UK Rucksacks and outdoor clothing

[mojofilter]

Vango have a warehouse a few miles away from me in the Smelly Wee Port, but all of the gear I've got from them is Far East manufactured.

Do they still have the annual factory sale?

Then the next day the whole of the Port and Greenock are walking about in red ski jackets....

[Basemetal]

Mountain Technology (Glencoe I think)

[pippyd]

UK outdoor clothing/gear (rucksacks/tents/footwear etc) manufactures (list amended)

1. Aiguille
2. Alpkit
3. AltBerg Boots
4. Arktis clothing and equipment- Military.
5. Barbour
6. Berghaus
7. Brasher (?)
8. Buffalo Clothing
9. Extreme Outdoor Clothing
10. Hilltrek Clothing
11. Hunter Boots
12. Karrimor (?)
13. Keela (gear in Glenrothes in Fife)
14. Lowe Alpine (?)
15. Mardale made in Preston, Lancashire
16. Montane Clothing.
17. Mountain Technology (Glencoe I think)
18. Paramo/Nikwax
19. PHD Down clothing and Sleeping bags (out of this world quality, made in sunny Stalybridge)
20. PODsacs
21. Rab (Sheffield, but do they manufacturer in the UK?)
22. Regatta??
23. Rohan
24. Tera Nova Tents (Derbyshire made I think?)
25. SASS Clothing (smocks)
26. Snowsled Ventile Clothing
27. Snugpak are a UK company. Based in SIlsden, West Yorkshire.
28. Vango

[mojofilter]

Trespass have a big warehouse at Shields, but I don't know where their stuff is made?

[Basemetal]

Heh heh..we've all missed
Berghaus

[thomas]

Keela are Scottish based but I'm not sure about manufacturing.

I cannot recomend this enough! Keela jackets are amazing quality!
I bought my first on 6 years ago at an outdoor exabition
They had a model set up with a shower spray on the jacket, and a hole for you to out your hand in. Not a trace of moisture on the inside. But when they put water on the inside, it was sucked away from the inside surface.

This means that its extremely waterproof, but it has an amazing way of soaking up any moisture from the inside, like sweat which would make you cold.

Anyway, my point is. Keela is a great brand and i highly recomend them.

[Ropeman]

Checked my Paramo jacket, it's made in Colombia. Mountain Equipment gear is all made in Asia now, except some of their top end stuff which is made by PHD (in sunny Stalybridge)

[Fraser]

Do they still have the annual factory sale?

Then the next day the whole of the Port and Greenock are walking about in red ski jackets....

Yep. It was the first weekend in December last year. I popped in for a look, not intending to buy anything. Ended up accidentally buying two sleeping bags, a tent, and some base layers.

It's not a patch on the North Face factory sale though.


Right, back on topic: the brand Phoenix (mostly ski-wear) is owned by AMG; the same group that own Vango these days. They also own Litchfield (tents, mainly).

All their gear is made overseas.

[Basemetal]

Those awfully nice Alpkit people have produced some neat down jackets and vests and ...stuff.

[Inspector71]

West Winds (ventile)... Though now owned by Snugpak - I think the West Winds stuff is still manufactured in UK

[arian]

There's Slioch, who do clothing, but not rucksacks.

So long,
arian

[mirage]

Cioch Outdoor Clothing, made on the Isle of Skye:

http://www.cioch-direct.co.uk/introduction/welcome.html

mirage

[pippyd]

I've updated the first post in this thread with what I've found out about each company.

I wanted to personally find out about UK manufacturers after a friend asked me a question.

I've yet to add the last few posts. If people have specifics on what is made where etc please chip in.

Cheers, Phil

[Ropeman]

Outstanding job Phil. Can I be the first to suggest this as a sticky, a great resource shouldn't be allowed to drift off into oblivion I'm afraid I have to spread the rep before I give you any more

[familne]

website for extreme outdoor clothing is:

http://www.extremeoutdoorclothing.com/

I think all buffalo is made in Sheffield

some of my rab gear says 'made in Sheffield', some 'made in China'