You don’t have to look far to see that outdoor gear has gone from muddy footpaths to high street fashion – and fast.
Brands like The North Face, Merrell, Salomon, and Arc'teryx have all successfully pivoted toward a younger, style-conscious crowd, blending technical fabrics and heritage silhouettes with street-ready colours and fits.
And guess what? It makes sense for every outdoor brand to do the same. After all, there will always be fewer people looking for highly technical apparel than those who need reliable waterproof jackets for dog walking.
Gorpcore, albeit not a new concept, is still very much making its presence felt on the streets. Look around you on the street, and I bet you'll see at least one person rocking a The North Face puffer, a Patagonia fleece jacket, or Salomon trail running shoes (maybe not all three simultaneously, but still).
Other outdoor brands are seeing this, too, and, understandably, want a slice of the cake. How do you go about making your technical gear more appealing to the masses while keeping the company's ethos intact?
If you're as established as Berghaus, you take stuff you already have – decades of expertise in creating rugged, mountain-ready gear and a recognisable brand – and tailor it to a new, younger audience by combining modern design with hardcore technical performance.
In other words, Berghaus is stepping into this new summit-to-street (and back to the summit) space with purpose.
On (and off) the beaten path
The British outdoor icon’s new Trail Collection is clearly designed for a new generation of adventurers – one that’s just as likely to wear their kit on a rugged Lakeland ridge as they are in line at a city-centre flat white spot.
Take the Ridge-Seeker Waterproof Jacket. It's loaded with expedition-grade features like 3-layer GORE-TEX fabric (just make sure you wash it often), pit zips for breathability, and reinforced panelling, yet it lands in a sleek two-tone grey and acid yellow colourway that wouldn’t look out of place on the London Underground.
Same goes for the Delta Short Sleeve Tech Tee, which uses high-performance Polartec Delta fabric – a material focusing on comfort and performance in warm conditions – in a relaxed fit that’s equally suited to the trail or post-hike pub.
Elsewhere in the range, the Ridge-Roamer Lite Softshell Jacket keeps things packable and versatile, perfect for fastpackers and commuters alike, while the Unisex Freeflow 24L Pack updates a Berghaus classic with a more sculpted silhouette, better airflow and plenty of storage for the day-hike-or-gym-bag crowd.
In short, this is not the Berghaus of old. It's the brand looking to speak to a generation that expects serious performance but also wants to look good doing it. As the outdoor world continues to blur with fashion, Berghaus' Trail Collection is a confident step into that hybrid space.
Head over to Berghaus to learn more about the new collection.
