UKH

Some talented work mates of mine are putting this beautiful book out soon. Thought it might be of interest to a fair few in here (even if only for the mega archive pics of Joe Brown et al getting it done in army surplus gear).

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/isolapress/mountain-style-british-outd... 

Brilliant!!!  Looking forward to seeing this.

That looks absolutely brilliant.

I'll definitely be buying a copy if it comes out.

I really rate isola . They work on a shoe string but have such a niche corner of the market .

I do hope the crucial contribution of Ron Hill is acknowledged

My first decent hill walking jacket was a Vander Mistral, bought around 1994.  Their advert said that a sherpa had summited Everest wearing one - that sold it for me!!!  I know nothing about Vander as a brand  - whether they were a UK company and where they were manufactured.

EDIT: a quick look on Ebay shows they were made in Britain.  Anyone else had a Vander jacket?  It would be great to find the Everest ad.

Trying to justify the 'Expedition Level' to myself because of that drawcord bookmark...  

I saw it last week on Instagram - it is cool isn't it?

A bit sad but I felt quite melancholic looking at the original Buffalo badge sewn onto red fibre pile of a "4S Inner". I had the 4S outer and a bit later inner as well - as my first proper sleeping bag. It came to Greenland with me when I was 17, it came round the world with me on my year off before going to uni. Then it kept me warmish in the Scottish Highlands for the next four years. Only when I got to Finland did I find that Buffalo's idea of 4 seasons definitely did not correspond to Finnish 4 seasons. A night spent in my Buffalo Big Face Shirt, HA salopettes, Belay Jacket then the 4S outer and inner bag at -27 remains I think the coldest night of my life!

But hopefully without too many "its cold out here" shots of tracksters. My 80s photos look like an acorn smugglers autobiography.

As many people pre ordering on Kickstarter is the key to these things

Wow! 

This has made my day...the Javelin fleece logo instantly transports me back to my Mum's red one and snuggling into it as a kid whilst feeling seasick. Dad had a blue one with a 'scratchy' outer.

Backed. 

I think my ex and I might have bought these? The name sounds vaguely familiar but I might be mistaken. One of the marketing claims for the jackets were that they'd been taken up by a mountain rescue team somewhere. This would have been in the nineties I think. Trouble was they weren't very waterproof but that seemed to be quite common with quite a few 'waterproofs' we shelled out for back then (Craghoppers comes to mind).

North Cape was my goto brand of the 80s, their fibrepile jackets were cheap and nearly indestructible as long as you stayed away from fire. I loved their reversible fleeces for winter trekking as the windproof side was quite slippy against a PU waterproof, reducing rucking and chafing in the wet.

First thing I remember having was a Berghaus 'Monsoon' jacket in blue, though that might have been the version that I wanted made from GTX, because it is the name I remember. It was definitely a Berghaus but just PU and not breathable at all and I must have been the third or fourth owner of it amongst my mates. First thing I remember wanting was a Peter Storm green 'waterproof'. I wore my Adidas 'waterproof' when I went to Wales for the first time but only found out the difference later between a waterproof and a windproof, LOL.

When I was about 15, my mum bought me a HH fibre pile jacket from a shop near Cavern Walks in Liverpool, which I think was called "Smith and Beyer or Bayer" and sold either climbing gear or ski gear. I can't find that name of shops in any searches so I might be misremembering. There was a small group of lads who were into the gear and we would go to Wales camping and hitchhiking and later they got into climbing.

First thing I bought myself with my wages was a Mountain Equipment 'Hollofill' jacket with an 'Entrant' waterproof outer. My brother later bought himself a better one, made from GTX and 'Quallofil', from Blacks or Ellis Brigham. Years later I got a lift off the owner of E.B. in Wales one day, he just stopped and offered me a ride when I was carrying my AB65 Berghaus rucksack that I had bought in Blacks.

Good times.

I bought my Mum a North Cape hat and gloves set about a decade ago...at that point I'd not seen it around for years. Think the brand is long gone though...

I have a 'Survival Aids' inner and outer buffalo style bag. Remember them? Often to be seen amongst the magazine ads.

I was so proud of my HH fibre jacket, dark blue, late 70s - wore it to the pub in Bakewell on a couple of Saturday evenings thinking it would improve my chances with the opposite sex, but then my sister told me that it stank

10 days left on the kickstarter for this. They'll need a few more pledges to make this beautiful book a reality, so get your orders in. A very decent xmas gift for any climber / hillgoer, I'd say! 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/isolapress/mountain-style-british-outd...

Sadly the company was dissolved in 2014.

They were based in Newton Abbot, Devon and sold a range of workwear and technical outdoor clothing. They never operated at the higher end using branded fabrics like Gore-Tex and Polartec but they offered proficient clothing at a more accessible price point.

There is a still a 'Vander House' in Newton Abbot at the site of their former HQ.

Yep, you guys are a decent way there but still a ways to go!

Yes Jamie. I had a pair of Vander salopettes in the early 90s. Quite robust from what I remember. Used them for work and play.

Very worthwhile project. Have a bump.

Looks very cool. Have another bump.