The Historyof Craghoppers
Our MissionOur mission is to protect people from the worries of travel. We believe the best travel experiences happen when you feel truly care-free.
Our mission stems from 1965. Our two founders, Brian Gaskin and Roy Holmes, set out to produce the ultimate clothing for the harshest of outdoor adventures. And to test it, they took it from the Peak District all the way to Mount Everest...
Founders Gaskin and Holmes were cherry-picked to manufacture the expedition clothing needed for Chris Bonington's Everest expedition in 1975 - the first successful climb by ascending the face of the mountain. Since then we've been committed to designing protective outdoor clothing to cope with any extreme.
At the very core of our ambition was the need to produce the best in protective walking trousers. Walking trousers that not only lock out the elements but that move with you as you explore. Since the launch of our classic Kiwi trousers we have since gone on to develop their construction, creating a new generation of technical walking trousers.
Back in 1992 we created the Breakthrough System, a waterproof fabric technology that would become a winning formula for Craghoppers. Made by climbers and tested through Scottish and Norwegian winters, the Breakthrough system was eventually available to buy in 1993. It later evolved to become our AquaDry waterproof system in 1999 - a fabric technology that would make our jackets completely waterproof and breathable. Learn more about AquaDry Technology >
Awarded Millennium Products Marque for Creativity and Innovation for Dynamic Balance technology within our rucksacks
Each of our protective garments has a purpose. And one travel worry that we had not yet conquered was the transfer of harmful conditions via biting insects. We made it our mission to kit out adventurers with insect repellent clothing that really does what it needs to – keeps mosquitoes at arm's length. So we got to work. And in 2002 we launched the first iteration of what came to be known as our NosiLife clothing - the world's first and only permanent insect protective clothing range. Learn more about NosiLife >
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We first started working with Bear Grylls in 2006 and later collaborated to produce a range of Bear Grylls clothing made with his adventures in mind. To withstand everything the elements could possibly throw at him, the Craghoppers and Bear Grylls collaboration soon led to a collection of Bear Grylls trousers, jackets, and t shirts - all constructed to withstand the harsh conditions that he faces. As a survival expert with experience in the SAS we knew Bear Grylls would push our design team to the limit.
Because our mission is to protect you from the worries of travel, we regularly work with adventurers, conservationists and wildlife filmmakers to put our protective clothing to the test. Pushing our clothing technology to the limit, our ambassadors not only enable us to produce better outdoor clothing, but they inspire us to be brave enough to take on the unknown. To explore. To Wander. When we appoint a Craghoppers ambassador, we want to encourage and inspire you to do something new. To live in the present and step outside your comfort zone. Discover more about the lives of our ambassadors >
We're going places here at Craghoppers. Striving to develop new fabric technologies and teaming with fellow thrill-seekers, so that you can go places too. That's why we partnered with The Duke Of Edinburgh Award in 2010. We wanted to kit out young adventurers with the protective clothing they would need to help them succeed in their expeditions. Since 2010 we've continued to work with young people, inspiring them to take on outdoor challenges while providing the recommended outdoor kit they need.
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The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is dedicated to the protection of gorillas in their natural habitat of Africa. In 2014, we offered to support the work that they do in honour of Dr Dian Fossey's legacy. The best way we knew how? We supplied the Dian Fossey team with protective clothing so that their researchers and conservationists could carry out their work more comfortably. But we wanted to do more. To get more people involved. So, we collaborated with the Dian Fossey team again, alongside Craghoppers ambassador, Peter McBride, and Sir David Attenborough on a film called Hope. Watch Hope now
Billions of plastic bottles are sent to landfill each year. Because we're passionate about adventure travel and exploring new landscapes we wanted to dedicate ourselves to a new feat that would protect you from the elements and help maintain our natural environment. We've saved millions of plastic bottles ending up in landfill and put them to good use. We made them into high performing, insulating fleeces to warm you, and not the planet.
We collaborated with British explorer, Levison Wood, in 2016 and in return he sat down with us and talked expedition essentials, his ultimate layering system, and what inspires him most. With expeditions such as walking the length of the Nile and the length of the Himalayas under his belt, we knew that Levison would help us inspire you to get out and get exploring.
When we found out that contactless credit card technology has made billions of people vulnerable to identity theft, we knew there had to be a better way of protecting yourself. We worked to produce a new fabric technology that would block RFID signals and protect you from identity theft.
We've always wanted to help more people open doors to new experiences. So, in 2017 we teamed up with The Discovery Channel to bring you a new technical collection: Discovery Adventure clothing. For decades The Discovery Channel has embraced the spirit of adventure. Together, we wanted to make your world bigger, inspiring you to get out there and discover it for yourself.
As part of our promise under the 'Honesty Project' to protect the environment, we partnered with Chester Zoo to directly support conservation work across the world. We joined their expedition to Madagascar to help to research endangered lemurs in the rainforest who face threats from de-forestation and poaching. We flew out to the remote conservation site, rolled up our sleeves and got stuck in with lemur surveys, educational programmes and horticulture work to help to protect Madagascar's unique biodiversity for the future. Learn more about Chester Zoo
In 2018 we started a collaboration with Discover. Film and launched the Craghoppers Film Prize - an initiative to give young filmmakers with big ambitions the opportunity to win cash prizes. Our investment in new talent will continue in 2019 and grow each year so that we can seek out future ambassadors that can help us produce films that inspire. Learn more about Film Prize >
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