The global outdoor clothing market is expected to be worth £33.6 billion by the end of 2025.
Its phenomenal success is down to a combination of fashion, marketing and branding, along with more people getting out into the countryside, and new tech making the latest products even better at keeping you dry and warm.
Among the UK leaders in the field are Rab and Lowe Alpine, which make up the £100 million-plus turnover, Derbyshire-based Equip Outdoor Technologies group.
Between them they turn out more than 2.7 million items a year ranging from Rab’s best-selling £150 Microlight Alpine Down Jacket, to £85 walking pants and £220 down sleeping bags as well as all manner of gloves, beanies and backpacks.
The labels are now staples on the shelves of all the big outdoor clothing retailers and department store chains such as John Lewis, Blacks and Go Outdoors.
The Equip story dates back to 1991 when it was launched by Matt Gowar to design and market technical outdoor equipment.
He made the decision to buy Rab in 2003, when its founder retired and followed that up by buying Lowe Alpine in 2011. The UK head office is in Alfreton, on the edge of the Peak District.
Since the acquisitions Equip has grown the brands at home and overseas - in Europe, North America, New Zealand and Australia. The plan now is for that growth to continue.
The story of Rab began in 1981 in the attic of a small, terraced house in Sheffield, where Rab Carrington made the first sleeping bag to bear his name.
Matt said: “Hand-stitched and devised with his own ingenious eye, Rab's experience from years spent in the mountains was apparent in his designs, and soon there was popular demand both from friends and the growing local climbing community.
“The Sheffield attic became a factory floor, creating sleeping bags and jackets for customers far and wide.
“Now, decades later, those designs can be found all over the world from Himalayan peaks to cold, crisp evenings around a campfire.”
Lowe Alpine, meanwhile, was started by the Lowe brothers, leading climbers of their generation, who decided traditional backpack frames were too heavy and unstable in the mountains.
Matt said: “They realised that they needed a new kind of pack that could carry gear more securely, whilst letting them move more freely on demanding terrain.
“Lowe Alpine began in 1967, as Greg Lowe designed, tested and launched the Expedition pack, a revolutionary backpack that gave climbers more freedom of movement in the mountains.
“It featured an innovative internal frame, compression straps and other never before seen features. This pack changed the outdoor industry forever, becoming the blueprint from which all modern, technical backpacks are derived.”
Today Equip employs around 160 people at the Alfreton head office and a warehouse and factory in the town, where down sleeping bags are hand filled. There is also a service centre for washing and repairing products.
The business has a small office and showroom in Kendal, Cumbria, and 45 staff in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Canada, and the USA, taking care of overseas marketing and sales.
There are also small teams in China and Vietnam monitoring its suppliers out there. In all, it works with 17 suppliers which operate 26 sites across Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Like most companies in the UK fashion sector the market is facing new challenges.
Matt said: “The post-Covid outdoor boom has slowed, but the outdoor industry is still healthy despite the challenging economic climate.
“However, the full impact of Putin's war against Ukraine and growing inflation across Europe is still unknown, which is likely to slow down sales and limit growth opportunities in the coming year.”
The business continues to grow however, increasing turnover from £61 million in the year to January 2021 to £97 million the following year and easily surpassed £100 million in its most recent year.
Planned expansion in existing and new international markets is expected to lead to further significant growth, with ambitious forecasts in place for the next five years.
Over the last two years, Equip has invested significantly in its workforce and business - partly thanks to multi-million pound funding from HSBC which has allowed it to become wholly independent again.
But it’s not all about growth for the brands - sustainability is also a big part of their identities.
Matt said: “Equip has always made technical products that are built to last, but they are not indestructible.
“Since its inception, Rab has offered a repair service, helping to keep products going for longer, diverting them from landfill.
“Equip has Rab Service Centres in the UK, Europe and North America which wash, service and repair Rab and Lowe Alpine products.
“Equip was one of the first outdoor companies to be certified as Climate Neutral in 2020 and set an ambition to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2030.
“Equip’s UK, US, German, and Benelux offices, plus UK warehouse, are powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity.”
As well as using recycled fabrics, recycled synthetic and down insulation, Rab was an early adopter of the Responsible Down Standard., while Equip is a founding member of The Single Use Plastics Project.
