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.

 

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