INSPIRING A BRAND

Keswick-based rucksack brand Millican takes its entire inspiration and ethos (as well as its name) from Millican Dalton.

Founded in the Nineties by Jorrit and Nicky ForbesJorritsma, Millican make classy, robust canvas rucksacks to their hero’s original principles, as laid out in a selfsketched advert in which the Professor hawked his designs: “Light, durable; broad, stiff shoulder straps; adjustable,” Millican promised. “Much superior to factory-made: less bulky than Norwegian, one-third of the weight and half the cost.”

His ideas, say Nicky and Jorrit, were way ahead of their time.

“He used everything he knew about cycle-camping and drew on his unrivalled experience in the outdoor world,” says Jorrit.

“His two-man tent weighed less than 3 ½ pounds, which is impressive even by today’s standards. Simple Egyptian cotton with a tight weave was the key: it was light to carry, and in rain the cotton would swell and become waterproof. He would make rucksacks to order, calling it ‘handicraft from a years’ user’.”

Staples of the Millican rucksack range include the Smith (15, 18 and 25L), the Fraser (18 and 32L) and the

Oli (15 and 25L). And as you browse their website, you’ll find cute linedrawings of a certain Professor of Adventure popping up throughout.

“He was a maverick,” adds Jorrit. “He valued romance and freedom over conventional gain and has inspired many others to follow their hearts in the same way.”

u www.homeofmillican.com