latest innovations to be rapidly fielded to the end user, and helping increase the mobility and protection of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and law-enforcement officers in the process.
The latest examples of this rapid innovation process are the Integrated Apparel System™ and the launch of the Modular Glove System™ (MGS) with 3D Fit Technology™. The IAS system is a complete apparel system – waterproof shells, insulation, softshells, windshells, and base layers. It includes the paradigm-shattering Infiltrator Jacket™, which is designed for maximum athleticism, comfort, and user protection. The Infiltrator employs an innovative new GORE-TEX® waterproof/breathable stretch fabric. With the Infiltrator, Outdoor Research is one of the first to use this material.
“Developing cutting-edge Military and Tactical products was a key part of the business back when I arrived at Outdoor Research in 2003, and it’s been an integral part of what has allowed us to maintain and build upon the domestic manufacturing capabilities that OR has always had,” said CEO Dan Nordstrom. “We’re proud of the level of innovation we’re bringing to Military and Tactical, and we are proud that we’ve been able to bring American manufacturing to the table to support those markets.”
Outdoor Research’s competitive advantage lies within the human resources in Seattle that design, develop, engineer, and manufacture the company’s offering. Outdoor Research is committed to expanding its Tactical Team to bring more focus on the end user and will continue to create jobs while investing in American manufacturing to answer the diverse needs of the warfighter and peacekeeper.
“This investment underscores our ongoing focus at Outdoor Research on how we can continue to build better products for the Military and Tactical markets,” said Michelle Wardian, President of Outdoor Research. “We look forward to continuing to seize opportunities tied to our longtime commitment to American manufacturing.”
Learn more at www.outdoorresearch.com/gov/us/en.
During a recent trip in Western Virginia, I stopped at a local outdoor store where I found the Congaree Sun Hat from Outdoor Research.
I have no idea why they actually named it after a river in South Carolina, but it’s the spitting image of a military “Hat, Sun” or more popularly known, a boonie hat. It’s made from a very soft, 100% cotton ripstop fabric with stitched reinforcements along the brim.
I purchased the Charcoal (Dark Grey) model seen here, but it’s also available in Fatigue which is a Dark Green. The nonmilitary color, combined with the OR logo on the front, made it an instant addition to my spare set of outdoor clothes I keep in my trunk in the event I need to change into something more rugged and less than conspicuous than what I might be wearing at the time. Along with it, I keep a pair of old Salomons, a Simms Fishing Shirt and cargo pants. For instance, if I need to change a tire, or hike to a gas station, or home, for that matter.
Available in Small/Medium and Large/XLarge.
www.outdoorresearch.com/us/en/congaree-sun-hat
Behold the Infiltrator Jacket by Outdoor Research. It’s not about the price, it’s about what it can deliver. Sure, it’s a luxury at $795, but with the ongoing sale, you’ll be able to immerse yourself in unparalleled tactical apparel thoughtfulness for only $596.25.
Here’s Nathan Jenkin, Lead Designer from Outdoor Research, with Steve Keefer, giving a quick overview of the product. Click on the video only if you’re ready to have your mind blown.
Still on the fence about the Infiltrator? Stock up on your gloves and other Outdoor Research Tactical essentials and save 25% off on your purchase until Sunday, July 9.
To read more about the Infiltrator Jacket, visit U.S. Elite’s blog.
Outdoor Research showed their entire new environmental clothing system we previewed at SHOT Show but the one item I wanted to share again was the Obsidian Hooded Jacket.
Made from Tweave Durastretch with Superfabric treatment at the elbows, making it a durable, wind-resistant yet breathable softshell. Features include helmet compatible Halo hood, zip hand pockets, dynamic reach underarm panels and stretch panels at base of hood and under arms.
For those of you interested in details on Outdoor Research’s new Infiltrator jacket, featuring GORE-TEX Fabric with Stretch Technology, Tactical Distributors made this video.
