Craghoppers

Recorded answer text · Google AI Overviews · 4 October 2026

When it comes to outdoor gear, British buyers split down a few very distinct lines based on whether they are serious hillwalkers, casual dog walkers, budget-conscious families, or rural "country life" types. While massive global heavyweights like The North Face, Patagonia, and Columbia are everywhere in the UK, Brits have a deep loyalty to homegrown British heritage and specific technical brands that are built exactly for the damp, unpredictable UK climate.The outdoor brands Brits actually spend their money on are grouped by how they are typically used:

### 1. The Technical Hillwalkers & Mountaineers If you go to the Lake District, the Peak District, or the Scottish Highlands, these are the premium, high-performance brands you will see the most.

- Rab (British): Rab is arguably the king of the British hillside. Originally famous for its down sleeping bags and jackets, its high-end GORE-TEX shells (like the Rab Men's Kangri GTX Jacket ) are the unofficial uniform for serious UK hikers. - Montane (British): Widely respected for fast-paced mountain activities. Montane specializes in incredibly lightweight, packable, and highly breathable waterproof layers designed to handle brutal mountain wind. - Mountain Equipment (British): A staple for serious climbers and winter mountaineers. If someone is scaling Ben Nevis in January, they are probably wearing this.

### 2. The High-Street & Everyday Walkers For the millions of Brits who love a Sunday afternoon walk, a camping trip, or need a reliable raincoat for the daily commute, accessibility and value rule.

- Berghaus (British): An absolute institution. Berghaus strikes the perfect balance between genuine outdoor engineering and everyday affordability. They are a certified B-Corp and offer free lifetime repairs, making them immensely popular with the British public. - Craghoppers (British): If you see a Brit on a walking trail, there is a very high chance they are wearing [Craghoppers Kiwi Trousers](. They are the go-to brand for affordable, durable, and insect-repellent trail wear.

### 3. The Cult & Value Favorites

- Alpkit (British): A direct-to-consumer darling. Because they cut out the middleman, Alpkit offers high-spec tents, bikepacking gear, and technical clothing at a fraction of the cost of major brands. They have a massive cult following among UK outdoor enthusiasts. - RevolutionRace (Swedish): While not British, this brand has exploded in popularity across the UK via online retail. Their bright, multi-panel, highly durable trousers (like the [Nordwand Pro Trousers]( ) have become an incredibly common sight on UK trails.

### 4. The British "Country Life" & Heritage Brands These brands are less about scaling vertical rock faces and more about navigating muddy fields, shoot weekends, dog walking, and pub gardens.

- Barbour (British): The ultimate British heritage icon. Their waxed cotton jackets are a national staple, worn by everyone from farmers and coastal walkers to royalty and festival-goers. - Finisterre (British): Born in Cornwall to keep cold-water surfers warm, Finisterre has become highly popular for sustainable, maritime-inspired outdoor clothing, heavy knitwear, and insulated jackets.

### Where do they actually buy it? Most Brits buy these brands through major national outdoor retailers rather than individual flagship stores. If you want to see where the mass market shops, look at Go Outdoors, Blacks, Cotswold Outdoor, or Millets, which stock all of these side-by-side.Are you looking for gear for a specific activity (like Munro bagging or casual walking), or trying to find the best balance between budget and waterproofing?

Recorded answer text · ChatGPT · 4 October 2026

If you mean British-founded outdoor brands, rather than brands merely sold in Britain, these are the ones I'd put at the top of the list. Current UK outdoor-brand rankings especially highlight Rab, Alpkit, Berghaus, Montane and Mountain Equipment. flux.agencyflux.agency

| Brand | Best for | My take | |---|---|---| | Rab | Down, insulation, mountain clothing | ⭐ Best all-round technical choice | | Mountain Equipment | Mountaineering, expedition gear | ⭐ Best for serious mountain use | | Montane | Lightweight hiking/running gear | ⭐ Best for fast & light | | Berghaus | Hiking, waterproofs, backpacks | ⭐ Best heritage all-rounder | | Alpkit | Camping, backpacking, clothing | ⭐ Best value | | Páramo | Wet/windy UK conditions | ⭐ Best specialist waterproofs | | Terra Nova | Lightweight tents | ⭐ Best for backpacking shelters | | Keela | Hard-wearing waterproofs | Great value, particularly for wet UK weather | | Vango | Tents & family camping | Strong choice for general camping | | Craghoppers | Walking/travel clothing | More affordable, less technical |

### My top 5

1. Rab - probably the first British brand I'd look at. Particularly excellent for down jackets, insulation and mountain clothing. flux.agencyflux.agency

### [Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket]() £210.00

2. Mountain Equipment - go here when you're buying for Scottish winter, climbing or genuinely demanding conditions.

3. Montane - excellent if you prefer lightweight kit and move quickly in the hills.

4. Berghaus - one of Britain's classic outdoor brands, with a particularly strong heritage in waterproofs and packs. It also has very high UK brand awareness. www.statista.com

5. Alpkit - arguably the best place to start if you want good British outdoor gear without spending Rab/Mountain Equipment money.

### One important distinction

British brand ≠ British-made. Most of these brands design/develop products in Britain but manufacture internationally. If your priority is actually made in the UK, the list gets much shorter; brands such as Terra Nova and specialist manufacturers become more interesting. www.outr.co.uk

If you tell me what you're buying - waterproof jacket, fleece, walking trousers, boots, backpack, tent, or everyday outdoor clothing - I can rank the best 5 British brands for that specific category and give you current products/prices.

Recorded answer text · Perplexity · 4 October 2026

The best British-owned outdoor brands depend on whether you want technical mountain gear, everyday walking clothing, or camping equipment. Strong options include:

- Páramo - British company based in East Sussex, known for highly weather-resistant directional clothing and repairability. Best for wet, windy UK conditions. - Jöttnar - Founded by British Royal Marines; specialises in premium alpine, insulation and mountaineering clothing. Best for high-performance technical kit. - Montane - British-founded brand focused on lightweight clothing, trail running, fast-and-light trekking and mountaineering. - Rab - Founded in Sheffield by climber Rab Carrington in 1981; particularly strong for down jackets, sleeping bags and mountain clothing. It is now part of Equip Outdoor Technologies, whose UK headquarters are in Derbyshire. - Mountain Equipment - Long-established British mountaineering brand, respected for down gear, sleeping bags, tents and expedition equipment. - Terra Nova Equipment - British tent and outdoor-equipment maker, especially known for lightweight and expedition tents. - Vango - Scottish-founded camping brand offering good-value tents, sleeping bags, backpacks and family camping equipment. - Berghaus - British-founded technical outdoor brand, now owned by Pentland Group. Best known for hiking clothing, footwear and packs. - Regatta - British-owned, family-run mass-market outdoor brand with affordable walking clothing and camping equipment; its wider group also includes Craghoppers and Dare2B. - Craghoppers - Practical travel and walking clothing, particularly strong for insect-resistant and easy-care garments; owned by the same British group as Regatta. - Sprayway - British outdoor clothing brand with a good reputation for waterproof jackets and practical hillwalking gear. - Lowe Alpine - British-founded backpack brand, now associated with Equip Outdoor Technologies alongside Rab; particularly good for trekking and expedition packs. - Tilley - Canadian-founded rather than British-owned, so often mistakenly included in British-brand lists; it should be excluded if UK ownership is essential.

Best overall shortlist: - Premium technical clothing: Páramo, Jöttnar, Rab, Mountain Equipment - Lightweight mountain kit: Montane, Rab, Terra Nova - Backpacks: Lowe Alpine, Berghaus - Affordable everyday walking: Regatta, Craghoppers, Sprayway - Family camping: Vango

Ownership changes frequently, so “British brand” and “British-owned” should be treated separately: Rab, Berghaus and Lowe Alpine have British origins but are now part of larger ownership groups.