History on a page
This co-op, founded in 1938 by Pacific Northwest mountaineers, started because they couldn't find quality ice axes in the US.
REI
This French company's North American headquarters sits in West Valley City, Utah — an 80,000+ sq ft LEED Platinum facility with a 60-foot indoor climbing wall.
Petzl
This spring-loaded climbing protection device, patented by Ray Jardine, revolutionized "clean climbing" by letting climbers place gear in cracks without a hammer.
Cam
According to the Outdoor Industry Association's 2026 report, outdoor recreation participation in the U.S. hit this record number of Americans in 2025.
183 million
Named after a slang term for trail mix, this fashion trend took hiking boots, puffer vests, and cargo pants out of the backcountry and onto city streets and runways.
Gorpcore
Yvon Chouinard started this company in the 1950s/60s forging climbing pitons before it became an apparel giant.
Patagonia (originally Chouinard Equipment)
Headquartered in Salt Lake City, this ~$200M+ segment of Clarus Corporation makes climbing, skiing, and mountain gear with roughly 300+ employees globally.
Black Diamond
This GPS-enabled satellite communicator lets hikers send texts and SOS alerts with no cell signal — a staple for backcountry safety.
Garmin InReach
Per the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the outdoor recreation economy supports this many U.S. jobs, as part of a $1.2 trillion economy.
5 million
If you could only keep one piece of gear for the rest of your life — no brand restrictions — what would it be? (Open floor, just for fun/discussion.)
Wrong answers only ;)
In 1969, this fabric was invented when chemical engineer Bob Gore, out of frustration, yanked a heated rod of Teflon and found it stretched into a strong, porous material.
Gore-tex
This Salt Lake City-based B Corp, known for its llama mascot and colorful packs, does roughly $65-100M+ in revenue with around 300-400 employees.
Cotopaxi
This ultralight cook system pairs an integrated burner and pot to boil water in under two minutes for backpackers.
Jetboil
OIA highlights this activity as the industry's most reliable "gateway," with more than 9 in 10 participants also hiking, fishing, paddling, or biking.
Camping
Thru-hikers on trails like the PCT and AT ditch their real names for these nicknames, often earned from a funny incident on trail — like "Thumper" or "Smiles A Lot"
Trail Name
This company opened its first store in San Francisco's North Beach in 1966, founded by Doug and Susie Tompkins with a $5,000 loan.
The North Face
This ski, trail running, and footwear brand's Americas headquarters is in Ogden, Utah — home to Amer Sports' winter/outdoor business unit
Salomon
This O.G., nearly indestructible, wide-mouth plastic water bottle became a camping and hiking staple, famous for the stickers people plaster all over it.
Nalgene
According to OIA, more Americans participate in this activity than any other outdoor activity — you probably did it as a kid on a school trail or a national park trip.
Hiking
This term describes climbers, skiers, and surfers who prioritize time outdoors over stable jobs or housing — often living out of vans or cars to chase good conditions.
Dirtbag
Many WWII soldiers from this elite Army ski/mountain unit went on to found or develop ski resorts like Aspen, Vail, and Sugarbush after the war.
The 10th Mountain Division
Based in Park City, Utah, this whole-grain pancake and waffle mix brand does roughly $65-100M+ in revenue with 100-200 employees.
Kodiak Cake
This iconic yellow-and-black multitool brand is a go-to for campers and hunters needing pliers, knives, and screwdrivers in one compact device.
Leatherman
This is roughly the percentage of Americans who participated in ANY outdoor recreation activity last year — more than half the country.
60%
This phrase describes the specific type of euphoric, floaty feeling after finishing a long, hard day in the mountains — part exhaustion, part awe.
Type 2 Fun