Columbia

They say, “Tough times never last, only tough people do,” and Columbia is living proof of it. This story starts in 1938 with a small Portland hat shop, but it was Gert Boyle, the woman who became known as Tough Mother, who gave the brand its backbone. She took on a struggling family business in 1970 and refused, against every expectation, to let it go under. What carried her through wasn’t ambition so much as stubbornness: a flat refusal to accept gear that didn’t quite do its job. That same stubborn problem-solving still runs through everything Columbia makes. How do you stay out when it’s pouring? When it’s freezing? When the sun’s relentless? Their answer has always been visible, genuinely useful innovation – the Interchange 3-in-1 jacket system, Omni-Heat reflective lining, OutDry Extreme waterproofing – the sort of tech that keeps you outdoors longer and more comfortably.