1991 - 1995 A New Home

Evocative advertising and new ownership defined Berghaus in the early 90s.

A new decade and Berghaus continued to innovate, not least in their advertising. The adventurous, product-led ads included the now iconic ‘cut-in-half man’ ad of 1993, which told the story of Berghaus’ layering systems.

Layering has always been central to Berghaus’ approach, and they could be said to have pioneered the idea of ‘layering systems’ – products designed to work in synch with other items of clothing to give optimum protection and comfort . As ever, where Berghaus led other outdoor companies followed and ‘layering systems’ are now a part of every outdoor brand’s offer.

1993 saw another significant development in Berghaus’ history. Pentland Group PLC , already home to leading sports brands Speedo and Ellesse , acquired Berghaus, making it one of the best-resourced outdoor performance companies in the world.

The early 90s also saw Berghaus turn its attention to footwear, launching its very first footwear collection. The collection included the Storm boot; at the time, considered to be the definitive three season fabric hiking boot .

And rucsacs weren’t forgotten either – the FGA adjustable Rucsac System was developed in 1993.

Outstanding innovation

In1995, Berghaus adapted its Extrem range to ensure that all features, such as zips and toggles, could be adjusted with one gloved hand . A simple innovation but an important one, particularly when you’re 3000ft up.

Did you know?

One of the first advertisements to feature the then fledging sport of mountain biking was a Berghaus ad from the early 1990s.