Avery Trufelman

They started doing this in the 80s.

They've been in that game for a really long time.

And Outdoor Research became especially known for this high-tech glove system.

That's Alex Rodero, head of tactical at Outdoor Research.

Like gloves for the entire army, which is just...

An entire next level of scale.

Making clothes for the military is one of the only last remaining domestic clothing industries that we have because it's a matter of national security, right?

We don't want our clothes for our military to be made in another country because if we went to war with that country, that would give them a major tactical advantage.

They could, whatever, lace all our clothes with arsenic or not give us clothes, you know?

Two completely different business models.

They have their company, Outdoor Research, the retail brand, and then they have this military contracting side.

And on the military contracting side, it is a goddamn rodeo.

So why keep doing it?

Although beyond a sense of duty, there are other benefits that make it worthwhile to deal with the military contracting.

And when a big government contract actually does work out, that's great for business.

And even though Kat mostly designs the civilian outdoor wear,

Still, all the tactical stuff, all the army gloves and the special ops clothes, they're all still being designed right here, side by side, in this one building.

Outdoor research might literally produce the same jacket in two different colors.

one for special ops and one for the outdoor industry.

This connection between the outdoor industry and the military is unavoidable.