Smartwool

Why wool? Merino wool, specifically, is naturally hydrophobic, highly breathable, and antimicrobial. In other words, it truly is the "smart" wool. Merino's characteristics lend themselves perfectly to products like t-shirts, socks, and underwear, because merino fibers wick and breathe better than most engineered synthetic fibers, while also neutralizing odors and providing a softer hand against the skin. But SmartWool's products are about more than just the raw material. Great care is taken in the production of the wool it uses to ensure products of not only the highest quality, but ones that are ethically and sustainably created.  The lush, jagged mountains of New Zealand play host to the majority of the world's Merino sheep. SmartWool works closely with small, experienced growers in this region to ensure the best yarn. A Merino sheep is only shorn once per year; to put that in perspective, one sheep's wool equates to only 40 pairs of SmartWool socks or seven mid-weight base layers. For this reason, every sheep is considered precious, meaning that SmartWool lives by the ethos that good wool requires a happy sheep. That's why SmartWool pioneered the humane treatment of sheep in New Zealand and refuses to source from any growers who don't abide by its standards. It was also the first to extend long-term contracts to growers, providing a sense of security that enables them to continue extending quality care and supervision. Continuing this philosophy, you'll find that 90% of SmartWool's products are knit in America. Your favorite slippers, beanie, pants, or mittens are all ethically produced in encouraging work environments. This means that you get a product that's made with love—from start to finish.  Sure, getting to the finished product isn't easy, but SmartWool wouldn't have it any other way. The end result is, after all, a remarkable thing to behold–a natural product, with an ethical footprint, that outperforms nearly every synthetic on the market. It doesn't get much better than that.

Find a huge selection of Smartwool socks plus Smartwool tights and slippers at Backcountry.com. Nothing but top-notch comfort for a top notch athlete.

Smartwool - Socks, Gloves, Tights & Slippers

Why wool? Merino wool, specifically, is naturally hydrophobic, highly breathable, and antimicrobial. In other words, it truly is the ""smart"" wool. Merino's characteristics lend themselves perfectly to products like t-shirts, socks, and underwear, because merino fibers wick and breathe better than most engineered synthetic fibers, while also neutralizing odors and providing a softer hand against the skin.
 But SmartWool's products are about more than just the raw material. Great care is taken in the production of the wool it uses to ensure products of not only the highest quality, but ones that are ethically and sustainably created.
 The lush, jagged mountains of New Zealand play host to the majority of the world's Merino sheep. SmartWool works closely with small, experienced growers in this region to ensure the best yarn. A Merino sheep is only shorn once per year; to put that in perspective, one sheep's wool equates to only 40 pairs of SmartWool socks or seven mid-weight base layers. For this reason, every sheep is considered precious, meaning that SmartWool lives by the ethos that good wool requires a happy sheep. That's why SmartWool pioneered the humane treatment of sheep in New Zealand and refuses to source from any growers who don't abide by its standards. It was also the first to extend long-term contracts to growers, providing a sense of security that enables them to continue extending quality care and supervision. Continuing this philosophy, you'll find that 90% of SmartWool's products are knit in America. Your favorite slippers, beanie, pants, or mittens are all ethically produced in encouraging work environments. This means that you get a product that's made with love—from start to finish.
 Sure, getting to the finished product isn't easy, but SmartWool wouldn't have it any other way. The end result is, after all, a remarkable thing to behold–a natural product, with an ethical footprint, that outperforms nearly every synthetic on the market. It doesn't get much better than that.

Nike

The legend of Nike begins with an athlete, a coach, and a distribution agreement. The year was 1964, and University of Oregon's track and field coach, Bill Bowerman, went into business with former U of O runner Phil Knight. Originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports, the fledgeling distribution company got its start peddling running shoes at track meets throughout the northwest out of the back of Knight’s car. But as you already know, Nike had bigger things in store. The Nike success story might have turned out very differently, if not for Bowerman's insistence that he could build a better running shoe than what was available at the time. The duo’s empire was built from the ground up, so to speak, beginning with the feet of the University of Oregon's track team. Bowerman’s desire for progress and innovation led to his legendary experiments with wife's waffle iron, making soles for prototypes of the groundbreaking Cortez track shoe. The official release of the Cortez coincided with the 1972 Olympics; images of athletes in the Cortez sent sales of this new shoe bearing the now-iconic Swoosh logo through the roof. It was an instant success, and launched the Nike brand on its path to world domination. Today, Nike's focus has broadened, but it remains committed to producing exceptional athletic footwear for men, women, and kids. Beyond shoes, Nike Sportswear makes running apparel, shorts, sweatshirts, jackets, socks, t shirts, backpacks, sun glasses, gloves, hats, pants, and yoga pants. Nike Snowboarding produces boots, jackets, snow pants, goggles, and base layers. Nike also makes watches and casual clothing.  From running shoes, to Michael Jordan's signature Jordan line, to the hugely successful SB skateboard line, Nike continues to push the envelope of shoe construction. Technologies like weight-shedding, impact-absorbing Lunarlon foam and the supportive filaments that make up Flywire construction are allowing Nike to produce its most advanced footwear to date. It doesn't matter if they're casual trainers or pro level performance footwear, if your shoes are adorned with the trademark Swoosh, they come with a heritage that few others can match.

Checkout the latest Nike Gear and Apparel at Backcountry.com. Whether you run, hike, or ski, Nike has you covered.

Nike - Clothing, Sunglasses, & More

Engineered for world-class athletes, Nike Action unites the performance innovation of Nike with a deep commitment to the history, creativity, and raw athleticism of action sports. With a focus on Skateboarding, Snowboarding and Surfing, our footwear and apparel merge advanced materials and design with classic styling, driven by the voice of our athletes. Based at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, Nike Action is dedicated to inspiring and supporting the world of action sports.

The legend of Nike begins with an athlete, a coach, and a distribution agreement. The year was 1964, and University of Oregon's track and field coach, Bill Bowerman, went into business with former U of O runner Phil Knight. Originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports, the fledgeling distribution company got its start peddling running shoes at track meets throughout the northwest out of the back of Knight’s car. But as you already know, Nike had bigger things in store.
 
The Nike success story might have turned out very differently, if not for Bowerman's insistence that he could build a better running shoe than what was available at the time. The duo’s empire was built from the ground up, so to speak, beginning with the feet of the University of Oregon's track team. Bowerman’s desire for progress and innovation led to his legendary experiments with wife's waffle iron, making soles for prototypes of the groundbreaking Cortez track shoe. The official release of the Cortez coincided with the 1972 Olympics; images of athletes in the Cortez sent sales of this new shoe bearing the now-iconic Swoosh logo through the roof. It was an instant success, and launched the Nike brand on its path to world domination.
 
Today, Nike's focus has broadened, but it remains committed to producing exceptional athletic footwear for men, women, and kids. Beyond shoes, Nike Sportswear makes running apparel, shorts, sweatshirts, jackets, socks, t shirts, backpacks, sun glasses, gloves, hats, pants, and yoga pants. Nike Snowboarding produces boots, jackets, snow pants, goggles, and base layers. Nike also makes watches and casual clothing.
 
From running shoes, to Michael Jordan's signature Jordan line, to the hugely successful SB skateboard line, Nike continues to push the envelope of shoe construction. Technologies like weight-shedding, impact-absorbing Lunarlon foam and the supportive filaments that make up Flywire construction are allowing Nike to produce its most advanced footwear to date. It doesn't matter if they're casual trainers or pro level performance footwear, if your shoes are adorned with the trademark Swoosh, they come with a heritage that few others can match.

HOKA ONE ONE

Shop HOKA ONE ONE on Backcountry. Expertly curated outdoor gear and clothing for the adventurer in you, from big brands to the small and undiscovered. 

Hoka One One

Wahoo Fitness

Shop Wahoo Fitness on Backcountry. Expertly curated outdoor gear and clothing for the adventurer in you, from big brands to the small and undiscovered. 

Hyperice

Suunto

‘Suunto’ is the Finnish word for direction, and for over 75 years Suunto has kept a bearing on providing explorers, athletes, and military personnel with the best navigational tools possible. It all began in 1936, when a Finnish engineer and outdoorsman named Tuomas Vohlonen patented a mass-production method for a liquid-filled compass. While this kind of compass was not a new idea, it had never been as easily produced or as lightweight as the M-311 field compass Vohlonen designed. So light in fact, that the compass could be worn on the wrist like a watch. During the Second World War, Suunto developed a compact liquid sighting compass for artillery officers, and the original M-311 was a staple for soldiers. Following the war, it provided navigational tools to both civilians and military personnel and the business continued to grow. Marine and orienteering compasses were soon added to the product line, and by the 1950s Suunto was exporting compasses to over 50 nations around the globe. In 1965, after hearing from a British diving enthusiast who had successfully been using a Suunto compass underwater, the company introduced the world’s first diving compass. Twenty years later, Suunto had become the largest producer of diving instruments, and it continued to innovate by launching their first dive computer in 1987, a device that allowed divers to quickly calculate times without having to use diving tables. For the remainder of the century, Suunto continued to lead the way with diving instruments and compasses, and then, just before the dawn of a new millennium, they once again pioneered new technology. In 1998 Suunto introduced the Vector, the first wrist-worn watch/computer designed for outdoor enthusiasts. In addition to a host of timekeeping tools, the Vector watch featured the ‘ABC’ (altimeter, barometer, compass) functionality, as well as a thermometer. The Vector became an essential tool for serious mountaineers and the groundbreaking functionality made it one of the most successful products Suunto has ever produced. From this point until today, the Suunto story is dominated by an increasingly powerful array of wrist-worn computers, many of which look no different than a well-designed watch. The list of achievements includes the world’s first watch-sized all-in-one dive computer, advanced training watches that can monitor heart rate, and outdoor watches with the ability to predict the weather. Today, Suunto is still headquartered in Finland where they design and build the world’s best watch-sized navigation tools. The most recent innovations have included precise GPS functionality and a rebreather compatible dive watch. In terms of providing useful information to explorers and athletes, there is very little that a Suunto watch can’t do. From the highest mountains on earth to the deepest seas, you can count on Suunto for the tools you need to get there and back again, and it can all be worn on your wrist.

Suunto is best known for their varied array of watches, most of which feature an altimeter, barometer, and thermometer. They also make some of the finest navigational compasses around.

Suunto - GPS Watches, Altimeters, & Heart Rate Monitors

Suunto rules the roost when it comes to incorporating the latest technology and high-tech instruments into outdoor sports. they're best known for their varied array of wristop computers, most of which feature an altimeter, barometer, and thermometer. Suunto also makes some of the finest navigational compasses around.

‘Suunto’ is the Finnish word for direction, and for over 75 years Suunto has kept a bearing on providing explorers, athletes, and military personnel with the best navigational tools possible. It all began in 1936, when a Finnish engineer and outdoorsman named Tuomas Vohlonen patented a mass-production method for a liquid-filled compass. While this kind of compass was not a new idea, it had never been as easily produced or as lightweight as the M-311 field compass Vohlonen designed. So light in fact, that the compass could be worn on the wrist like a watch.
 
During the Second World War, Suunto developed a compact liquid sighting compass for artillery officers, and the original M-311 was a staple for soldiers. Following the war, it provided navigational tools to both civilians and military personnel and the business continued to grow. Marine and orienteering compasses were soon added to the product line, and by the 1950s Suunto was exporting compasses to over 50 nations around the globe. In 1965, after hearing from a British diving enthusiast who had successfully been using a Suunto compass underwater, the company introduced the world’s first diving compass. Twenty years later, Suunto had become the largest producer of diving instruments, and it continued to innovate by launching their first dive computer in 1987, a device that allowed divers to quickly calculate times without having to use diving tables. For the remainder of the century, Suunto continued to lead the way with diving instruments and compasses, and then, just before the dawn of a new millennium, they once again pioneered new technology.
 
In 1998 Suunto introduced the Vector, the first wrist-worn watch/computer designed for outdoor enthusiasts. In addition to a host of timekeeping tools, the Vector watch featured the ‘ABC’ (altimeter, barometer, compass) functionality, as well as a thermometer. The Vector became an essential tool for serious mountaineers and the groundbreaking functionality made it one of the most successful products Suunto has ever produced. From this point until today, the Suunto story is dominated by an increasingly powerful array of wrist-worn computers, many of which look no different than a well-designed watch. The list of achievements includes the world’s first watch-sized all-in-one dive computer, advanced training watches that can monitor heart rate, and outdoor watches with the ability to predict the weather.
 
Today, Suunto is still headquartered in Finland where they design and build the world’s best watch-sized navigation tools. The most recent innovations have included precise GPS functionality and a rebreather compatible dive watch. In terms of providing useful information to explorers and athletes, there is very little that a Suunto watch can’t do. From the highest mountains on earth to the deepest seas, you can count on Suunto for the tools you need to get there and back again, and it can all be worn on your wrist.

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Treeline/Black

Black

Fashion and function meet. Keeps my bum warm while I look stylish out on the town. I pair mine with my go-to Sorels for the cutest mountain town look.

Stansbury Down Skirt - Women's

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