Off-Road Friendly Clothing Companies?

TerryD

TerryD

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I'm looking to get some new outer wear. Something like a stuff-able down jacket for hiking but I don't want to give my money to a company that's directly trying to eliminate my access.

Does anyone have any suggestions for companies to look into?
 
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Columbia Sportswear was a strong supporter of the Great American Outdoors Act (2020) which provides money for needed maintenance of National Parks and Forests.
 
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Columbia Sportswear (esp the professional Fishing Shirts), Kathmandu, Nautica all support the out-of-doors users of their clothing. Carhartt, White Boots the same.
 
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Columbia seems to be better than most, but some of their partners are working to close off access to vehicles. I have a few of their shirts and they're nice, no doubt, but still a questionable place to invest. I'll keep looking for now and maybe I can find somewhere that will support us.

Thanks folks.
 
I’m an arborist in PA, and have been wearing articles from a company called Arborwear both casual and for work. Here is there site: Rugged Outdoor Clothing | Arborist Clothes & Gear | Arborwear

They are based out in Ohio, and I’m sure they source material and have articles made in various locations, but I can tell you that their products, especially pants, will stand the test of time. They do have out wear items, but not sure of Down jackets.
 
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Most motorcycle gear companies sell everyday clothing. I imagine these companies would not support organizations that actively work to restrict or close access to the lands where their gear is used, especially those geared towards adventure riders. A lot of the gear is rather BOLD and not what you would want to wear to the office, but occasionally you can find a great piece that is subdued.

I have a few pieces of Klim riding gear and love the fit and quality. It looks like they have some casual wear items that may interest you.
Klim

A few other options:
Alpinestars Casuals
Fox Racing Men's Clothing & Accessories - Fox Racing® Apparel - Official FoxRacing.com

Rocky Mountain ATV is a gear distributor and has a huge selection of casual wear:
Rocky Mountain ATV Casual
 
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Columbia is one of my Go-To's being a big guy. They often make up to 4X in shirts and jackets. Another one is Cabela's Red Head brand which repalced their GearGuide brand. Cabela's is pro everything outdoors and their brand carries up to 5X. I know not most guys fit the Big Guy realm, but for those of us that do, its a real challenge to find anything BIG and functional. Helly Hanson is another big guys line, but I am not sure of their stance on offroad vehicles.

There are a ton of pop up brands like OTG, Howler Bros and others that are pro offroad, but are limited in sizes and are definitely on the high end cost wise.
 
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I can't speak to the political causes supported by any of the below suggestions. If someone can I'd be interested.

My goto is a mix of Columbia, Older Eddie Bauer (Most from back when they still had lifetime warranty to give you an idea of how OLD), some aging LLBean and maybe some hand-me-down Filson. The newer and much beloved additions include:
  • WSI Sports (wsisports.com) This is mostly winter mid-layer wear though I wear their Performance hoodie nearly year round. The HeatR linup has replaced all of my UnderArmor cold gear. Much of their gear is Made in USA.
  • Schampa (schampa.com) Again winter base and mid-layers. A friend of the family who rides Colorado year round recommended them. The gear is fantastic but fits tight as designed for use under leathers so big guys get measured before ordering. All of the clothing I have from them was Made in USA.
  • Carhartt (https://www.carhartt.com/category/carhartt-collections-made-in-USA) I have one of the ~20 year old Made in USA Duck jackets that is finally wearing out after years of 3 season daily wear, Hoping the new ones are as good so I can replace the current one that I'm wearing through the elbows of.
  • My Brother swears by drakewaterfowl.com bibbers and jackets.
I'll caution that I've found that the Outlet and "off price" Columbia gear that I've picked up was NOT up to the same quality standards as the stuff that I paid full price for. Not saying it was bad just does NOT last the same. This applies at least to Jackets and the PFG line of sun shirts.

Boort
 
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I've tried a lot of different brands of clothes and it seems Duluth Trading has the most durable clothes, Carhart would be a close second and then Columbia! I'm a big (tall) guy too and find that these brands do a better job of producing clothes that cater to us bigger guys, I have a 38" waist, 36" inseam and wear XLT shirts and jackets!
 
I’ve started to think most of the big companies are going liberal. Not because that represents their customer base, but because of fear of the social media engine. I’ve recently started going with the companies that appear to be more conservative, but I think that list is getting shorter and shorter. Plus, who knows what these companies really do with their profits. Some of the largest “outdoor” retailers don’t want you to be able to do anything but look at the outdoors from a distance.

I have been a big fan of Kühl, as I feel they make really high quality clothes. Upon inspection of their web site, though, I’m not sure I wanna support some of their affiliations. Need to look into some of the brands above, I suppose. :(
 
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Leshiye said:
I’m an arborist in PA, and have been wearing articles from a company called Arborwear both casual and for work. Here is there site: Rugged Outdoor Clothing | Arborist Clothes & Gear | Arborwear

They are based out in Ohio, and I’m sure they source material and have articles made in various locations, but I can tell you that their products, especially pants, will stand the test of time. They do have out wear items, but not sure of Down jackets.
Click to expand...
I wanted to say, "thank you" for the Arborwear suggestion :sunglasses:

I ordered a pant and jacket from them with a black Friday discount to see what kind of quality the products were. Needless to say, I am very impressed with the build of the pants and jacket. I have no doubt these will be long lasting. The jacket I ordered went out of stock after I placed my order and was contacted by customer service who offered a few different options to resolve the issue. I ended up sizing up on the jacket and as a 'thank you' for the trouble they discounted the shipping charge for my order.
 
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We must be the only people who find Columbia clothing poor - doesn't breathe well, traps heat in hot humid climates, better than some but overrated (also expensive - I bought a Columbia shirt in CCS "duty-free" (of necessity) and it cost USD 250 or so, as I recall....).

We have settled on Craghoppers as the best - fast dry, breathe well, last well (two shirts and two pants (trousers) have lasted me 20 months on the road and are still in good enough shape for me to plan on taking them on the next "big trip"). Craghoppers have a positive approach to natural sustainability, and also sponsor (among others) the Grenadier Walk of Oman (a 400 Km trek by ex-forces personnel with physical or cognitive injuries, organised by the military charity "Walking with the Wounded").
 
Not exactly “outdoor” clothing and maybe a little more in the fitness realm. But ran by good people that enjoy a lot of what we do. I like to support small people with similar interests.

Matt with hviii brand is a legit dude. Overlands, bikes, hikes, lifts, podcasts etc. great quality stuff.
www.thehviii.com

Rob and Dana Bailey are cool people, hardworking and into all the good stuff. Also their quality is top notch.
www.flagnorfail.com

and trex-arms for firearm related stuff. Great company with great knowledge and great gear.
 
I read the thread title and had to wonder why a cloth company would hate off roaders. Lol.

it’s a good topic though. I find that a lot of the clothing and gear I bought for backpacking years ago works well in this arena also. Although tactical pants are a bit more conducive than the light technical fabric used for hiking.
 
Oboz hiking boots. (stands for "Outside of Bozeman") I have the Bridger model, full leather, waterproof. They also have a more breathable leather & mesh version.

Damn great hiking boots. Feels like BF Goodrich All Terrains on my feet. Best adjustable heel box that I personally have found.

And they plant a tree for each purchase. Who could be mad at that? Unfortunately not made in the US, but not many hiking boots under 300 are. These were about 180.

Still a good quality hiking boot
 
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