Marmot: Outdoor Performance Clothing & Gear

Marmot

What began with self-sewn down jackets for Clint Eastwood quickly became an innovative outdoor manufacturer. In keeping with his name, Marmot produces functional equipment and clothing for mountaineers. But also tents and sleeping bags are part of the range. True to the philosophy that innovation, quality, performance and functionality come first, Marmot's products offer effective and high-quality protection against wind and weather.

From Hollywood into the wide world

The history of the outdoor brand Marmot began in 1971 at the University of California Santa Cruz. After a glaciology project in Alaska, the two students Eric Reynolds and Dave Huntley founded the Marmot Club, an exclusive climbing club. To make their own equipment, they worked on the first prototypes for down products. The result was a down vest, a sweater, a parka and three down sleeping bags. The warmest sleeping bag (PIKA) even withstood temperatures as low as -40°C.

In 1973, Eric and Dave moved to Grand Junction in Colorado to join climbing buddy Tom Boyce. Together they rented a 100-year-old stone building there, where they opened a ski rental and a shop for down jackets and sleeping bags under the name "Marmot Mountain Works" in 1974. The first success was not long in coming. After Tom met a filmmaker on a climbing trip to Peru, he ordered more than 100 jackets for the movie "The Eiger Sanction" with Clint Eastwood.

Two years later, another acquaintance brought about groundbreaking changes. When Eric met Joe Tanner from the company W.L. Gore & Assoc., Inc. in 1976, he was fascinated by the new, high-performance outdoor materials. That's why he started sewing some sleeping bag prototypes out of the GORE-TEX® fabric. Eric and Dave tested them for seven nights in a cold storage warehouse before they were tested to withstand sprinkler systems. The results convinced them, making them the first outdoor customer to switch the entire Marmot collection to GORE-TEX® fabrics.

In the following decades, Marmot continued to work on the technological and functional development of its outdoor products. In the mid-80s, for example, the Alpinist expedition jacket set new standards in extreme mountaineering. The jacket has become a classic and is still extremely popular. With increasing success in Europe in the 90s, Marmot Mountain Europe GmbH was founded in 2002 and is now based in Hattersheim/Frankfurt. Marmot now sells its products in 44 countries worldwide.

Marmot develops its own innovative materials

Inspired by international top athletes

Marmot places great emphasis on high quality, performance and functionality as well as innovative ideas. For the development the designers are therefore inspired by professional mountain guides and international athletes. Thus, products and materials are created that are up to all the challenges of nature.

These specially developed materials include NanoPro. The waterproof and breathable outer material scores with its PFC-free DWR impregnation from recycled nylon and its durability. NanoPro can be found in the Precip Eco line, for example. Marmot brought another innovation to the market in 2018 with the Echo Featherless collection. In the successor technology of Featherless, the synthetic fibre insulation consists of 75% recycled materials and, despite weighing just under 500 grams, offers the warmth of a down filling with 700FP.

With the Precip Evo family, Marmot has taken the classic rain jacket a step further: the 2.5-layer NanoPro fabric – three-layer on the Pro version – is made from 100% recycled polyester ripstop and finished with a DWR treatment that repels water without intentionally added PFAS chemicals. From the lightweight Vent to the rugged Pro, the family covers a wide range of needs.

Marmot pays attention to sustainable production

Sustainability meets performance

Marmot's sustainability strategy is called People/Product/Planet™ and is built around three pillars.

Under Planet, Marmot relies on its L.I.T.™ dyeing process, which uses 60% less water, 15% less dye and 22% less electricity than conventional methods. Most product hangtags are also made from FSC-certified paper, and Marmot is a member of the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA).

Under Product, Marmot uses only responsibly sourced down certified to the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) and is a bluesign® system partner.

Under People, Marmot was the first brand to sign the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge, which advances representation for people of color across the outdoor industry. The company also holds its suppliers to a strict code of conduct, verified through regular on-site audits, and supports people affected by natural disasters with tents, sleeping bags and clothing.

(Photos: Marmot)