Outdoor Research is one of the brands on the forefront of mountain apparel. OR was started in 1981 by a nuclear physicist named Ron Gregg. Gregg had just seen his close friend airlifted off Denali peak with critical frostbite, leaving him to ponder the effectiveness of mountaineering apparel. He decided that it could be better—warmer and more durable. So Gregg switched his focus to a different type of science and began Outdoor Research. By the mid 1980’s OR was a fast-growing and popular company, and their vision of superior outdoor gear lives on to this day.