Since Mountain Equipment was founded in 1961, they have participated in countless ascents of the world’s highest peaks, supported climbers in establishing ever more adventurous routes, and equipped world-record-setting trips to both the North and South Poles. Their products do not mess around, over the years they have become masters of creating beautifully made outdoor gear which puts function and knowledge into every stitch, seam, and buckle. They have been making gear for over 60 years and everything they have learned along the way lives in their gear.
Besides the advantageously bright colours you see on their kit which is perfect for the often snowy, rough terrain it is made for, Mountain Equipment is not about flash, but instead highly functional gear and garments that perform superbly at their intended activity. Working closely with athletes and intrepid explorers from around the world and using some of the very best materials and technologies available such as Gore-Tex fabrics and high-quality, cruelty-free goose down it is indeed true that they have certainly gained an excellent reputation as one of the outdoor worlds most highly rated and reliable brands which is why it is hard to head to an outdoor centre, popular hill or peak without spotting the ME logo on somebody.
Mountain Equipment’s range
Mountain Equipment makes a large range of outdoor gear, it doesn’t stop at just waterproof jackets. Amongst their range, you will find some of the most function-oriented outdoor pieces available from insulated jackets designed to keep you warm in some of the world’s coldest environments to packs made for alpinism and climbing to sleep systems perfect for a comfortable night’s sleep in just about any condition you can dream up (on dry land anyway). If you’re looking at some extreme exploration, Mountain equipment probably has you covered with their range of superb products.
Amongst the range, you will find a vast array of technologies including top-of-the-line fabrics such as a range of Polartec insulation, odour-control fabrics from Polygiene, Primaloft insulation, and Pittards leather which is used on their very popular range of gloves and mittens. Their own waterproof lining Drilite is used on many waterproof which is lightweight breathable and a great allrounder, however, you can’t talk for long about Mountain Equipment’s range of waterproofing without bringing up a very close partnership with Gore-Tex, they use fabrics from across Gore’s range including Paclite, Paclite + and their softshell Infinium range, whats more Mountain Equipment have been selected as the first gearmaker to use one of Gore’s newest Pro Shells, Gore-Tex Pro Most Breathable which as the name suggests is much more comfortable during high output activities such as climbing, mountaineering, and ski-Mountaineering.
Down Codex
We’ve mentioned previously Mountain Equipments’ use of ethically sourced down products. Mountain Equipment is one of the principal partners of Down Codex, a scheme developed to manage and reduce risk in their down supply chains, to ensure that both animal welfare and quality were put at the heart of every one of their down products. Mountain Equipment’s aim is to have the most comprehensive and most transparent auditing system of any outdoor brand, anywhere in the world. With every Mountain Equipment product which uses down insulation, you will find a special Down Codex label with a unique code, using this you can search for the exact source of your down. Sourcing in the world of mass production is one of the most important steps in maintaining ethical practice.
Fair Wear Foundation
Together with the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), Mountain Equipment is working to achieve fair working conditions worldwide. Mountain Equipment has been a member of FWF since 2012 and has developed a close partnership with FWF, working together with them continuously over the past 7 years. As of May 2019, Mountain Equipment has been awarded ‘Leader Status’ by Fair Wear Foundation, the highest of their performance benchmarking categories, for the third year running. To reach Leader status, Mountain Equipment achieved a monitoring percentage of 90% in the FWF Brand Performance Check for 2018. In these annual reviews, FWF verifies member brands regarding their progress in implementing labour standards and improving working conditions. This marks a significant achievement by the business as only around 10% of FWF member brands manage to fulfil the requirements to be awarded Leader status.
