50 years of Rohan the outdoor and travel clothing specialist

It started on a kitchen table in a small cottage in Skipton, North Yorkshire.

Paul and Sarah Howcroft were on a mission to change how people thought about outdoor clothing and, with start-up capital of just £70, Rohan was born.

They focused on fabric technology and were the first to offer softshell and to create compact travel trousers.

Their designs proved so successful that Rohan’s Windlord Gwaihir jacket was used when Peter Habeler and Reinhold Messner made the first ascent of Everest without oxygen in 1978.

A range of innovations followed over the years including their much-loved ‘Bags’ – multi-functional outdoor trousers with the trademark accessory D-ring first introduced in 1982 which became Rohan’s best-selling trousers.

As their customers became more adventurous, branching out to higher peaks and colder climates, so did they, which led to the launch of their first insulation range. In 1984, OLFIO hit the shops – the name taken from Paul’s number plate at the time, OLF 10.

In 1989, Rohan developed the Classico Range of smart urban clothing, which included its first packable and creaseresistant ‘travel suit’. Today it’s known as the Journey Collection.

There was also the Airlight fabric – a lightweight polycotton blend, tough and wind-resistant, plus UV-protective gear as well as its insect repellent clothing and Barricade Standard waterproofing.

In 2012, Sarah launched the Gift Your Gear scheme which collects preloved outdoor clothing from any brand and distributes it to charities throughout the UK, helping outdoor enthusiasts get the clothes they need for their adventures.

Rohan, which now has 54 shops, is still striving to innovate and will be hosting events throughout the year to mark its Golden Anniversary. rohan.co.uk