Main Story. 08. 05.

Built To Weather The Elements: Polartec x Berghaus

Long before Berghaus became a bona fide part of British outdoor culture, the company was started to solve a shared problem. Climbers and longtime friends Peter Lockey and Gordon Davison struggled to find equipment capable of standing up to the rigors of the British mountains. Rather than accept the limitations of the gear available to them, they set out to create something better. Today, Berghaus is a name tied to childhood jackets, first hikes and days when the weather was bad enough to remember. Because since its humble beginnings in 1966 in Newcastle, Berghaus has been making kit for people who go outside regardless of the forecast.

“We have spent 60 years learning from the outdoors and from the people who use our products. Working with Polartec gives us access to materials and expertise that help us keep improving how our products perform, while staying true to the durability, quality and character people expect from Berghaus.” - Mark Upshall, Berghaus Global VP Product Management

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Cutting a New Path

Berghaus was shaped by a landscape where wet, windy and cold conditions have always been part of life outdoors. Gordon Davison, the engineer, was analytical, inventive and technically minded. Peter Lockey was creative and intuitive. Together, they gave Berghaus its practical and playful sides. And while Gordon and Peter designed products, sold equipment and built the business, their wives selected high-quality materials and colors that stood out in an outdoor market known for more conservative choices.

Sixty Years Strong

Six decades after the company sold its first emergency bivy shelter, Charlie Pym, Global SVP, sees the strength of Berghaus in the people who have grown up with it. “People have been choosing Berghaus for their first jacket, their hardest days out and their kids’ first hikes since 1966. That trust is everything,” he says. “A lot has changed since then, but our commitment to products that genuinely perform and the people who use them hasn’t.”

Across the UK and beyond, entire families wear the brand. Many can still name the jacket they wore as a child or the Berghaus kit they took on a memorable trip. It is this shared history that has created a loyal following across generations, even as Berghaus continues to reach new audiences, new categories and new markets.

Built to Endure

Charlie and the team know that people expect Berghaus gear to live up to the reputation built over the past 60 years. Which is why every piece of kit goes through 200 hours of testing, with products adjusted and tested again as needed. It’s a demanding process designed to make sure that Berghaus jackets, footwear and equipment perform when the weather is at its worst. Because for Charlie, Mark and the rest of the team, protecting what people trust about Berghaus while continuing to move the brand forward is simply part of the job.

Looking to Tomorrow

Today, Berghaus remains unmistakably British, shaped by the North East and the people who have worn its kit for decades. At the same time, its following continues to grow across Europe and the United States. For Charlie, the opportunity supports his commitment to carry the brand forward by making products that work in bad weather, earning the trust of the people who wear them and giving the next generation their own Berghaus stories to remember.